New date for workshop on future plans for 56-acre project in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The public is being invited to give input on the 56-Acre Project in the heart of South Lake Tahoe. As the City of South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County work out the financial arrangement of using county land, plans are underway for how it will look. Through a grant, the California Tahoe Conservancy gave the funds needed to create the master plan for the area.

The 56-acre area contains 15 acres owned by the City of South Lake Tahoe and 41 acres is owned by El Dorado County. Portions of this site were deeded to El Dorado County by D. L. Bliss in 1923 and by the Lake Valley Community Club in 1959. The City, through a cooperative lease agreement with El Dorado County, operates and manages the on-site facilities and uses for a public park, recreation, cultural, and visitor information purposes. That 50-year lease expires in 2023.

The El Dorado Beach Improvement Project and Lakeview Commons were the first phases for revitalizing the land.

The virtual meeting on the project has been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to get feedback from the public has been postponed. Please stay tuned for new date.

A new recreation center is being built within the boundaries, but it may not be in the exact location where the current one is located. Depending on costs and the lease with the County, there is a possibility that it will be located along Lake Tahoe Boulevard with views of the lake.

Each of the involved agencies is supporting this effort with hopes to make the Plan area a locally and nationally renowned civic space for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.

The 56- Acre Master Plan area encompasses the property in the vicinity of the City Recreation Center, Ice Arena, Campground and Lakeview Commons currently exist. The goals of the 56-Acre Park Master Plan focus on environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, provisions for recreational/civic needs, water quality, traffic mitigation, aesthetic improvements, habitat preservation, and creating meaningful world-class facilities and public open space.

In 1964, before the city was incorporated, El Dorado County supervisors tried to figure out what to do with what was then a 415-space campground they owned. They debated its future, saying a campground shouldn't be in a city. Due to waste generated from the sites and laws requiring the transport of waste, a sewer system hookup was needed and the price tag was too high for the supervisors at the time, even though the campground generated enough income to cover the fees according to newspaper articles at the time.

The South Shore Chamber of Commerce at the time submitted a proposal for a $3.4M convention center. They asked supervisors to adopt a motel tax in South Lake Tahoe to cover the cost. Their plan included recreational facilities with pool and tennis courts and County offices for the sheriff and probation.

In 1966 the talk was continuing even with threats to turn it into a shopping center. There was also conversation about making it a day-use park. The County also had expressed interest in selling it to the City at that time.

Since then the County and City have coexisted on the space.

Click the link to learn more: http://cityofslt.us/DocumentCenter/View/14838/56-Acre-Master-Plan. People are encouraged to take a walk around the area and take the Recreation Center survey (click here and complete by October 21).

To register for the meeting, visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yrX-rGsuQhSp32DOk655ng. Participants can join by phone at 1.669.900.6833. The webinar ID number is 984 3957 2057. Passcode: 438691.