Memorandum
Date: May 20, 2025
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Mireya G. Turner, Community Development Director
Laura Hall, Senior Planner
Subject: 11:30 A.M. - PUBLIC HEARING - Consideration of Appeal (PL-25-22; AB 24-06) of the Planning Commission's Approval of Major Use Permit (UP 23-05), and Initial Study (IS 23-10); for the AG Forest Wood Processing Bioenergy Project; locate at 755 East State Highway 20, Upper Lake (APN 004-010-04); Appellant: Larry Kahn (Continued to June 17, 2025 at 1:00 P.M.)
Executive Summary:
Larry Kahn has appealed the decision made by the Lake County Planning Commission on December 12, 2024, to approve Major Use Permit (UP 23-05) for the AG Forest Wood Processing Bioenergy Project which would allow the development of a wood processing and bioenergy facility, located at 755 E State Highway 20 in Upper Lake (APN 004-010-04) (Exhibit A).
Background
Scotts Valley Energy Corporation (Applicant) has received grant funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration to develop a facility to process forest wood, removed from local forests to lower wildfire risk, into bioenergy. Biomass material will come from the contractors that are removing biomass such as tree branches from powerline rights-of-way and operations from forest clearing for reduction of fuel resources to help protect communities. The facility will operate as a central forest wood management and processing system for forest thinning biomass collected throughout Lake County. Exhibit B includes the staff report from the Planning Commission meeting. Exhibit C includes the Minutes for the meeting.
The project was originally scheduled for consideration by the Planning Commission on October 24, 2024, (Exhibit D), but was continued to December 12, 2024, to give the Community Development Department (CDD) and the Applicant time to address community concerns at a municipal advisory council meeting (Western Regional Town...
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