New hotel coming to South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The old Super 8 motel on Lake Tahoe Boulevard and adjacent Lotus Pho restaurant in South Lake Tahoe are currently closed as pre-construction activities have begun on a four-story 120-unit Hampton Inn and Suites.

The asbestos abatement has been completed as have the pre-demolition permits and the current two-story building is set for demolition soon. Once that happens, crews will be waiting for the May 1 grading date to get started on what is promised to be a "facelift to the area."

The footprint of the 79,021 square foot hotel will be different than the current three buildings that made up Super 8. There will be just one building with parking around the perimeter. There are also two entrances on Lake Tahoe Blvd. with an emergency exit onto Paradise Avenue.

The resulting lodging property will cover less ground that the previous buildings and still add a few more parking spots including ten electric car charging stations.

The Super 8 Redevelopment project has been found by the City of South Lake Tahoe Planning Department to be consistent with the goals and policies of The Tourist Core Area Plan. The Planning Commission voted 3-1 to approve the project during their October 19, 2019 meeting. Planning Commissioner Chair Jenna Palacio cast the dissenting vote and Commissioner Natalia Wieczorek was absent.

"The redevelopment of the property will result in a new tourist accommodation facility that will bring environmental and scenic benefits to Lake Tahoe Blvd. The property will include more than 24 percent of non-turf landscaping and the percentage of impervious surface area will be reduced from 85.4 percent to 77.9 percent," said staff in their report to the SLT Planning Commission.

One change to the original plan was the original inclusion of five employee housing units. Those are no longer in the plans. Another change was the removal of two driveways to Paradise Avenue at the rear and a condition that a locked gate be placed across the one approved rear driveway. Neighbors in the area had concerns their quiet street would become busier and used to cut through to the hotel and highway.

Palacio said she didn't pass the project because she thought it was an incomplete plan, it is four stories, and because employee housing units were removed. "I love a lot about this project," she said but commented it just wasn't ready for approval.

The plans call for both an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, gym, and a restaurant. Frontage improvements include a new sidewalk and a 3-foot-wide bus stop along with ADA ramps and decorative pavers for the entrances on Lake Tahoe Blvd.

According to Nick Exline, Senior Planner with Midkiff & Associates, Inc., the hotel is planned to be finished in 2021. He also said the employee housing units will be considered at a future time.