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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters are close to fully containing a Colusa County wildland fire that began on Wednesday afternoon.

The Spring fire is located on Spring Valley Road and Highway 20, northeast of Wilbur Springs, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire and Williams Fire are in joint command on the incident, which began just before 1 p.m. Wednesday.

By early Wednesday evening, the fire was reported to have burned 20 acres, with containment at 80 percent, according to Bruce Lang of Cal Fire.

The Cal Fire report said the fire began as the result of a mower blade hitting a rock.

When crews first arrived at the scene, Cal Fire said the fire was approximately three acres, with straw bales and several bee boxes in its path.

Cal Fire said quick response from air tankers and firefighters stopped the fire from doing any damage to the bales or the bees, and no structures or infrastructure were damaged or destroyed.

Assigned resources include seven engines, three air tankers, two water tenders, one helicopter, one hand crew, two dozers and 65 firefighters.

In addition to Cal Fire and Williams Fire, officials said Maxwell Fire Protection District also Is assisting with the incident.

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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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Cal Fire said firefighters are making progress on a wildland fire burning in Mendocino County and fully contained another in Solano County.

Work to contain the Moose fire in Mendocino County is continuing while firefighters have reached the 100-percent containment mark on the Timm fire in Solano County.

By Tuesday night, the Moose fire – which began Monday evening off Moose Road and Bus McGall Road northwest of Hopland – remained at 225 acres, with containment up to 35 percent, Cal Fire said.

No structures have been damaged or destroyed. Earlier on Tuesday, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office had reported that evacuation orders in the McNab Ranch area had been lifted.

One firefighter suffered a minor injury on the incident, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said firefighters continue to make steady progress in adding depth to the containment lines and extinguishing interior hotspots. They’ve been challenged by the rough terrain – steep mountains, deep ravines, rock outcroppings and rolling debris – and increased temperatures.

Resources assigned include 461 firefighters, 23 hand crews, 22 engines, nine water tenders, two helicopters and two dozers, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire doesn’t so far have an estimated date of containment for the fire, the cause of which remains under investigation.

In Soloano County, firefighters were able to contain the Timm fire after several hours of effort on Tuesday afternoon.

The fire began shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Allendale and Timm roads. Cal Fire said it burned a total of 81 acres in grass. No structures or infrastructure were threatened or destroyed.

Cal Fire said full containment on the incident was quickly reached with the help of three air tankers, a helicopter and two dozers, along with two hand crews, five engines, two water tenders and 74 firefighters.

That fire’s cause also remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.

Editor’s note: The original story said Sonoma not Solano County. We regret the error.

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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Dr. Brian L. Grey accepting the 2019 Lake County Fair grand marshal designation with Fair Chief Executive Officer Courtny Conkle. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Fair has announced that the grand marshal of this year’s event is Dr. Brian L. Grey.

The Lake County Fair will be held Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.

Qualifications for the fair grand marshal include exceptional leadership skills, longtime involvement with the fair and a life of service to their community.

Grey has been a long-time fair supporter. He was recognized by the Lake County Fair Board for his outstanding contributions to the youth of Lake County.

“Brian is the epitome of what we seek in a grand marshal,” said Lake County Fair Chief Executive Officer Courtny Conkle.

“I'm thrilled that Brian accepted our nomination as grand marshal,” Conkle said. “He is an outstanding member of our community, and he has a long history with the fairgrounds, especially supporting the kids at the Junior Livestock Auction. He is an incredibly humble person, so him accepting the nomination to represent the fair means the world to us."

Grey will lead the opening night parade on Thursday, Aug. 29, along with the fair board and will cut the ribbon, officially kicking off the 2019 Lake County Fair.

Dr. Brian L. Grey after the 2018 Junior Livestock Auction with multiple buyers’ photos. Courtesy photo.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council voted during a special Tuesday evening meeting to approve a resolution to submit an application to the Lake Local Agency Formation Commission to annex 136 acres along South Main Street.

The south Lakeport annexation area has been a point of contention between the city and the county of Lake for nearly a decade.

The 50-parcel area is estimated to be the unincorporated county’s most lucrative commercial corridor, and therefore the county has been loathe to part with it.

