Letter: Thank you for getting Loop Road Project to focus on affordable housing

According to Tahoe Transportation District at the presentation to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, “‘While the project and its alternatives focus on directing traffic flow around the casino corridor and creating a more walkable and bikeable downtown area, the creation of affordable housing is at the heart of the project,’ said Hasty.”

Mr. Ribaudo, this kind of throws your reasoning for the Loop Road under the bus. The only reason they are doing anything with affordable housing is because of the naysayers and opponents to the Loop Road bringing it up as an inclusion to the project. The opponents know a Loop Road is going to go through regardless of what we or you say, as Mr. Hasty has pointed out numerous times in stating “This is not a city project, but federal project.” The opponents are the real heros in this drama as the proponents were willing to let the TTD walk in and do the project like lemmings off a cliff. We were not and, if anything, most of us are on the same sheet of music with concerns to moving the town forward. The people that are always left out of the loop of what goes on in this town, the community members who actually live here, want to get involved with what goes on in our town and we cannot always rely on our elected officials to not be those lemmings.

We all know the town needs to move forward, but the Loop Road as it stood in the beginning was not the answer for the community; so against all odds with the proponents and outside interests, they got involved and changed the focus of the Loop Road away from traffic flow solution to an affordable housing solution that benefits the community as a whole and not just a small section of town. We should be thanking them for what they did and thanking the TTD for bringing this Loop Road to the table that allowed us to participate in the future of our town and residents.

- Kenny Curtzwiler
South Lake Tahoe, Calif.