I have serious concerns about new businesses in High Valley that I have repeatedly brought to the county's attention regarding water usage, security, road safety, evacuation during emergencies, solar usage in an extremely high fire danger area, dangers posed to East Lake School attendees, and many other issues. I oppose this project and ask that it be denied until our concerns are addressed and proper mitigation occurs within our valley. This is getting beyond ridiculous that we should have to keep bringing the same issues to your attention and having nothing be done. We're all getting sick and tired of hearing ourselves talk and having the county do nothing. Stop placating us and Deny UP23-09.

I am writing to oppose the proposed project Poverty Flats, due to several significant concerns that have not been adequately addressed.

Traffic Impact: High Valley Road is already overburdened and cannot support additional traffic. Semis and large vehicles often get stuck on the narrow, winding road, leaving residents trapped and creating serious safety hazards. Increased traffic also threatens the safety of residents who regularly use the road for walking, bicycling, and horseback riding.

Fire Safety: The project is located in a very high fire hazard severity zone. This raises serious concerns regarding the safety of residents and the strain on emergency services during fire events.

Ingress/Egress Limitations: High Valley Road is the only point of ingress and egress for the area, which is unacceptable in a high fire risk zone. Multiple evacuation routes are essential for community safety, and relying solely on this narrow, limited-access road endangers both new and existing residents.

Quality of Life: The cumulative impact of increased traffic, fire danger, and limited access will significantly diminish the quality of life for current residents. The rural character of the area supports a lifestyle that includes walking, biking, and horseback riding — all of which are put at risk by increased development and vehicle congestion.

For these reasons, I strongly urge you to deny approval of this project.

Cannabis has become one of our leading agricultural crops here in Lake County. Also the most scrutinized. If every farmer, from grape growers to walnut farms, were to go under the same bureaucratic review of their operation we wouldn't have an ag industry at all. This is a small farm proposed by long time local ownership that have been excellent stewards of their property. The applicant has met the stringent requirements of our County in their application, I urge the Planning Commission to follow staffs recommendation and approve this project.

My name is Randy Wilk, and I am a resident of High Valley Road area and a representative of the Clearlake Oaks Hillside Firewise neighborhood. we respectfully urge you to deny the Major Use Permit for the proposed Poverty Flats Ranch cannabis project.
This project, when combined with several other cannabis developments in the area, presents serious cumulative risks to our community’s safety, infrastructure, and environment especially in a wildfire zone.
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1. Cumulative Traffic Impact
There has been no comprehensive study of the total traffic cumulated and generated by the following cannabis projects:
• Monte Cristo
• High Valley Oaks
• Liu Farms
• Hypnotic Farms (upcoming)
• Lemon Glow (upcoming)
• Poverty Flats (current)
• Brassfield Winery/ Suarez (ongoing winery and former Cannabis project on lease land)
Traffic on High Valley Road has increased dramatically(in a wild fire zone)—from around 30–50 vehicles per day to as many as 400. This spike has caused a fourfold increase in traffic incidents, and multiple semi-trucks have become stuck on our narrow, winding road.
The recent speed limit increase from 35 to 55 mph only worsens the danger. Proceeding without a cumulative traffic analysis or mitigation plan is reckless.
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2. Road and Fire Safety – No Secondary Egress
High Valley Road, along with nearby routes like Cerritos and Alta Vista, does not comply with California Fire Safe Regulations:
• Roads are under 20 feet wide.
• Include hazardous turns and steep grades!
• Lack proper maintenance.
Becoming more urgently, there is no viable secondary emergency egress, as required for areas in Very High Fire Hazard Zones. Suggested alternatives like Mountain View Drive or Forest Service Road 220 are often impassable, dangerous and/or closed during wildfires. In an emergency, residents could be trapped.
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3. Flawed Environmental & CEQA Review
Environmental documents submitted for Poverty Flats and similar projects are often copied from unrelated applications and do not reflect the unique challenges of specific High Valley areas—including steep terrain, limited water, and off-grid infrastructure.
These reports also fail to address:
• Wildfire zone risk
• Traffic burdens
• Cumulative impacts
The solar installation lacks public safety and fire mitigation plans—unacceptable in a high-risk wildfire zone.
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4. East Lake Elementary School Safety
East Lake Elementary sits at the base of High Valley Road and Hwy 20 intersection. Increased truck traffic, congestion, and speeding pose a direct threat to children and staff and expose the County to legal and financial liability.

Please deny this project as presented. It is in the Schindler Creek Watershed and this was not fully addressed in the field studies. High Valley Road is not the place for another cannabis project. For the safety of all that travel High Valley from students going to school to residents the road is too dangerous for additional traffic.