About 20 people attended the special meeting, among them District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott and District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon, both of whom asked the council not to approve the resolution, and the council heard from business and property owners that both favored it and those that didn’t.

The area has been in the city’s proposed sphere of influence since the early 1980s.

Community Development Director Kevin Ingram said the city already provides wastewater treatment for the area, and plans include installing a water main throughout the annexation area in 2021 in conjunction with the South Main Street improvement project.

Ingram said the city and county entered into preannexation agreements in 1997, 2001 and 2002, which the city maintains remain valid.

The 1997 agreement in particular was raised repeatedly throughout the meeting as a key supporting document in the city’s plans. It can be found on page 118 of the staff report below. It calls for the city to pay the county $210,000 in tax revenue over seven years to offset the loss of the sales tax.

Ingram said the city’s general plan anticipates the south Lakeport area’s annexation, and so the city updated its sphere of influence and adopted prezoning predesignations for south Lakeport in 2015 in preparation for annexation.

“The timing is critical for moving forward with getting annexation completed,” Ingram said, noting the water project needs to get done. He said the city already is in the process of looping its existing water system.

Ingram said benefits for property owners in the annexation area include no property tax increases, enhanced police services, the ability to connect to the city’s water system, installation of fire hydrants to improve fire safety, continuation of cost-effective sewer service by the city, faster building permit turnaround and the ability to take part in Lakeport elections.

He said current city residents also will benefit with increased water reliability and a reduction in maintenance costs.

The action requested of the council on Tuesday – approval of the resolution to apply for annexation to the Lake Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCo – was the first of a two-step process. The second step – annexation approval – is up to LAFCo, he said.

It’s anticipated that LAFCo will begin a review process that will last through the end of the year. Ingram said the matter likely won’t be on a LAFCo agenda until early 2020.

A fiscal analysis completed for the city by Applied Development Economics Inc. said the county would have an $8,500 annual deficit following the annexation, which would be covered by the $210,000 in tax sharing payments, Ingram said.

Council hears from supervisors, property owners

During public comment, Supervisor Scott told the council, “This is a very charged topic as you know.”

She said she thinks constituents are best served when the city and county governments communicate and partner.

Referring to the 1997 preannexation agreement, Scott said it’s the county’s position that it’s not valid due to material changes in the intervening years.

While the city is proposing to pay $210,000 over seven years, Scott said that’s a fraction of the $450,000 to $500,000 in annual sales tax losses the county would experience.

“We need to reset. Vote no on this resolution,” she said.

Scott Lotter, president and owner of the Lakeport Cinema 5 and Lakeport Auto Movies, the drive-in next door, told the council, “This is long overdue.”

Lotter said that, 23 years ago when his company proposed to build the cinema, there was talk of the annexation. Since then, he said the county has drug its feet on the matter.

“The biggest thing for us is the water,” he said, explaining that he spends a small fortune – thousands of dollars a month – on services including water testing and filtration because of water quality issues with the property’s wells. The costs have hampered more developing, remodeling, renovation and landscaping.

A reliable source of water changes the economic game, Lotter said, adding that his stock and trade is popcorn and sodas.

Supervisor Simon said the city’s annexation application suggests the parties have agreed, when they haven’t.

Referring to the 1997 agreement, Simon said, “The agreement is no foundation at all at this point.”

He asked that the city and county work together for Lakeport residents, adding that they have some real opportunities to benefit everyone. “And the resolution before you isn't the answer.”

Business owner Paul Racine said he presented a survey of property owners to city and county officials in March of 2012 that showed a majority didn’t support annexation. Racine said the information remains basically the same today.

Michael Green, a city planning commissioner, supported the resolution, saying he wanted to get the matter on the table.

Besides input from property owners, Green said there was another key metric – what the vision is for the city of Lakeport. “So far the city has no influence in its own sphere of influence.”

He added, “I would ask that if you support the idea of community identity, if you support the idea of local control, you advance this to the next step.”

Advancing the annexation gets everyone to the table, he said. If it doesn’t fly, at least there will have been an informed debate instead of relying on 20-year-old debates.

Beyond services, Green urged them to consider what the council’s desire is, such as creating a brighter future for the city and growing into the space that the city has the chance to grow into.

“The resolution doesn't bind you to any particular course of action,” he said.

