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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Planning Commission held a public hearing Tuesday during which it sealed its approval of a mitigated negative declaration for the Monte Vista Home project.

The project would develop single family homes or duplexes in the area of 3593 Old Highway 53.

The public hearing originally was scheduled for Aug. 5; however, it was postponed because that meeting lacked a quorum.

The mitigated negative declaration sets forth 30 mitigation measures in the following areas: aesthetics in that all exterior lighting shall be shielded and/or directed so as not to produce offsite glare; air quality addressing construction activities, debris and structure removal, and inspection for the presence of asbestos; biological resources addressing the protection of trees; hydrology and water quality requiring grading and storm water drainage plans and erosion control conditions; land use and planning addressing lot size and structure type; noise (during construction); public services addressing standards for fire protection; utilities and service systems addressing utility and drainage easements, water distribution and storage facilities, and sewer and sanitation concerns.

Mitigation measures also are presented in the areas of cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials.

Additionally, transportation and traffic mitigation measures address construction of internal access roads requiring curb, gutter and sidewalk to standards of a residential street, installation/approval of street name signs and location, and an emergency access easement at the north end of the development property.

Transportation and traffic mitigation also require a development agreement requiring of the applicant payment of a fair-share of intersection improvements and signalization of Old Highway 53 and Olympic Drive for each lot as it is developed. A zone of benefit is to be established to determine the fair-share for the development.  

Developer Owen O'Donnell received a four-year extension in July on the use permit for the project, which was first proposed in 2008. The project was postponed because of the state of the economy.

Extension of the use permit included amended conditions concerning infrastructure that related to drainage and run-off, flood zone regulations, lighting and clarification indicating all utilities are to be installed underground.

Another amendment concerned the formation of a street maintenance district, which City Manager Joan Phillipe said is easier to address when there is a single property owner prior to the selling of the subdivided parcels.

The tentative map for the project subdivides the property into 23 residential lots and four commercial lots.

Tuesday's action included an additional amendment to the use permit, which was presented at the request of the Lake County Area Planning Council. Phillipe said the added condition is acceptable to the applicant.

Language added requires bus stop improvements to be coordinated with the curb/gutter/sidewalk improvements.

Those improvements, to be completed after consultation with Lake Transit Authority, will address appropriate locations, bus stop design, bus pull-out space and other requirements. Part of the design is to include an accessible path to the bus stop from the project area.

Rounding out its Tuesday agenda, the commission selected new leadership for the coming year.

Carl Webb will serve as commission chair and Cheryl Hutchinson will serve as vice chair.

Additionally, Phillipe announced the resignation of Commissioner Albert Bernal, who recently got married and has relocated outside of the area.

Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The largest school district in Lake County has announced it will be opening the first new high school in the county in over half a century.

Konocti Unified School District was awarded a $1.2 million dollar grant through the California Career Partnerships Trust, as Lake County News has reported.

The Health Occupations Magnet High School opened its doors on Aug. 13.

Jeff Dixon, principal at Lower Lake High School for the past seven years, began writing the grant for this new high school in 2013.  

Dixon has now been appointed to develop and open the Health Occupations Magnet High School.  

“Mr. Dixon has focused his leadership at LLHS on empowering students for life success through expanded opportunities,” said Konocti Unified Superintendent Donna Becnel. “His work on this grant focused our vision and we are confident in his leadership as we embark on this new and exciting endeavor.”

The focus of the Health Occupations Magnet High School is on health occupations; however, students will have rich experiences and develop critical skills needed to be successful in any college or career path.

“One of the most exciting things about this initiative is that it offers outstanding opportunities to students along with tremendous impact for our community,” said Dixon. “Our students will learn leadership skills, gain experience through job shadowing and participate in college field trips.”

The Health Occupations Magnet High School is currently enrolling grades ninth through 12th.

Classes began on Aug. 13 but enrollments are still being accepted.

Beginning in the fall of 2015, only incoming ninth graders will be able to enroll as this is a comprehensive four-year program, district officials said.

The Lower Lake High School campus will serve as the magnet high school facility until the new magnet school classrooms are ready to open in January 2015.

The magnet high school will be located at the new Konocti Educational Center site, which is located between St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake and Yuba Community College, formerly Oak Hill Middle School.

“The opening of the Health Occupations Magnet High School represents a pivotal moment for KUSD and the entire community,” said Becnel. “This school will provide unprecedented opportunities for students in fields that are critical for our county, developing the leaders and successful community members of our future.”

For more information or to enroll in the program, contact Principal Jeff Dixon at 707-994-6447, Extension 2914, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Lodge Complex near Laytonville is approaching full containment, officials said Wednesday night.

The complex of lightning-caused fires has been burning for three weeks in Mendocino County's Wilderness Lodge/Eel River Canyon area.

It has burned a total of 12,535 acres and was 95-percent contained as of Wednesday night, according to Cal Fire.

The number of fire personnel assigned to the incident was rolled back to 366 on Wednesday, with five fire engines, eight fire crews, nine bulldozers, one helicopter and 11 water tenders also remaining on scene, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said fire crews are continuing to do mop up and repair in the fire area, which is still producing some smoke.

The effort to fight the complex has cost $39.8 million to date, Cal Fire said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A raid on two illicit marijuana gardens in the Mendocino National Forest in Glenn County on Tuesday led to a Carmichael man's arrest.

Ivan Villafano, 24, was arrested during the operation, according to a report from the Glenn County Sheriff's Office.

