County consultants outline housing action plan, propose mixed‑use infill combining district

Nicole West, a PlaceWorks consultant on the Housing Action and Implementation Plan (HAPE) team, told the Lake County General Plan Advisory Committee that the plan is “a comprehensive manual to address housing demands throughout the county.” The presentation outlined analysis, outreach findings and an initial implementation idea for mixed‑use, walkable neighborhoods.

The HAPE presentation summarized key findings: the county needs a wider variety of housing types and price points; residents supported more-flexible zoning and faster residential construction; and many commenters favored infill development directed away from agricultural land, open space and wildfire hazard areas and toward existing infrastructure such as curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and water and wastewater services.

West said the draft HAPE includes a sites analysis and an interactive web map, and staff is preparing a public draft. She described a preliminary concept for a “mixed‑use infill combining district” that would be applied, where appropriate, within community growth boundaries and local area plans. The combining district is intended to encourage pedestrian‑scaled development, housing variety, and projects that score well for affordable housing funding such as TCAC competitive tax credit applications.

Committee members and residents asked when the state RHNA number will be available and how areas that are not currently zoned residential were evaluated for housing potential. West said the RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) number is set by the state and has not yet been released; when it is released it will be passed through the Lake/Mendocino area planning process for allocation between the county and cities. She also said staff identified parcels that meet criteria for affordable housing funding (TCAC) but emphasized that local LAPAC feedback will be needed before applying combining districts in specific locations.

Public commenters supported infill and mixed use while urging protections for agricultural land and local notification when land use changes are proposed. Resident Wes Baker said the mixed‑use images shown “looked like somewhere you'd go to on vacation” but supported living‑over‑work conversions and warned: “stay away from the ag. You know, let's not do the ag.”

The presentation was informational; PlaceWorks and county staff said the concept will be refined during the forthcoming zoning code update and local area plan work and will be carried into the separate housing element process later in the planning cycle.

Ending: The HAPE team is finishing an administrative review and plans to release a public draft. Committee members asked staff to return HAPE materials when the RHNA number is available and to coordinate combining‑district criteria with upcoming local area plan work and the county’s zoning code update.