Justin Hamaker, manager of Lakeport Cinema 5, also is a state-certified water treatment operator and told the council about the water issues the theater and drive-in have had with their wells, which have high mineral content. The water quality means they have to spend more money on replacing and fixing equipment.

Business owner Nancy Ruzicka said she is against annexation, telling the council she is concerned about the city taking care of the land it already has, and wanting them to support Main Street merchants.

Council agrees on need, willing to continue negotiations

Councilman Kenny Parlet said he thinks the city and county need to work together but felt the sphere of influence is where the city needs to grow.

“We need to do it and we need to do it now,” he said.

Parlet said he also had concerns about the 1997 agreement. He said he resented the fact that the sales tax money the county gets from south Lakeport doesn’t go back into the area, but at the same time said a tax sharing agreement that's more amenable to Lake County is something he thinks is a necessity.

City Manager Margaret Silveira said the city can continue moving forward with its annexation application while also continuing the conversation with the county.

Mayor Tim Barnes asked how long the city and county have been meeting. Silveira said for years the city tried to get the county to the table. Once they did sit down to talk, they’ve had two meetings. While she said she wanted to continue talking to the county, she held that the 1997 agreement allows the city to move forward.

Councilwoman Stacey Mattina said the city has been offering the county a better tax share agreement for about eight years. “The county has not been willing to look at any of those offers.”

She said the only way to advance the city’s plans is to move forward with this agreement.

“A city's single greatest right is to grow,” she said, adding that the best tool for economic development is annexation, and that the annexation offers a boost to the entire county. “It should be a really, really exciting time for everybody.”

Councilwoman Mireya Turner, who formerly worked in the County Administrative Office, said she could attest to the continual start and stop on the matter.

Turner said the fire suppression benefits are important to her, and she also noted the issues with the two jurisdictions being involved in the wastewater system. She said she was comfortable moving forward and continuing negotiations.

Councilman George Spurr said fire safety is the most important issue for him. He also was OK with offering the county a better tax revenue share and said it’s LAFCo’s job to figure out if the agreements are legal or not.

Parlet said he felt Scott and Simon had brought a different climate to the discussion, noting more animosity with the county previously.

He asked City Attorney Davie Ruderman if he saw any issues with the 1997 agreement. Ruderman said that, in his assessment, it’s a valid agreement.

Mattina moved to approve the resolution, with Turner seconding and the council voting 5-0.

Also on Tuesday, the council unanimously approved a resolution declaring the council’s intent to form an underground utility district along 11th Street and North Main Street, and set a Sept. 3 public hearing.

Silveira said the district’s formation is to help protect more than $4,000 of the nearly $1 million in Rural 20 undergrounding funds the city has accumulated and which the California Public Utilities Commission wants to divert to a project in Live Oak.

After the 76-minute meeting, there are cordial discussions between Scott, Simon, council members and staff, who continued to indicate a desire to have further discussions regarding annexation.

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.


081319 Lakeport City Council special meeting agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday afternoon that evacuation orders have been reduced to warnings for the Moose fire near Hopland, but residents of the area are still urged to be vigilant.

The fire, which began on Monday evening, is now reported to be 225 acres, with containment remaining at 25 percent, Cal Fire said.

The Moose fire is burning in steep terrain and brush in the area of Moose Road and Bus McGall Road northwest of Hopland, officials said.

The sheriff’s office said 10 structures have been threatened but none destroyed.

On Monday evening officials issued evacuation orders for the McNab Ranch area including Valley View Road, Bus McGall Road and Moose Road, and an evacuation warning for another part of the McNab Ranch area covering the north end of Feliz Creek Road and Feliz Creek Drive.

The sheriff’s office said the evacuation orders have been reduced to evacuation warnings. Residents in these areas are still encouraged to remain diligent and conscious of their surroundings as the evacuation orders and warnings can change at any time depending on the fire activity.

Resources that Cal Fire said remain assigned to the fire on Tuesday include 300 firefighters, 15 engines, 10 crews, five air tankers, four water tenders, three dozers and two helicopters.
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The latest August 2019 cyanobacteria testing results for Clear Lake in Lake County, Calif. The markers indicate the following: Green, below state trigger levels; blue, regular sites not sampled during the last sampling event; yellow, caution trigger level; orange, warning trigger level; red, danger trigger level. Image courtesy of Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The latest testing of nearly two dozen sites on Clear Lake shows that there are four areas where cyanobacteria levels have triggered warnings.

Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Elem Indian Colony are conducting the water testing on a regular basis.

The most recent results reflect testing largely conducted on Aug. 5, and four areas of Clear Lake demonstrated concerning levels of cyanotoxins, which are produced by blue-green algae, officials said.

Readings of 20 micrograms per liter, or µg/L, trigger “danger” level warnings.

Testing results from July 26 and Aug. 5 showed the following areas of concern:

– Lily Cove (LC01) with a lab result from July 26 of 150 µg/L; danger zone (red). This site is not yet a regular sampling site; however the danger level from preliminary Abraxis strip testing done on July 26 was confirmed with a lab result.

– Austin Park Beach (AP01) had a lab result of 48 µg/L on July 22, which decreased to 1.9 µg/L on Aug. 5; caution zone (yellow).

– Sulphur Bank Mine (SBMMEL01) with a lab result from Aug. 5 of 0.92 µg/L; caution zone (yellow).

– Cache Creek Shady Acres (SHADY01) had a lab result of 25 µg/L on July 26, which decreased to 0.87 µg/L on Aug. 5; caution zone (yellow). Lab results improved from danger to caution or below caution level from additional testing done in between sampling events, July 26 to Aug. 5.

In addition, Redbud Park (RED01) had a lab result of 32 µg/L on July 26 which decreased to 0.41 µg/L on Aug. 5, which is below the caution zone. Its results also improved because of additional testing between July 26 and Aug. 5.

Lake County Public Health urges boaters and recreational users to avoid direct contact with or use of waters containing cyanobacteria in Lake County.

The recommendation is based on the potential health risks from cyanobacteria, which is currently blooming at varying levels in the Lower Arm and Oaks Arm of Clear Lake.

Cyanobacteria can pose health risks, particularly to children and pets. Health officials urge people to choose safe activities when visiting natural bodies of water, particularly where blooms are visible.

It is strongly recommended that people and their pets avoid contact with water and avoid swallowing lake water in an algae bloom area.

For current cyanotoxin lab results, please visit the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians cyanotoxin monitoring Web site.

For more information and resources, visit the County’s cyanobacteria pages at http://www.lakecountyca.gov/cyanobacteria/ and http://www.lakecountyca.gov/cyanohealth/ .
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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – In the wake of the Golf fire incident of this past week, some community members have asked if the “1,000 Hands to Protect Lake County Homes” will still take place on Saturday, Aug. 17.

Supervisor Rob Brown, who has organized the event, said the answer is an emphatic “yes.”

“We knew this effort was vital before; now, we feel even more strongly it is truly critical,” Brown said.

“Like all Lake County residents, I am thankful for the quick and effective work done by firefighters and other first responders to contain the Golf fire. I am also even more committed to doing what I can to limit the chance that a wildfire happens again,” Brown said.

Brown said clearing roadside vegetation is one of our best opportunities to take action, and the area alongside Highway 281 in the Soda Bay corridor remains vulnerable.

“Twelve thousand county residents live near this high risk area, and we need 500 volunteers this Saturday,” Brown said.

The event will take place from 6 to 10 a.m. Saturday at six worksites in the Soda Bay corridor, beginning at the intersection of Highway 281 and Tenino Way in the Clear Lake Riviera.

Work sites will be marked A through F. Go straight to the worksite of your choosing, crew leaders will provide direction and important safety information.

The southbound lane of Soda Bay Road, from Riviera Heights Drive to Point Lakeview Road, will be closed for the hours of the project, in order to allow volunteers to safely work and park.

For maps, visit http://www.lakecountyca.gov/1000Hands/.

Participants are asked to bring nylon-stringed weed eaters; hand tools, including loppers and pruners; and shovels and rakes.

They should wear hats, sunscreen, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and gloves that can be comfortably worn in warm weather

Water and gloves for those who do not own them will be provided.

Kelseyville Fire Protection District will also patrol and attend to medical needs.

All participants must sign a volunteer services agreement prior to starting work. It can be found at http://www.lakecountyca.gov/1000HandsAgreement/ and returned, by email, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or your crew leader the day of the event.

