Lakeport City Council expands contract for Lakeport Boulevard corridor study
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday evening approved amending a contract for a study to look at Lakeport Boulevard, one of the city’s busiest and expanding commercial corridors.
Public Works Director Ron Ladd asked for, and received, the council’s unanimous approval for the first amendment to the city’s professional services agreement with WMH, hired in the fall to conduct the Lakeport Boulevard at Bevins Street project study report at a cost not to exceed $147,014.
Ladd’s written report for the meeting said the new contract will cost $157,986.
The project’s expanded scope, while being more expensive, “will provide a more comprehensive evaluation of the corridor and provide cost estimates that future development will be required to contribute to for their fair share of traffic improvements to the corridor,” Ladd explained in his written report to the council.
“This has been a challenging project, to say the least,” Ladd told the council, adding, “We have a lot going on in the Lakeport Boulevard corridor.”
When the city initially issued its request for qualifications for the study in June of 2022, Ladd said the plan had been to study the entire Lakeport Boulevard corridor, including the on- and offramps, the east and west sides of Highway 29, future development on both sides of the highway and potential impacts on Bevins and Martin streets.
At the same time, he said the city was aware that the state was moving forward on its courthouse project.
The new $73.1 million courthouse will be built at 675 Lakeport Blvd. The Judicial Council of California reported that construction is expected to begin in February 2024 and be completed by October 2025.
A state priority project list created in 2019 put Lakeport’s courthouse at No. 1 out of 80 projects statewide.
Ladd explained that the city had hoped to use the contract to assist the state in the development of the new courthouse project and so the original, broader scope to the study was scaled down.
Part of the city’s goal had been to introduce a traffic alternative to the state’s proposed plan that will impact the intersection of Lakeport Boulevard at Larrecou Lane, Ladd said.
However, the state presented the city with what Ladd said were “aggressive” timelines and the city, in turn, thought the state was being narrow-minded about some of the traffic design options and wasn’t willing to look at the city’s proposals.
In the end, Ladd said staff felt it was better to go back to the project’s original scope of assessing the entire corridor.
While the cost will be higher, it will provide them with a better study for traffic improvement needs, position them in the future for funding for projects in the corridor, help the city to collect development fees and pursue partnerships with other agencies.
Ladd said he’s been involved every step of the way and the situation is still confusing to him as well.
“There are a lot of moving parts here,” said Ladd.
Mayor Stacey Mattina said Ladd was doing a great job, and that it was the courts that didn't make sense, a sentiment with which City Manager Kevin Ingram agreed.
Ingram said the change in plans allows the city to take a step back. He pointed out that the city’s previous work to complete a revitalization plan helped bring in millions of dollars for the new Lakefront Park’s development.
Similarly, he said the Lakeport Boulevard corridor study will position the city for getting the construction aspects of improvements to the area into the Lake Area Planning Council’s work plan in the future.
It will also help the city determine appropriate developers fees. “The developers want to know what their costs are up front. They don't like the surprises later,” said Ingram, adding that developers would prefer to have a study like this one so they can get that information.
Even though the study’s cost is a significant outlay to the city in the beginning, “This will be paid for through future development,” Ingram said.
There is growing development pressure along Lakeport Boulevard. Ingram said it also makes sense to have Caltrans involved in the planning process from a comprehensive standpoint.
Councilman Brandon Disney said he could think of several new projects — including a possible new pool and “The Hub” commercial development along nearby Parallel Drive — that would impact Lakeport Boulevard.
Ingram said Lake County Tribal Health also has met with the city several times to discuss its expansion plans, which also would affect the area.
“The future of this area is going to be pretty busy,” said Disney. While it’s an expensive study, “There’s a lot going on here,” he added.
Councilman Michael Froio moved to approve the amendment, which the council approved 5-0.
Also on Tuesday, the council presented a proclamation designating May 1 to 7 as Youth Week, and received presentations from Supervisor Bruno Sabatier on the Public, Educational and Governmental, or PEG, channel and the upcoming Shakespeare at the Lake event by the event’s director, John Tomlinson.
In other business, the council adopted a resolution revising the City of Lakeport Legislative Policy to include reference to the League of California Cities 2023 state and federal advocacy priorities and approved a services agreement with OpenGov for permitting, licensing and procurement software.
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.