Public commenter says CEQA review for Pasta Farms falls short, cites tree loss and water concerns

Margo Kambara told the Lake County Board of Supervisors she disagreed with the board’s findings of fact and decision on the appeal concerning the Pasta Farms project, arguing the Planning Commission had correctly denied the major use permit and its mitigated negative declaration.

She listed specific concerns she said were insufficiently mitigated in the record: the removal of about 362 healthy trees, a hydrologist’s contention that the applicant’s water-availability report was inadequate, roadway safety and wildfire-evacuation risks on narrow dirt roads, increased traffic and noise, groundwater availability, cannabis odor and impacts on the quiet character of the surrounding area. She said several mitigation measures "rely upon future implementations without clearly defined performance standards or objective criteria for determining success," adding that CEQA requires that mitigation measures be fully enforceable and capable of reducing environmental impacts to less-than-significant levels.

Kambara argued the environmental review had evaluated each expansion as an individual project rather than considering cumulative impacts from related expansions and nearby projects, particularly regarding groundwater demand and woodland resources. The transcript records her urging measurable standards and enforceable permit conditions to ensure mitigation can be evaluated and enforced.

The board did not make an evidentiary response on the record to each of those claims during this item; after public comment the board moved to reconsider and then ultimately approved amended findings and granted the appeal in part.