As a special incentive, anyone interested in participating in the fire extinguisher giveaway the following morning, Sunday, Aug. 18, at Riviera Elementary School, can receive a voucher and be first in line to get a fire extinguisher by participating in the 1,000 Hands effort.

For more information call Supervisor Brown at 707-349-2628 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council is planning a special meeting to discuss the application to annex an area along South Main Street and a resolution regarding the formation of an underground utility district.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

On the agenda is a resolution to authorize the city’s application to the Lake Local Area Formation Commission, or Lake LAFCo, for the South Lakeport Annexation project.

The 136-acre area along South Main Street – which includes 50 parcels – is reported to be the most lucrative commercial corridor in the unincorporated county.

As a result, the potential annexation has been a source of dispute between the city of Lakeport and the county of Lake for nearly a decade.

Community Development Director Kevin Ingram’s report to the council explains that the proposed annexation area has been within the city's adopted sphere of influence – which he defined as “a planning boundary outside of an agency’s legal boundary (such as a city limit line) that designates the agency’s probable future boundary and service area” – for more than 25 years.

“There are number of reasons that this area of unincorporated South Lakeport is recognized as an area of logical expansion for the City but perhaps the greatest reason is the fact that Lakeport’s municipal sewer district has been providing service to these properties since 1985,” Ingram’s report explains.

He said the Lake County Sanitation District operates the wastewater collection system, but the wastewater is treated at the city's wastewater treatment facility. The city also plans to install a new water main in the annexation area in conjunction with the upcoming South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Rehabilitation Project.

“The water main is necessary to establish a looped system connecting the City's dead-end water mains on South Main Street and Parallel Drive. Establishing a looped system will reduce maintenance requirements and improve water quality in the system,” Ingram said. “The installation of the new water main will also make it possible for properties within the annexation area to choose to connect to the City's system. The extension of water service to the annexation area will also benefit public safety by enabling installation of fire hydrants along South Main Street and Soda Bay Road.”

Ingram’s report explains that, based on a 1997 tax-sharing agreement between the city and county, the city would pay the county $210,000 in sales tax payments over the first six years after annexation takes place.

Also on the agenda is the adoption of a resolution declaring the council’s intent to form an underground utility district along 11th Street and North Main Street.

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.


081319 Lakeport City Council special meeting agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters are trying to stop a wildland fire that is burning between Hopland and Ukiah.

Cal Fire’s Mendocino Unit said the Moose fire was at 85 acres and 25-percent contained as of Monday evening.

The fire started off Moose Road and Bus McMcGall Road – in the area known as McNab Ranch, north of Hopland – shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire said.

Officials said the fire was burning to the southeast in brush and grass oak woodland in steep terrain.

Lake County residents reported seeing the fire’s smoke plume, especially from the Lakeport area.

Structures are threatened, which prompted evacuation orders for the McNab Ranch area including Valley View Road, Bus McGall Road and Moose Road, and an evacuation warning for another part of the McNab Ranch area covering the north end of Feliz Creek Road and Feliz Creek Drive, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire said Bus McGall Road at Valley View Road is closed.

There are approximately 300 firefighters at the Incident with additional personnel and equipment arriving throughout the night, Cal Fire said.

Other resources Cal Fire said are assigned include 10 crews, two helicopters, 15 engines, three dozers, four water tenders and fie air tankers.

Authorities said the fire’s cause is under investigation.

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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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Sen. Mike McGuire, who represents Lake County in the State Senate, has introduced new legislation mandating electric utility companies provide early notification prior to planned power shutdowns.

With the size and scope of wildland fires in California intensifying, and electric utility companies planning to increase the use of power shutoffs to mitigate fire risks when severe weather is predicted, communication and advanced warning is more important than ever.

Residents, emergency officials and hospitals have been left with the possibility of being caught unaware without sufficient notice, which can be a life or death scenario.

As such, McGuire has introduced SB 560.

“You shouldn’t have to legislate common sense. You shouldn’t have to create a law requiring utility companies to communicate with health care facilities and first responders prior to a planned power shutdown. But, we’ve unfortunately learned that this is necessary to ensure the health and safety of Californians,” McGuire said. “SB 560 requires that police, fire, sheriff departments, health care facilities and telecommunication providers receive prior notification of de-energizing events when their facilities will be impacted. This will help ensure the health and well-being of neighbors during power shutdowns.”

