Belwood Motel, UP 23-03

Belwood Motel, UP 23-03

The proposed project includes construction and operation of a short-stay motel with six 800 sq. ft cabins, two units each, plus 11 parking spaces with one Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) space (12 total), and a new trash enclosure. Cabins will be accessed from walking paths and the site would be enclosed on three sides with a 6-foot wooden fence. Access to the site would come from Loch Lomond Road. Ground-moving activities would include the following activities: preparing cabin pads, developing driveway and parking, pathways, and landscaping, digging post holes, and removing four ponderosa pine trees. There is an existing Olympic-sized swimming pool which has been leased out for many years which is not part of the proposed project. The proposed 6-foot fence will provide a safety barrier between the cabins and the pool. Other existing structures that are called out on the site plans as ‘not part of project’ include the Loch Lomond Market & Deli and other businesses, as well as a significant historical cabin from the 1930s to 1940s. Attachment 2 includes the projects plans, and Figure 2 includes the site plan. Historical Background According to the CRE completed for the proposed project, the original Loch Lomond Resort was developed in the 1940s. By 1945, there were 15 homes and 10 cabins. An Olympic-size swimming pool was constructed in 1946 on the project site. In 1967, the Lomond Lodge burned, and a new lodge was built in 1968 across the street from the project site. Of the original Loch Lomond Resort from the 1940s, one cabin that is located on the project site is likely associated with that development. The CRE states that, “the rarity of this style of cabin today suggests that this structure may meet criteria “C” as “historically significant”. The association of the pool and lodge with the historic Loch Lomond Resort development and the Prather Family name indicate that they should be considered “significant” historic structures under criteria “A” and “B” as listed in the Public Resources Code (John W. Parker, 2022). The Loch Lomond Lodge today includes the Market & Deli with two additional attached buildings that support a gift shop, fitness studio, and an eatery. The proposed project would not result in expanding, remodeling, or alterations of the existing onsite structures. Project Location The project site is located at 10336 Loch Lomond Road, Loch Lomond in southwestern Lake County (Figure 1). The 2.13-acre site is within Section 26, Township 12 North, Range 8 West, in the USGS 7.5 Whispering Pines Quad. Loch Lomond is situated in the northeast portion of a large basin in the Mayacmas Mountains at an elevation of 2800 feet (854 m). Adjacent peaks include Mt. Hannah to the north at 3978 feet (1213 m) and Cobb Mountain to the southwest at 4722 feet (1440 m). Environmental Setting According to the Biological Resource Assessment 3, the site consists of 0.91 acres of Ponderosa Pine Forest. The remainder 1.22 acres includes Ruderal (structures, roads, etc.) (Northwest Biosurvey, 2023). The climate in Loch Lomond area is Mediterranean and the annual precipitation varies between 35 and 60 inches. Geology consists of volcanic parent material overlaying a Franciscan complex of sandstone, shale, chert, greenstone, and various igneous and metamorphic including serpentinite (Eakins, 1994). Ponderosa Pine trees are maintained, and the setting is parklike. A mapped wetland is located 333 feet to the northwest of the project site (United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 2018). The vernal pool is classified as a Northern Volcanic Ash type and supports a wide variety of plant species that are restricted to vernal pool habitats (California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1994). The closest blueline stream identified as Big Canyon Creek to the south approximately 1,490 feet away (Environmental Protection Agency, 2024). The road system includes State Highway 175 located on the west side of the parcel. Loch Lomond Road is accessed from the highway, and it is located on the south side of the parcel. Black Oak Drive also along the south side of the parcel is accessed from Loch Lomond Road. Western Pine Road is located on the east side of the parcel and is accessed from Black Oak Drive. Both Loch Lomond Road and Black Oak Road front and provide access to the parcel. Construction Details Construction activities are tentatively planned to begin in 2024 and are estimated to take three to four months. Activities would occur six days per week from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Up to six workers would be required during the construction period. The following equipment is expected to be required to construct the proposed project facilities: • Medium weight excavator, backhoe, and skid steers (wheeled and/or tracked) • Paving and concrete pouring equipment, steam roller and compaction equipment (wheeled) • Auger, posthole digger • General hand tools and foot labor • Dump truck, tractor-trailer delivery truck, forklift, boom lift crane (wheeled) All equipment would be delivered to the site on tractor trailers. Construction equipment would be operated by licensed and insured equipment operators. Equipment would be utilized within the designated onsite construction zone. A construction material and equipment storage areas would be located next to a temporary concrete washout basin near the enclosure with the 6-foot wooden fence (Attachment 2). The site would be cleared and prepared for initial construction with light to medium tractor equipment. Building sites would be staked out and prepared for building construction utilizing light to medium equipment and general ground crew/foot laborers. Larger building materials are to be delivered to each building site via forklifts/boom cranes. Post footings for the cabins would be augured with medium equipment or hand tools, depending on underlaying soil conditions. Concrete footings are to be poured utilizing light concrete pouring equipment (concrete mixing truck) or hand mixing tools, depending on building site access. Post holes will be dug/augured for the support post for each cabin. Up to twelve (12) post holes per cabin. Development would occur outside of the existing PG&E easement (Attachments 2). Construction and erection of cabins would include utilizing general ground crews, with the assistance of forklifts and boom cranes. Ground crews would utilize general hand tools comprised but not limited to pneumatic (air) tools, electrically powered hand tools, non-powered hand tools. Access walkways would be constructed utilizing light skid steers and finished with ground crews and hand tools. The parking area is to be graded utilizing medium tractor equipment, smoothed and compacted with medium to light steam rollers and compaction equipment. Concrete curbs, gutters and walkways are to be formed by hand and concrete is to be poured utilizing standard concrete mixing truck and/or by hand. Asphalt is to be delivered to the via hot asphalt delivery truck(s) and spread-out utilizing ground crew. Site finish work and final landscaping is to be completed utilizing ground crew and hand tools. A 6-foot-tall wooden fence will enclose the Belwood Motel on three sides. Table 1 includes the estimated ground disturbance including the total square footage and cubic yards of grading, and cubic yards of imported materials. Table 1: Estimated Cubic Yards of Grading and Importation of Materials Grading (sq ft) Grading (cu yd) Import of Materials (cu yd) grading for cabins foundations 4,800 sq ft ±40 cu yd. concrete ±40 cu. yd. grading for parking area ±10,421 sq ft ±250 cu yd aggregate base ±250 cu yd asphalt ±96 cu yd grading for landscaping ±1,045 sq ft ±13 cu yd - walkways/ADA parking ±1,237 sq ft ±75 cu yd aggregate base ±30 cu yd concrete for ADA parking ±22 cu yd decomposed Granite for walkways ±34 cu yd septic ±4,611 sq ft 512 cu yd - 22,114 1310 244 Source: Northpoint Consulting Group, Inc., 2023. Staging area The construction staging zone is to be located onsite in an appropriate location where it will not impede the surrounding area or result in a significant impact to the community or natural resources. Figure 1 includes the site plan that shows where the staging area would be located. Operations At full occupancy, the project is anticipated to have up to 12 vehicles per day (two vehicles per cabin). Occupancy would average between 70% and 80% annually given regular occupancy rates for existing Lake County motels. However, this CEQA analysis accounts for the motel being 100% occupied. The owner has a local on-call handyman that would take care of maintenance including landscaping and any repairs to the cabins. Energy Usage The cabins will rely on ‘grid power’ from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). Each cabin is projected to need 100 to 200 amps per cabin excluding the existing dwelling and restaurant / coffee shop located on site, which is already served by on-grid power. The project is expected to require between 600 and 1,200 additional amps. There are no known grid capacity issues in this area, and PG&E was notified of this action and the County received no adverse comments regarding the project. Water Usage Water would come from the Loch Lomond Mutual Water Company, a private water company. A Will Serve Letter was received for the project. Each cabin contains two separated rooms with each room having a sink, water closet and shower. An average of four people could potentially use each cabin. The site is served by Loch Lomond Mutual Water Company, and there are no anticipated issues with this project connecting further to the water purveyor’s system. Each cabin contains two separate units with each room having a sink, water closet and shower. An average of four people could potentially use each cabin. CalEEMod defaults were applied for water amounts which included 304,401.24 gallons for annual indoor water use, and 33,822.36 gallons for outdoor water use (CalEEMod, 2020). The County has received a copy of the Will Serve Letter from the applicant (Attachment 6). Solid Waste Management CalEEMod was used for the project to calculate construction air quality. Defaults from the model for solid waste were applied to the proposed project. According to the model, the motel (12 units) would produce 6.57 tons of solid waste per year (ICF, 2020). The site plan shows a trash dumpster enclosure near the proposed fire turnaround. The site would be served by C&S Waste Solutions. Servicing would likely occur weekly or biweekly. All solid except for that which is recycled eventually ends up at the Eastlake Sanitary Landfill. The landfill’s remaining capacity is 2,859,962 tons and the cease to operate date is December 31, 2043 (CalRecycle, 2024). Wastewater Management A new onsite wastewater treatment system will be installed (septic system). Approximately 272 linear feet of primary leach lines will be installed for cabins #1, #3, and #6, and 310 linear feet of primary leach lines will be installed for cabins #2, #4, and #5 and the existing 560 sq. ft. residence (historical cabin). Approximately 582 linear feet of replacement leach field will be reserved for all proposed cabins and exiting 560 sq. ft. residence (historical cabin). Approximately 375 linear feet of replacement leach field will be reserved for existing commercial buildings as well. The existing septic where the parking lot is being proposed will be abandoned. Stormwater Management Stormwater runoff would be generated from the 6 cabins and other non-permeable surfaces. The project is outside of Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and the community growth boundaries. Excess stormwater will be mitigated and conveyed via rock-lined swales and the utilization of self-retaining landscape areas. The applicant has submitted engineered Erosion Control Plan that includes best management practices for erosion control (Attachment 2).

Unincorporated Loch Lomond

Lake

Unincorporated

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, North Central Region 2 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 1 (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Sacramento Region 5 (RWQCB)

California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Sacramento Region 5 (RWQCB)

Commercial (No employees)(Sq. Ft. 4800, Acres 2.13, Employees 1)

Use Permit

Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology/Soils, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Public Services, Septic System, Tribal Cultural Resources, Wildfire