LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday approved a consultant services and developer reimbursement agreement for work on a gas station project proposed by Safeway at its 11th Street shopping center.
Lakeport Planning Services Manager Andrew Britton told Lake County News that Safeway hasn't yet formally applied to do the project, but the city is preparing to get the process rolling once an application is submitted.
Based on preliminary discussions and a scoping meeting with Safeway, Britton said the corporation is proposing a Safeway-branded fueling center on the eastern portion of the shopping center property, located at 821 and 1071 11th St.
Safeway has owned the 12.3-acre shopping center since August 2007, as Lake County News has reported.
The plans call for a station with eight fuel dispensers, or 16 pumps, and a roughly 850-square-foot retail store and payment kiosk, according to city documents.
Specifically, the plans call for demolishing 16,000 square feet of existing retail space at the east end of the center. Britton said that “limited demolition” won't impact the nearby Round Table Pizza or former Perko's locations.
The agreement between the city and the selected consultant, PMC of Rancho Cordova, requires that Safeway reimburse the city for all of PMC's expenses.
The terms of the agreement call for Safeway to pay $29,895 for the agreed-upon scope of work with PMC plus $1,495 to reimburse the city for administering the professional services agreement.
Britton said Safeway must submit its project application before PMC begins its work.
The scope of work includes the environmental review and entitlement process, according to Britton.
Britton told the council on Tuesday evening that PMC assisted the city on its Parallel Drive annexation project several years ago, and having the firm's assistance will be helpful due to the city's limited planning staff.
The gas station project will involve land use applications including a tentative parcel map, architectural and design review, preparation of an environmental review – which Britton expected to be a mitigated negative declaration as opposed to a full environmental impact report – and a zoning permit.
It was Safeway that suggested using a qualified planning consultant to assist the city with the project. Britton said Safeway submitted to the city a list of consultants, with city staff vetting the group internally and settling on PMC.
Britton said Wednesday that the process to create the applications and reports could take up to six months, and will include hydrology and greenhouse gas analysis.
According to Safeway's fourth quarter 2013 report, published on Wednesday, the Pleasanton-based corporation and its subsidiaries owned 349 gas stations and 1,335 stores as of Dec. 28, 2013.
The number of gas stations was up by nine over the previous year, with the number of stores increasing by 11 in the same time period, according to the report.
Safeway also is pursuing plans to introduce gas stations at a few stores in Sonoma County, including locations in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, according to media reports.
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