SB 560 is a simple step to mitigate risks during times of crisis by requiring utilities to report de-energizing of electrical outages to first responders, healthcare facilities and telecommunication providers ahead of outages to ensure better coordination and communication.

Power shutoffs are intended as a utility’s last resort to mitigate the risk of fire. However, the growing threats of catastrophic wildfires and recent experience of the devastation and liability posed by wildfires means the voluntary use of power shutoffs is likely to increase.

Currently, despite requirements to create notification procedures, there’s not a requirement that the actual notifications occur to first responders, health care facilities, and telecommunication services.

Communities have unfortunately experienced the lack of communication and notification from Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and making it a requirement is the next step in ensuring proper notification is received.

“PG&E initiated a power shutdown in Lake County last October and what we saw was a complete lack of planning and inadequate notification on the part of the utility,” McGuire said. “There are medically fragile residents who are on oxygen and need electricity to survive. We have to know that first responders who will answer at their time of need get advanced warning when the power is being shut down.”

Electric utility companies must have concrete plans to effectively work with local communities to ensure critical stakeholders are getting the information they need to keep Californians safe, McGuire said.

McGuire said SB 560 is meant to ensure that state and local emergency officials, first responders and telecommunication companies have the crucial information they need to respond in de-energizing events.
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The Bel Aire Apartments in Lakeport, Calif., which were damaged by a November 2018 fire, are slated for renovation. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – An apartment building that sustained major damage in a November fire is slated for repairs and renovations, with the plans to go to the Lakeport Planning Commission this week.

The commission will meet beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

On the commission’s Wednesday agenda is an architectural and design review for the Bel Aire Apartments, located at 1125 N. Main St.

The art deco-style building, which city officials said was constructed in the 1930s and 1940s, was damaged on Nov. 11 by a fire that appeared to have burned primarily on the second floor and on the roof, as Lake County News has reported.

The fire rendered the building uninhabitable, and since November it has been kept closed off to the public.

Jonathan Bridges, on behalf of building owners Mike and Pat McCollum of Sebastopol, has applied for the architectural and design review that the commission is set to consider.

Specifically, the owners want to redesign the exterior of the two-story, 14-unit, 10,720-square-foot building.

The staff report for the meeting explains that the owners want to demolish the existing flat roof and change it to a pitched roof with brown roof shingles.

The renovation plans also call for keeping the existing concrete walls, but covering up or removing the building’s notable art deco fixtures – many of which were damaged or destroyed in the fire – and replacing them with modern trim, according to the staff report.

The owners plan to paint the building and the trim a light tan color called “Swiss coffee.” The report said there are no planned changes to the building’s 12 carports and two uncovered parking spaces in the rear of the building.

Planning staff indicate in the report that the proposed changes conform to city planning rules and design criteria.

Regarding the building’s art deco design, the report notes, “Although there is a significant desire to protect the historical integrity of the downtown area, this building does not reflect the time period or the historical appearance the City is working to preserve. A condition shall be added that the applicant shall provide detailed photographs of the ‘art deco’ elements of the existing building that can be used if any future developer would like to return the building to that ‘art deco’ design.”

Also on Wednesday, the commission will receive an update on the 11th Street Corridor project.

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.


081419 Lakeport Planning Commission agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Cal Fire said the Golf fire has reached 100-percent containment.

The fire, which began burning at around 1 p.m. Thursday off Soda Bay Road at Golf Drive in the Black Forest, was fully contained as of Sunday evening, Cal Fire said.

It burned a total of 20 acres but did not damage or destroy any nearby homes, dozens of which were evacuated for a day due to the fire’s close proximity. Evacuations and road closures were lifted on Friday afternoon.

Officials said one firefighter of the hundreds that had been assigned suffered a minor injury.

Cal Fire said over the weekend that its investigators concluded that the fire was caused by an “improperly discarded cigarette,” as Lake County News has reported.

Four firefighters and an engine remain assigned to the incident. Cal Fire firefighters will be checking for smokes in the fire area over the next several days.

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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