An unusually complete opportunity has arisen for the community to participate in the review of a development project.

The Lake County Planning Commission has announced its intention of conducting a series of four meetings on the proposed Wild Diamond vineyards, winery, tasting room and visitor center, with the first to be held at the courthouse in Lakeport (255 N. Forbes St.) at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 11.

Several individuals have expressed concerns that this project, to be constructed just off Spruce Grove Road on the northeastern edge of Hidden Valley Lake, will have untenable impacts on the environment and on the quality of life of nearby residents.

Although the Community Development Department was apparently willing to base project approvals on a mitigated negative declaration, the applicants very commendably decided to engage in the more rigorous evaluation and broader public process provided by an environmental impact report, or EIR, and by doing so have possibly set a precedent that will apply to projects of a similar complexity in the future.

After careful review of the EIR, the Sierra Club Lake Group has concluded that few if any of the sometimes dramatically expressed concerns are warranted, and that all potentially negative impacts can be mitigated to a level that will allow this fundamentally beneficial project to move forward.

On the other hand we also identified several ways to reduce environmental damage and possible negative effects on nearby residents. Suggestions for improvement are included in the detailed comments we submitted in July.

Lake Group intends to participate in the planning commission discussion to make the case for our recommendations, and urges all concerned members of the community to do so as well.

These hearings provide a priceless opportunity to find out the truth about what Wild Diamond really is and how it will (and will not) affect its neighbors, and also to simultaneously improve the outcome, learn about sustainable viticultural practices and relieve rumor-fed anxieties.
 
Victoria Brandon is conservation chair for the Sierra Club Lake Group. She lives in Lower Lake, Calif.