Public Workshop #4

On May 18, 2005, Lake County/City Area Planning Council in coordination with Lake County Redevelopment Agency hosted the fourth and final series of public workshops for the Highway 20 Traffic Calming and Beautification Plan. This series consisted of one combined workshop located at the Lakeport Board of Supervisors Chambers for the communities of Nice, Lucerne, and Clearlake Oaks. The workshop was recorded and later run on the local TV station. At this workshop facilitated by the consulting team of RRM Design Group (RRM) and Whitlock & Weinberger Transportation Inc. (W-Trans), the Refined Concept Plans for each community were presented envisioning the communities’ desires in dealing with traffic volumes, turning movements, and vehicular and pedestrian safety through the corridor.

The workshop started off with introductions from Andy Peterson of the Lake County Redevelopment Agency. Andy gave some background on the project and its funding and then turned the presentation over to Demae Tillotson of RRM Design Group. Summaries of the first three workshops were given in each community followed by a brief educational presentation of relevant traffic data by Zack Mately of W-Trans.

Following the traffic presentation features of each plan were presented via a PowerPoint presentation. During and after that presentation, the consulting team responded to a number of questions regarding traffic volumes and speeds, queuing, access to businesses along the Highway 20 corridor, and concerns for pedestrian safety.

At the conclusion of the Q&A period the team handed out report cards to all attendees who were then asked to fill them out and provide qualitative input to the workshop and the planning and design process. Participants were asked to rank each amenity by level of support.

1. Strongly support
2. Somewhat support
3. Neutral
4. Somewhat oppose
5. Strongly oppose

Items left blank were determined to be no opposition to the amenity.

Thirty-five people signed in at the fourth workshop with approximately twenty-five turning in report cards that evening. Participants and viewers were given the option to bring filled out report cards to the Live Oak Senior Center in Clearlake Oaks, the Visitor Center in Lucerne, or Garden Court in Nice by May 27, 2005. Approximately forty people turned in report cards at these locations.

Clearlake Oaks:

Twenty-two people from Clearlake Oaks filled out report cards. Results show that a Sheltered bus stop at Keys Boulevard was the most strongly supported item. Four amenities vied for second place with strong support and very low opposition: a sheltered bus stop at TowerMart, a pedestrian island at the Red & White Market, a pedestrian island at Hoover Street and landscaped medians from Island Drive to TowerMart. The gateway arch over the highway as well as gateway monuments were very controversial receiving nearly equal amounts of support and opposition. Most other items on the report card received strong levels of support from the community of Clearlake Oaks.

General comments made were:

• I like the arch entrance way
• I would like to see lights for downtown (Red & White to Foothill) in the long range plan (over 10 years)
• Suggested west entrance to the CLO monument to be compatible with the low retaining wall [which] is on the lake side of Hwy 20.
• Also would like warning signals to stop traffic as emergency trucks leave the fire department.
• I would like the section of road/sidewalk between Oak Grove and High Valley Rd. be used for sidewalk use only. Currently cars use this section also.
• I would also like the Bus Stops to be compatible with the same style as the entry monuments.
• Also I am concerned that traffic at the school at High Valley road is not being addressed.
• I would like an arch at the Gateway monument
• Prefer paths [to sidewalks]
• [Street] lights reflected down.
• Diagonal [parking] in wide areas if possible.
• I would like wood and stone [bus shelters] to match stone wall.
• [would like] low level lighting [for in ground lighted crossings]
• Need to work on getting large trucks diverted to Hwy 29

Lucerne:

Twenty-one people filled out report cards for Lucerne. It was apparent from workshop results that Lucerne is most interested in having street lighting and sidewalks in their community. The idea of a round-a-bout at both ends of Thirteenth gained the 3rd highest amount of support. There was no strong opposition to any one item (over ten votes) the only item with a high amount of opposition was the gateway arch over the highway but it was countered by an equal amount of support making it a highly controversial amenity.

• Seventh street should be left open to left and right turns because of Fire Department being there!
• No foot traffic anyway (regarding decorative crossing at Foothill)
• Basic crosswalk (as opposed to decorative crossings)
• [In-ground lighted crossing] To expensive
• No landscaped bulb-outs
• No trees!
• Put bike lane on lake side of road
• I think you should have crosswalks at all the streets because of seniors and handicap citizens.
• Crossing at Country Club [strongly supported]
• Class I bike lane instead of Class II.
• Additional improvements/decorative features identifying/earmarking the downtown area.

Nice:

Twenty-one people filled out report cards for the community of Nice. Four amenities tied for the most “strongly support” votes: In ground lighted crossing at Hudson Avenue, in ground lighted crossing at WorldMark, Striped crossing at Sayre and six foot wide sidewalks. As in the other communities the gateway monuments and gateway arch were the most controversial items and other amenities received pretty strong support. There was one comment directed at CalTrans to address a drainage issue. The comment was forwarded directly to the CalTrans project manager for this project.

• Would like decorative crossings at WorldMark
• Bike lane on both sides
• Would like a sheltered bus stop at the Post Office instead of WorldMark
• Add a round about at Howard
• Before Hudson and Hwy 20, where is a slow down for pedestrians?Add a blinking yellow light above the sign-like in Upper Lake for crossing Hwy 20
• Lots of wildflowers and native plants
• We are for [class II bike lane on north side] if it doesn’t take more of our property