The Guenoc Valley Project boundary in Lake County, California. Image courtesy of the county of Lake. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit against the county of Lake over the Board of Supervisors’ approval in July of a major resort and residential project near Middletown.
The group is suing to challenge the approval of the Guenoc Valley Mixed Use Planned Development Project – also known as Maha Guenoc Valley – which the board approved on July 21.
Lotusland Investment Holdings Inc. proposes to build the project on the 16,000-acre Guenoc Ranch. At buildout, there will be close to 1,400 residential estate villas, 400 hotel units and 450 resort residential units.
Representatives of the developer did not respond to requests for comment on the suit.
The first phase of the project, which has a combined 1,415-acre footprint dispersed throughout the overall ranch site, is to include 385 residential villas in five subdivisions; five boutique hotels with 127 hotel units and 141 resort residential cottages; 20 campsites; up to 100 workforce housing co-housing units; resort amenities such as an outdoor entertainment area, spa and wellness amenities, sports fields, equestrian areas, a new golf course and practice facility, camping area and commercial and retail facilities; agricultural production and support facilities; essential accessory facilities, including back of house facilities; 50 temporary workforce hotel units (Entourage Hotel); emergency response and fire center, float plane dock, helipads; and supporting infrastructure, according to planning documents.
“This is the largest land use decision this board will ever make,” Supervisor Rob Brown said at the July 21 meeting.
Brown would turn out to be the lone dissenter, ultimately voting against the project because he said it didn’t delineate than an off-site well would be specifically designated as a “secondary” water source and didn’t including triggers that would be necessary before that water could be used instead of the groundwater source at the site itself.
At the time the board approved the project, the Center for Biological Diversity told Lake County News that a legal challenge was being considered, and it went forward with filing the action, which it said was filed in the Lake County Superior Court on Aug. 21.
County Counsel Anita Grant said the county was served with the suit on Aug. 27.
“Both the county and the project applicant will respond,” Grant said, adding that she believed the county would handle the suit in-house.
The suit was filed just days after the LNU Lightning Complex began to burn through Napa, Lake and four other neighboring counties, with many south Lake County residents under evacuation.
One of the Center for Biological Diversity’s objections to the project is that it is in a fire-prone area that has burned repeatedly over the last several years, and which is only accessible by a two-lane road.
The Guenoc Valley development site lies inside the purple evacuation zone on this map for the LNU Lightning Complex from the county of Lake California in August 2020. Evacuations due to the complex were later lifted.
“The massive wildfire currently threatening the site highlights the dangerous absurdity of approving a big development in this fire-prone place,” said Peter Broderick, a staff attorney at the center. “If this luxury resort were already built, residents would be frantically evacuating right now. By approving this project, Lake County put the prospect of development dollars ahead of the safety of the region’s residents and the fragile environment of this beautiful place.”
The center said the California attorney general has repeatedly raised concerns about the county’s failure to analyze the increased risk of wildfire ignitions from the development and how the project would affect wildfire evacuations in the region.
The undeveloped 16,000-acre project site contains oak woodlands, wildlife corridors, and habitat for sensitive wildlife species including golden eagles, foothill yellow-legged frogs and western pond turtles, the center said.
“When built the project will bring thousands of new residents and visitors to this isolated corner of Lake County, resulting in more than 30,000 metric tons of new greenhouse gas emissions every year,” the center said of the project. “The resort will include a golf course, spa, polo grounds, helipad and float plane landing facilities designed to attract ‘high net worth individuals’ looking to escape urban areas, according to promotional materials.”
The lawsuit asserts that the county’s environmental impact report for the project repeatedly violated the California Environmental Quality Act and that the project is inconsistent with the county’s general plan.
The Board of Supervisors agendized the lawsuit for a closed session discussion at its meeting last week.
Grant said the board took no action on the matter at that time.
“We are in the process of preparing the County’s defense and response,” Grant said. “Early days yet.”
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.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake is seeking applications from residents interested in serving on the Clearlake Planning Commission.
The commission has one open seat with a term expiring in March 2021.
The current incumbent, Planning Commission Chair Richard Bean, has announced his plans to step down from his seat effective Sept. 30.
Planning commissioners hear and act upon land use matters and are advisory to the Clearlake City Council on zoning regulations, the general plan, and other land use issues.
Commissioners serve at the will of the city council and are designated filers under the Fair Political Practices Commission and must file periodic statements of economic interest disclosing financial interests within the jurisdiction of the city.
Applications are available at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, on the city’s website or via email to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Clearlake City Council will consider applications and an appointment during its Oct. 1 council meeting.
The deadline for applications to be included in the city council meeting packet is Sept. 24 at 5 p.m.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified the St. Helena killed last Friday in a head-on wreck near Middletown.
Lt. Corey Paulich said Robert Lewis Cromer, 74, died as a result of the crash.
Cromer was killed shortly before 7:30 a.m. Sept. 4 on Highway 29 just north of Grange Road when his Chevrolet Prizm collided head-on with a Kia Optima driven by 43-year-old Bryan K. Taber of Clearlake Oaks, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.
The CHP said Taber was driving northbound on Highway 29 when he drifted across the solid double yellow lines and collided head-on with Cromer’s car.
Authorities said Cromer died at the scene, while Taber was transported to Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital in Clearlake for treatment of major injuries.
