Clearlake Planning Commission approves project's mitigated negative declaration, chooses new leaders

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.

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Clearlake Planning Commission approves project's mitigated negative declaration, chooses new leaders