Planning commission approves Clear Cottages marina permit with parking limits

The Clearlake Planning Commission voted 4–0 on June 9 to approve Conditional Use Permit CUP 202605 and its associated categorical exemption, enabling Clear Cottages and Marina at 13885 Lakeshore Drive to rent small boats and personal watercraft to members of the public.

Staff told the commission the project proposes no new construction and would operate between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The applicant’s existing rental fleet listed by staff includes two jet skis, a bass boat, two pontoons and kayaks; staff said the business has operated rentals for guests since 2017 and the current owner has held the property since 2016. To address parking, staff reported an on-site count of striped parking spaces and noted an area that could accommodate additional, unstriped overflow parking. After a site visit staff updated the report to reflect eight additional vehicles observed in that overflow area.

As a condition of approval, staff and the applicant agreed the public watercraft rental operation will be limited to a maximum of seven simultaneous rental parties during peak operating periods. Staff defined a rental party as an individual renter or a group using a single rental watercraft under one agreement; the condition was presented as necessary to ensure on-site parking remains adequate for the approved use.

Commissioners spent much of the public hearing probing parking and spillover risks. Several asked whether the overflow spaces were on-site or street parking (staff confirmed the overflow is on-site) and whether trailer parking would reduce the effective vehicle capacity. Public commenter Seth Dandridge asked where additional family vehicles would park when groups rent pontoons, saying, “you can have three people show up for a single jet ski — where do the other two cars park?”

Jerome Mane, manager at Clear Cottages, said guests are typically instructed to minimize vehicle use and that many renters will be on-site guests. Applicant Jim Davis, joining remotely, said rentals will be booked through the business’s website and that customers will be advised to carpool and minimize cars; he added staff can be parked off-site if needed.

The motion to approve the permit and adopt the categorical exemption passed on a roll call: Commissioner Williams — yes; Commissioner Silva — yes; Vice Chair English — yes; Chair Smallley — yes. Commissioner Counts was absent.

The approval includes the conditions described in the staff report, including the seven‑party rental limit tied to parking and the safety measures staff outlined (21‑year minimum operator age, liability waivers, life jackets, orientations/competency checks, GPS tracking on watercraft and other operational requirements). The commission noted it could require a more formal overflow parking or mitigation plan if future complaints show neighborhood spillover.

Next steps: the resolution adopting CUP 202605 was approved; any further modifications or enforcement matters would be handled by staff under the permit conditions or returned to the commission if directed.