Officers arrested Taber for driving under the influence of prescription medication and cannabis but released him from custody to the hospital for treatment, the CHP 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.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has six dogs it’s offering to new families this week.
The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
“Bella.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bella’
“Bella” is a female American Bully mix.
She has a short beige and tan coat.
She is dog No. 3537.
“Boog.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Boog’
“Boog” is a senior male American Bully mix with a short brown and white coat.
He is dog No. 4012.
“Diesel.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Diesel’
“Diesel” is a male border collie mix with a black and white coat.
He is dog No. 4023.
“Jack.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Jack’
“Jack” is a male Labrador Retriever mix with a short yellow coat.
He is dog No. 4155.
“Lady.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Lady’
“Lady” is a female German Shepherd mix.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 3683.
“Wilbur.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Wilbur’
“Wilbur” is a male American Bully mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 3999.
Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.
The shelter is open by appointment only due to COVID-19.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
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 – US Forest Service officials are planning a Thursday night virtual community meeting to discuss developments on the August Complex, now the largest fire incident in California’s recorded history.
The Forest Service said the lightning-caused complex – burning for three weeks across the Mendocino National Forest – has burned 471,185 acres, with containment unchanged at 24 percent.
That makes it the largest wildland fire incident in California, surpassing the 2018 Mendocino Complex – which also burned through the Mendocino National Forest and other parts of Colusa, Glenn, Lake and Mendocino counties – by nearly 12,000 acres.
The Forest Service will host a virtual community meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday on the Mendocino National Forest Facebook page to discuss developments on the complex.
Katy Hooper, a public information officer on the complex, told Lake County News that the acreage estimate given on Thursday includes the Hull, Doe, Tatham and Glade fires.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, the reported size of the complex had grown by 99,000 acres.
“We were hindered yesterday to get into the field to provide better acreage numbers due to the winds and weather, which did not best reflect yesterday's acreage,” Hooper said.
Hooper said the new acreage estimate does not include the Hopkins fire, now being managed as part of the Elkhorn fire, which the US Forest Service said is 255,309 acres.
The Forest Service’s Thursday report on the complex said northeast winds continued through most of the day Wednesday and there was significant fire spread from increased fire activity on the west side of the fire, with heavy smoke production across the area.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District attributed heavy smoke in the county’s air basin on Wednesday to the August Complex and other fires around the region.
Due to significant winds, the fire quickly crossed the Black Butte River, continuing beyond the M1 Road late Tuesday. Early Wednesday morning, crews assessed activity on the fire, which the Forest Service said had become established in the Yuki Wilderness, as well as private lands to the north and west of the wilderness.
Despite firefighter preparation and efforts, there were structures burned during the rapid-fire growth over the last two days. The Forest Service said the number of structures is unknown at this time.
With the strong winds on Wednesday, the fire progressed beyond the Eel River. Firefighters will continue to work with Cal Fire on containment lines on the west side of the fire Thursday, the Forest Service said.
Officials said there was less fire spread in the Monkey Rock area than on the rest of the complex. The Forest Service said crews also will continue to work to contain that area.
Warm and dry conditions with a lot of smoke will last into the weekend. Winds will be variable with gusts up to 18 miles per hour, the Forest Service reported.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for multiple counties, with officials directing people to their specific sheriff’s office for more information.
In Lake County, evacuation orders remain in effect for Pillsbury Ranch and the entire Lake Pillsbury basin.
The Great Basin Incident Management Team will assume command of the fire at 6 a.m. Friday, the Forest Service said. The Southern Area Blue Team Incident Team has been overseeing the complex since Aug. 27.
For specific cabin access-related questions, call the Mendocino National Forest office at 530-934-3316.
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.
The August Complex as mapped on Thursday, September 10, 2020. Map courtesy of the US Forest Service.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting to consider a health emergency declaration the Lake County Public Health officer has issued in response to the LNU Lightning Complex.
The meeting will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, in the board chambers at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting at 9 a.m. The meeting ID is 973 3992 5981, password 894908.
To submit a written comment on any agenda item please visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during the meeting but will become a part of the record.
Dr. Gary Pace issued the declaration, which cites the potential for toxic exposures that pose a public health threat in the aftermath of the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire. He said a declaration is required to help mitigate this threat by prohibiting the unsafe removal, transport and disposal of fire debris.
On Wednesday night, Cal Fire reported that the LNU Lightning Complex – burning since Aug. 17 – was up to 93 percent containment.
Cal Fire said Wednesday that better mapping had resulted in the complex’s acreage being adjusted down by nearly 12,000 acres to a total of 363,220 acres. That ranks it the fourth-largest wildland fire incident in California history.
Two of the three fires ahead of it – the 459,123-acre Mendocino Complex in 2018 and the 372,012-acre August Complex now burning in the Mendocino National Forest – both burned in Lake County.
The portion of the complex that burned in Lake County is the Hennessey fire, 305,651 acres and 93-percent contained, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire’s damage assessments for the complex have tallied 1,491 structures destroyed and 232 damaged. Of those, nine are Lake County structures – eight of them homes – that have been destroyed. Neighboring counties have taken the brunt of the structure loss.
More than 1,000 firefighters remain assigned to the complex, according to Cal Fire’s Wednesday night report.
Residents seeking more information related to community disaster resources should access the local recovery website.
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.
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