How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
City Redevelopment Manager Richard Knoll led the meeting, which he said was meant to give an update on the agency's plans.
Knoll went over several areas during the meeting, beginning with a brief discussion about the $5.6 million in bonds the agency has issued since 2004 – which will be used to fund projects – and the agency's 2008-09 budget, which has just over $800,000 in operating expense and the bond proceeds.
The Third Street project, which also encompasses the city hall parking lot, is under way, and is the first phase in the downtown development program. Knoll said the second phase of the project will continue through downtown, and include new and wider sidewalks, landscaping, street lamps, bulbouts, street improvements, new pavement, street reconstruction and underground storm drainage.
Knoll showed the large audience a rough draft of a waterfront development plan, which so far hasn't gone beyond the staff level. It takes a “blank slate” approach, looking at several blocks along the waterfront as if there was no development in place, and considering what kinds of new development could take advantage of the close proximity to downtown and the lake.
The draft drawing showed a hotel development on the Dutch Harbor property and part of the Natural High land.
In-depth public discussion on the plan will be held at a later time, said Knoll.
Business owner Karan Mackey noted that the Natural High School property, one of the last undeveloped parcels on the shoreline, has been in public ownership since 1913, and she said she's like to see it continue to remain that way.
Knoll said he went to an Urban Land Institute meeting in Los Angeles eight months ago, and the message he heard from the group – which is mostly commercial developers – is that they've made mistakes in the past by eliminating open space, which they now acknowledge is critical to good development.
He said it's become clear to him how important the Natural High property is to the community.
During discussion with audience members Knoll also acknowledged that Lakeport Unified School District Superintendent Erin Hagberg has seen the plan, but that the school property has financing against it for the district's performing arts center. He said a lot of issues involving the school site “need to be resolved.”
Lakeport has an advantage in the amount of publicly owned land along the lakeshore, he said. The challenges are finding enough parking and boat access.
Regarding Dutch Harbor, Knoll explained that the Redevelopment Agency staff had suggested the agency purchase the property from the city, because the agency has a greater ability than the city to move the development project forward. An appraisal is currently under way.
If a purchase proposal were to take place, a first right of refusal the city has on the property with Boeger Land Development would need to be addressed, Knoll said.
Jan Bruns, executive director of the Lakeport Main Street Association, gave an update on efforts to attract new retailers to downtown. The association created an inventory of available retail spaces and are shopping them to possible clients.
“We're really aggressively looking for good retail to come downtown – things we currently don't have,” she said.
Knoll said the City Council also has decided to work on attracting a hotel developer as part of its business plan. City staff is working on a request for qualifications from a developer, who they hope will be interested in one of five sites – Will-O-Point, an area between Third and Fifth streets, the Dutch Harbor and Natural High land, a block between Fourth and Fifth and Main Street and lake, and an area between Dutch Harbora and Clear Lake Avenue.
If they get an interested developer, the city could then move to assemble a site, said Knoll.
Audience members asked about use of eminent domain. He said the Redevelopment Agency currently doesn't have that power, although adding it recently was brought up at the City Council.
“It will likely come back for discussion after the first of the year,” he said, adding that it would be a lengthy process of about nine months to amend the redevelopment plan.
Mackey said the Natural High property touches people in Lakeport. “I want the council to understand there's something about that property that needs to be reckoned with,” she said. Knoll said he agreed.
In other project news, a developer wants to do a project in the area of S. Main Street and Lakeport Boulevard, but the intersection needs to be redeveloped and there are other capacity problems in the area. Knoll said city staff is working on a request for proposals to look at options for developing either a roundabout or a signalized intersection.
An audience member asked Knoll the alternative to having a traffic light or a roundabout there. “I think you see it,” Knoll quipped about the intersection, which he said isn't modern and doesn't handle traffic well.
State law requires a five year implementation plan for the Redevelopment Agency, which Knoll said is under way. It has identified nine different projects – downtown improvement, facade enhancement, Lakeport Boulevard and S. Main, land assembly for retail, the hotel development, waterfront development planning, project area infrastructure, a new or relocated parking facility construction and a “shovel ready” development in which the city would build the infrastructure.
Knoll said a public hearing will be held on the plan when it's ready; his goal is to have the plan done in three to four months.
Jason Brenner, a senior associate with Ukiah-based Ruff and Associates, discussed the latest on the city's downtown facade enhancement program. The company has done design work on Ceago del Lago, the Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon, and is working on the Soper-Reese Community Theater.
Knoll said the city will pay for the first $5,000 of design expense for businesses wanting to participate in the program; they'll also pay 50 percent or up to $50,000 for the actual facade enhancement work.
Brenner showed an illustration of a block of businesses between Third and Fourth streets on the east side of Main, with the buildings given new and colorful facades that hearkened to the area's original, early 20th century design.
He said the company is excited to be working with the community in Lakeport. “There's so much energy here, that's one of the exciting things about the project.”
Brenner said the project offers the chance to create a cohesive design strategy for the downtown area. The community partnership that has developed in Lakeport, he added, is fairly unheard of in such work.