The agency reported that the two marijuana gardens were discovered northwest of Elk Creek near Ice Springs and Shepherd Creek as the result of an overflight.

On Tuesday agents with the Glenn Interagency Narcotics Task Force – assisted by the US Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the officials with the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, raided the two gardens, which were separate from each other.

The Glenn County Sheriff's Office report said Villafano was taken into custody at the scene of the marijuana garden in the Ice Springs area.

When Villafano was taken into custody in the garden, he was armed with a small caliber handgun that was on his person. A rifle also was located in the marijuana garden, according to the report.

Villafano was arrested on charges including marijuana cultivation, conspiracy, a special allegation and carrying a loaded firearm in public, and booked into the Glenn County Jail on a no-bail hold, officials said.

Approximately 732 marijuana plants were eradicated from the garden. The approximate street value for the marijuana if it had made it to maturity would be approximately $350,000, the Glenn County Sheriff's Office reported.

Approximately 500 pounds of trash and growing supplies were removed from the garden for reclamation purposes to return the area to its original state, officials said.

In the Shepherd Creek area, agents raided a separate marijuana cultivation site, eradicating approximately 12,968 plants. Officials said approximately 750 pounds of trash and growing supplies were removed from the site.

The Glenn County Sheriff's Office noted that hunting season is open in parts of the Mendocino National Forest, and urged visitors to be careful while hunting or while in the area for recreational purposes.

If someone were to find themselves in a marijuana garden, they should exit the area immediately. If possible, obtain GPS coordinates to provide to law enforcement, officials said.

Visitors to the Glenn County portion of the forest are asked to report any suspicious activity to the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office at 530-934-6431.

The California Department of Public Health reported that it is working with local health departments and health care providers statewide to identify patients who have traveled to countries affected by Ebola.

CDPH is directing health providers to follow protocols established by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients.

People returning from the affected areas who may be at high risk for Ebola should be isolated and their blood sent to CDC for testing.

Some low-risk patients – like one from Sacramento who is undergoing testing for the condition – may be tested out of an abundance of caution, officials said.

CDPH works with local health departments and hospitals to arrange for proper specimen shipment and Ebola virus confirmatory testing.

There are currently no confirmed cases of Ebola in California, CDPH said. There have been no patients admitted to California hospitals who are considered to be at high risk of Ebola according to CDC criteria.

If a person has traveled to an affected country and develops a fever within three weeks of their return, they should contact their health care provider and let the provider know of their travel history.

The risk of the spread of Ebola in California is low, CDPH said. Any patient suspected of having Ebola can be safely managed in a California hospital following recommended isolation and infection control procedures. Suspect cases of Ebola will be investigated by local health departments in consultation with CDPH.

State and local public health officials in California are monitoring the situation closely and taking steps to keep Californians safe. The state's advanced health care system has appropriate protocols in place to prevent the spread of this often deadly disease.

Ebola is an infectious disease caused by the Ebola virus. Symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 21 days after exposure and include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and abnormal bleeding.

It is classified as a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) because of the fever and abnormal bleeding.

Among the VHFs, Ebola is feared because of its high mortality.

There are no specific treatments but supportive therapy can be provided to address bleeding and other complications.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The California Department of Transportation and local transportation agencies are conducting a study to assess the likely impacts of climate change on state transportation facilities in northwestern California.

The study includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino counties.

The study considers the potential impacts of sea level rise, increased coastal flooding and erosion, increased landslides, and increased wildfire as projected by current climate change modeling.

The study is one of 16 pilot studies across the U.S. being funded, in part, by the Federal Highway Administration.

"The study looks at climate damage that can impact roads, bridges, drainage and maintenance facilities," said Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder. "Our entire system works together to connect communities, support goods movement and the economy, and ensure that emergency services can operate during times of crisis. We need to be prepared for the future to minimize interruptions in service."

"Some sections of road are more likely to be compromised due to climate change impacts," said Rob Holmlund, a planner with GHD, the consulting team performing the study. "If steps aren’t taken to protect the system, some communities may be at risk of an increase in travel delays, or worse, being cut off from the rest of the road network."

Preliminary results show notable climate change vulnerability along U. S. Highway 101 at Last Chance Grade (south of Crescent City) and along Humboldt Bay north of Eureka, on State Route 1 at the mouth of the Garcia River (near Point Arena), and along portions of State Route 20 near Rodman Slough, northwest of Clear Lake.

Public meetings in August will provide detailed updates to the residents in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino counties.

At these meetings, officials will discuss climate change projections, identify highly vulnerable state facilities, and invite discussion to prioritize and protect the road network.

The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment study is a joint project of the California Department of Transportation District 1 and the Humboldt County Association of Governments, with the collaboration of the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission, Mendocino Association of Governments, and the Lake County/City Area Planning Council.

The study is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and Caltrans. More information is available at www.northcoastclimatechange.com .

Meetings will be held at the following locations:

• Monday, Aug. 25, in Eureka at the Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina Way;
• Tuesday, Aug. 26. in Crescent City at the Elk Valley Rancheria, 2298 Norris Ave.;
• Wednesday, Aug. 27, in Lakeport at the Lake County Courthouse, Board Chambers, 255 N. Forbes St.;
• Thursday, Aug. 28, in Fort Bragg at the Mendocino County Library, Fort Bragg Branch, Community Room, 499 East Laurel St.

All meetings will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Jessica Hall of GHD at 707-443-8326.