LAKEPORT >> The Lakeport City Council adopted the Lakefront Revitalization Plan (LLRP), approving guidelines the city must follow when it comes to projects near the shore.
Some of the goals outlined in the plan are to improve parking and circulation, extend and enhance the promenade, hotel development to increase visitation along the lake and greater coordination between projects in the downtown area and lakefront.
“This lays a basic foundation where someone from the outside can pick it up and know where the community is at and what the community wants to see in a certain area so I think that will really help attract that type of investment moving forward,” said Community Development Director Kevin Ingram.
The areas incorporated in this plan are the promenade, resort enhancement zones, event space revitalization zones, special commercial development zones, Library Park, Willow Point and the Main Street Business District.
Ingram said he is amazed at the amount of public input they have received for this plan and positive feedback for incorporating something like this.
“I just want to pontificate from a planning perspective how important of a tool this plan is in the design and implementation of future projects on the waterfront. The only negative feedback I’ve received in regards to this plan is the lack of funding component,” Ingram said.
The city’s lakefront is approximately 3.8 miles. Over the years, Lakeport has realized a decline in visitors, causing a decline in business. The plan intends to help revitalize downtown and attract new business.
Although there is no direct link to funds for this plan, city officials are currently looking at budgets for various related projects. They believe with the plan in place the city will also have more leverage on grants.
Melissa Fulton, CEO of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, said this plan will benefit not only the city, but also the county. She added that developing the lakefront will attract people who even live outside of the county lines.
Some specifics she mentioned in the plan that she is in favor of are keeping Dutch Harbor open, the promenade extension, a permanent seaplane ramp, an addition of a marina and development on the Willow Point resort property.
“Willow Point now has a new owner as of several months ago and that owner has indicated, at least to me personally and I believe to several city representatives that he’s more than willing to talk about and discuss putting a hotel on that property and that certainly would be the highest and best use of that property and it would certainly make a lot of people very happy,” Fulton said.
She added that this might also create some improvements to other lodging around the lake and want them to participate in gaining promenade access. This will plan will give hope to all of Lake County that they are moving forward with plans and putting in facilities that were not around before.
“I know I can speak on behalf of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce that we are willing to partner up and help and do whatever is necessary,” Fulton said.
The city had determined that the current lakefront plans did not address the needs of the surrounding properties or community. To develop the plan the city hired a professional consultant, put together teams and gathered public input to help develop the best possible document.
This was accomplished through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) in 2015 to conduct studies and opportunities to improve the lakefront area physically, environmentally and economically.
Ingram said this plan is consistent with the Lakeport General Plan, the land use of the city, Economic Development of the city and Community Design Elements. He hopes this plan brings positive developments to the city and looks forward to what it can bring.