The facade improvement area extends from Lakeport Boulevard to Clear Lake Avenue, and from Forbes to the lake. Knoll said business owners can contact him at the city if they want to participate.
The city also is reaching out to business owners throughout the city to stimulate development and property improvements, Knoll said.
Knoll said he plans to have another meeting on redevelopment issues in March; other meetings on focus redevelopment areas also will take place in the future.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Earlier this month, Helms Petroleum reported losing more than 1,000 gallons of gas to a theft at its Lakeport facility, according to Lt. Brad Rasmussen of the Lakeport Police Department.
Rasmussen said Sgt. Kevin Odom was dispatched to Helms' S. Main location on Sept. 11, where the business reported 1,083 gallons of gas went missing the previous day from a large storage tank.
The company reported there was a small fuel spill from the tank, but that didn't account for the large amount of missing fuel, said Rasmussen.
It also hasn't been determined just how the gas theft was accomplished, he said.
“It's possible that someone accessed their main storage stank and drained fuel into another large container,” said Rasmussen.
In the spring, there had been several gas thefts, with fuel being siphoned out of peoples' vehicles, as Lake County News reported.
Rasmussen said there was no pattern that developed in the previous thefts, which aren't believed to be related to Helms' situation.
Helms' gas theft is definitely the biggest, and Rasmussen said they haven't ever seen a gas theft of this size before. The gas stolen if valued at $4,418.64.
Rasmussen said the case is still pending, although they don't have any leads or suspects. “We're hoping to get some more information on it.”
If anyone has any information on the thefts, call Lakeport Police Department at 263-5491.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
However, while Lake County’s preliminary August 2008 unemployment rate was 9.8 percent – down from the revised July rate of 10.2 percent – it remained 2.2 percent above the year-ago, August 2007 rate of 7.6 percent, according to Dennis Mullins of the Employment Development Department's North Coast Region office in Eureka.
In comparison to the 9.8-percent rate, the statewide rate increased 2.1 percent for the period, Mullins reported.
At 9.8 percent, Lake ranked 48th among the State’s 58 counties. Some surrounding county rates included 9.5 percent for Colusa, 6.5 percent for Mendocino and 6.1 percent for Sonoma, said Mullins.
Marin had the lowest rate in the state at 4.9 percent, Mullins noted; Imperial County had the highest with 24.7 percent.
The comparable California and U.S. rates were 7.6 and 6.0 percent, respectively, Mullins added.
Total industry employment increased 230 (1.5 percent) between August 2007 and August 2008, ending the year-over period with 15,780 jobs, according to Mullins.
Year-over job growth occurred in trade, transportation and utilities; private educational and health services; and government.
At the same time, year-over job losses occurred in natural resources, mining and construction; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services.
Industry sectors with no change over the year included farm, manufacturing and information.
Mullins said government led industry gainers adding 190 jobs over the year. The trade, transportation and utilities sector gained 80 and private educational and health services was up 60.
Natural resources, mining and construction and the professional and business services sectors led decliners, Mullins reported, dropping 30 jobs each for the period. Leisure and hospitality was down 20 and financial activities and other services each dropped 10.
Six industry sectors gained jobs or held steady over the year, and five declined, Mullins said.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
The Mendocino County resident was infected within the county, officials reported.
In 2007 one resident of Mendocino County was diagnosed with West Nile, but that person had traveled and became infected outside of the county, Mendocino County officials reported.
Across the state, 236 human cases have been reported so far this year, with none reported in 2008 in Lake County, according to the California West Nile Virus Web site.
West Nile Virus is endemic in California and it is important to take precautions to prevent infection whether traveling or not.
The disease is transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of an infected mosquito. A person or animal that has been infected by West Nile Virus may have no symptoms of illness or they may become severely ill.
Severe symptoms occur in approximately one in 150 people (less than 1 percent) of persons infected by West Nile. These symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors, coma, convulsions, loss of muscle control, numbness, paralysis and vision loss. Symptoms can last several weeks and neurological effects may be permanent.
Mild symptoms occur in up to 20 percent of persons infected with West Nile. Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and sometimes swollen lymph glands, or a rash on the chest, stomach and back. A person with these symptoms can feel ill for a few days, while other persons may feel ill for several weeks.
No symptoms occur in approximately 4 out of 5 people (80 percent) who are infected with West Nile. They do not have any symptoms at all and do not feel ill.
If you or somebody you know has had a fever for seven days or more with any other symptoms seek medical care.
Persons who are at risk for West Nile Virus are those over age 50, or those who spend a lot of time outdoors between dawn and dusk.
To prevent the disease, it's important to protect oneself from mosquito bites, so use an insect repellent when outdoors and avoid being outside during the hours of dawn and dusk, as many mosquitoes are most active at this time. Wear long sleeves and pants that are light in color as this can help to see the mosquitoes if they land on you.
Other important preventive measures include emptying containers with standing water around your home, such as flowerpots, barrels, old tires and rain gutters; changing the water weekly in birdbaths and frequently change the water in your pet's water bowl, as these items are potential areas for mosquitoes to breed; and repairing or replacing torn screens on the windows and doors of your home to help keep mosquitoes outside.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}