Construction underway on Gondola Vista Estates in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In the works since 2002, construction has begun on a new housing development project underneath the gondola in South Lake Tahoe.

Gondola Vista Estates will be a gated community with ten buildings, each with a shared wall creating 20 single family, luxury residences on 3.43 acres outside of the Van Sickle Bi-State Park. Each home will be 4-6 bedrooms and 2,500 square feet to 3,500 square feet in size. Those who buy a home prior to completion will be able to add their own custom touches according to Jesse Schue, owner/broker of Re/Max Realty Today in South Lake Tahoe and the broker for the project.

Schue said they will seek buyers for the whole development as well as for individual homes.

The property the estates are being built on, as well as the adjacent park, were originally owned by Jack Van Sickle, a rancher who lived in Carson City but spent much of his early life on the South Shore. Van Sickle died at the age of 86 in 2003.

Van Sickle Bi-State Park is on 725 acres south and east of Lake Parkway. Jack donated 542 of those acres and sold 155 acres to create the park. The two parcels making up the new Gondola Vista Estate were sold by the Jack Van Sickle Trust to Randy Lane and his Falcon Capital LLC. The California Tahoe Conservancy had an option to buy the property before Falcon but passed as the area plan for the area initially had an affordable housing aspect.

Lady Look LLC acquired the property from Falcon Capital LLC, and was then recently sold to Gondola Vista Development Company LLC, a locally owned company. Clinton Schue of South Lake Tahoe is one of the owners.

Schue's construction company, A Level Above, is building the project. He is known as a quality craftsman who specializes in high end details on homes around Lake Tahoe. Each of the new gondola area homes will contain granite, natural stone heated floors, hickory hardwood floors, hydronic floor heating, corten metal and hardy siding, metal roofing, electric car charging stations, full sprinkler systems and multiple zone heating are just a few features the homes will have.

The current road into Gondola Vista Estates will be replaced with a new one but South Tahoe Public Utility District will still have the ability to get to their facility behind where the homes will be built.

The popular Firebreak ski run will remain untouched so residents living at Gondola Vista Estates will be a true "ski in/ski out" neighborhood, and others can continue to ski down from Heavenly.

Foundations are currently being installed and Jesse Schue said they will have all exteriors of the homes completed before anyone moves in so homeowners won't have to live in a construction zone.

The project was originally going to be timeshares in 2002 and because Tourist Accommodation Units (TAUs) would be needed to build them, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) was requiring affordable housing units to be added. Without the need of TAUs when building single family homes, the affordable housing component is no longer required.

The proposed Loop Road would cut partially into the land surrounding Gondola Vista Estates, but not affecting homes. There is a proposed walkway over the Loop Road (which would be Highway 50) leading from the Van Sickle park and new homes to the casinos and Heavenly Village/Gondola.

Timeline on the Project Area:

10/23/02 – Lots purchased by Falcon Capital LLC from Jack Van Sickle Trust
05/08/06 – Falcon Capital Lawyer Lew Feldman discusses resort plans at TRPA Board Meeting
04/09/07 – "Quit Claim" filed on lots and ownership transferred from Falcon Capital LLC to Tahoe I LLC
09/11/08 - City of SLT Planning Commission approves Gondola Vista Timeshare Resort
09/15/08 - TRPA hearing officer approves Gondola Vista Timeshare Resort
01/30/15 – Deed to both lots transferred from Tahoe 1 LLC to Lucky Look LLC due to foreclosure
02/17/16 - New plans for Gondola Vista Estates submitted to City of SLT Planning Department by Lucky Look LLC
05/10/16 - TRPA plans to mail out letters to surrounding property owners about estates. Approval expected by end of month.
11/23/16 - Paperwork filed for new Gondola Vista Development Company, LLC
12/27/16 - Secretary of State LLC Statement of Information finalized
June 2017 - Trees are cleared and construction begins by new company
End of 2018-Spring 2019 - Anticipated completion