LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved setting a public hearing next month in order to approve a final version of a plan to deal with thousands of paper subdivision lots, particularly on the Northshore.
Community Development Director Rick Coel, accompanied by planner Mireya Turner, and Clearlake Oaks residents Chuck Lamb and Holly Harris, took the updated version of the paper subdivision management plan to the board.
Coel previously had taken a draft of the document to the board last November.
Turner said the updated draft incorporated a number of suggestions and ideas from the Nov. 18 board meeting, including an appendix from County Counsel Anita Grant that discussed options for acquisition and merger of parcels, included information on Teeter plan benefits and introduced a new pilot program to deal with the 220-lot Mountainview subdivision in Clearlake Oaks.
One of the key items from the November meeting was to look at a scaled down paper lot acquisition project, Coel said, and Harris and Lamb suggested dealing with the Mountainview area, where there is sewer access, very small lots and no road access – in addition to a much smaller number of parcels as compared to the thousands near Nice and Lucerne.
The Mountainview project would allow development of a community pathways system connecting downtown Clearlake Oaks to the hills above via a two-mile roundtrip pathway, according to the updated plan.
The paper subdivision management plan also would help with the regional trail plan, address stormwater issues and illegal dumping, Coel said.
Coel showed pictures of extreme erosion, which he, Harris and Lamb explained was going into areas downstream like the Clearlake Keys and Schindler Creek, and directly into Clear Lake.
“We felt that this would be a really good starting point for our pilot project,” Coel said of the Mountainview area, noting that nobody will get landlocked and it will be a way of starting to address stormwater issues.
He explained that in the subdivision lots above Lucerne there are six heavy steel gates to restrict access in order to prevent illegal dumping and trespassing. He said property owners can borrow gate keys from the Northshore Fire Protection District.
As for Mountainview, “We're not going to deny a lot owner access but we need to restrict access somehow,” said Coel.
Coel said there also will need to be an update to the county procedural plan; he said an internal review process with county department heads is necessary and they will need to carry out internal risk assessments before taking on lots, either through donation or purchase.
People would be encouraged to report illegal activity in the subdivision areas, and new code enforcement capabilities also may help deal with dumping, off-highway vehicles and other problems, Coel said.
Lamb suggested that the best way to deal with the paper subdivisions is to focus on dealing with a specific area, gain traction and community support, and move from town to town.
It would require engaging volunteer groups, with Lamb explaining that a group in Nice wants to work on such a project. If every community around the lake worked on such efforts, Lamb said it wouldn't take long to fix the problem.
Harris said the State Water Resources Control Board has been interested in the paper subdivision lots due to the runoff issues.
Supervisor Jim Steele said he's spoken to California State Parks officials and there is may be grant funding for such projects.
Coel said his staff brought forward the proposal to create the plan because having a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the lots is a critical part of being able to pursue grant funding.
“It's a long-term strategy. We don't have all the answers,” Coel said.
If the plan is accepted, the county can start going after grants and “make some things happen,” Coel added.
Coel said the regional water board has looked at the draft subdivision plan and likes where the plan is headed, particularly as it deals with stormwater.
If the county takes on ownership of the lots, the regional board has indicated it won't come after the county for the runoff issues it inherits with ownership.
County Counsel Anita Grant cautioned that when the county accepts property, it accepts everything that's wrong with it, including harm from runoff.
Steele said a lot of projects don't have a measurable result, but the proposed subdivision lot project does.
Supervisor Rob Brown suggested it could be approached as a benefit zone, which has been used for road improvements in some areas. That would allow the county to assess property owners for work done to fix the area.
Public Services Director Caroline Chavez said the plan was great and fits into her areas of concern, including issues of garbage handling.
“I want to be part of this process to make it work,” she said.
Chavez asked of Mountainview Road was a county or private road. Harris said she has received conflicting information on that point.
Chavez also had questions about who would have the responsibility for keeping the area accessible. She was concerned not just about cleanup but dumping prevention, which she said could be addressed through the planned rollout of universal garbage collection. Community growth areas are the main sources of illegal dumping.
“Cleaning it up over and over again is not the answer. You've got to prevent it,” said Chavez.
Public Works Director Scott De Leon said the county may have accepted the road but not included it in the county maintained road system.
Steele moved to schedule the public hearing for March 17, with the board voting 5-0 in support.
He also said Harris and Lamb's volunteer efforts on the plan should be acknowledged.
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.
022415 Lake County Paper Subdivision Management Plan - Updated draft