redevelopment

MEYERS and SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The El Dorado County Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Don Ashton has been making the rounds to communities throughout the county, explaining the budget through an informative presentation and discussion.

Most of the communities Ashton has visited have had 15-20 citizens in attendance, all asking questions and giving input in the budget process as Ashton and the Supervisors figure out how to save $20M over the next four years to meet CalPers pension liabilities.

Squaw Valley has created a nonprofit that will manage and distribute millions of dollars generated from the voluntary project transfer fee related to the approved redevelopment of The Village at Squaw Valley.

Named the Squaw Valley Foundation, a seven member board of directors will soon be selected and it's members will be a mix of local residents and business owners, second homeowners and a public service district appointee.

Herbert Avenue in South Lake Tahoe may be revamped due to the new business development on Highway 50 and Ski Run Boulevard and the existing businesses at Herbert Avenue and Highway 50. To involve the community and get their opinion, the City of South Lake Tahoe is holding a public meeting at the Senior Center on Wednesday, October 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The "Herbert Avenue Circulation Study" is looking at possible alternatives to the current configuration.

The evening will include a presentation by LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. and community discussion.

The August, 2002 parking agreement between the South Tahoe Joint Powers Parking Authority (STJPPA) and Tahoe Crescent Partnership(TCP) was amended Tuesday during the South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting.

Back in the original agreement, it stated STJPPA was responsible for enforcement of the 474-space parking lot in front of Raley's (the Village Center) at Stateline because of the issues Heavenly Village caused in the center's lot.

Going away is the Knight's Inn, and in its place will be Bijou Market Place. Halferty Development today announced the name of their South Lake Tahoe project that was formerly known as Bijou Park Creek Watershed Management Southwest Corner Project.

During Thursday's Planning Commission meeting, the commissioners unanimously adopted the resolution that certified the project's Initial Study, Mitigated Negative Declaration, Initial Environmental Checklist and Mitigated Finding of no significant affect. They also approved the permits so now Halferty Development can move forward.

This past city council meeting all 5 council members agreed to have staff present us a ballot measure that would increase the city sales tax by 1/2%. This came after a survey was completed and results were presented by the outside independent company contracted by the city. The results indicated that almost 68% of the survey respondents supported the increase as long as the funds would be dedicated by law to roads.

What is officially known as the Bijou Park Creek Watershed Restoration Project, or unofficially the Knight's Inn Project, will be brought before the South Lake Tahoe City Council to be approved during a special meeting on Tuesday, March 14 at 4:00 p.m.

The three phase, 850-acre project will be both an environmental and economic development project, something the City has been working on for several years.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board on Wednesday unanimously approved Placer County’s Tahoe Basin Area Plan and the Tahoe City Lodge Project.

“This is the fourth area plan approved at Lake Tahoe and an important milestone for implementing the 2012 Regional Plan,” said Joanne S. Marchetta, executive director of TRPA. “With this plan, we can take significant steps to improve the environment and strengthen communities on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore.”

Four years ago this month, TRPA approved the 2012 Regional Plan. The landmark plan charts a course to restore Lake Tahoe’s environment and revitalize our communities and it was forged through Herculean work by California, Nevada, local governments, the public, and dozens of other partners.

Many Tahoe Basin stakeholders once questioned if we could work together, but the Regional Plan ushered in an era of collaboration. Today, the answer is how can we work together more efficiently. By building and strengthening partnerships we have made remarkable progress. This year was no different.

By now, most people have heard: Federal courts upheld the 2012 Regional Plan for Lake Tahoe, affirming the blueprint that maintains development caps and strengthens environmental protections while encouraging community revitalization, redevelopment, and updated infrastructure.

Capturing the most attention these days is the traffic in our small communities from millions of people who drive up to enjoy our lake. And the transportation system is where TRPA is giving more focused attention to benefit Tahoe’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

Legal action against the approved Martis Valley West project was taken in court Thursday as three groups, Sierra Watch, Mountain Area Preservation and the League to Save Lake Tahoe, joined forces to stop the controversial development proposal they feel threatens Lake Tahoe's clarity.

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

John Shearer, 49 years old, has lived in South Lake Tahoe for over 30 years and own and operate several local businesses.

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?

Who is John Shearer: Business owner, husband and father, captain, long-time local, and hard-worker, President of Marine Research & Education ( A non-profit educating youth about the lake and preserving the basin). Tourism Award-2014 Blue Ribbon Awards.

Focus: Tourism, recreation, infrastructure, and incentivising redevelopment and new development.

In order to be a successful community on the South Shore, the state line needs to become a blur and both sides need to work together. There should be no "us" and "them" but a collective "we."

When travelers come to Lake Tahoe they don't see a state line, or a direction on the compass, they see a beautiful recreational paradise that just a few people are able to call home, but millions can call a vacation destination.

A prime piece of real estate in Tahoe City that was originally built in 1957 for housing during the 1960 Olympics has never lived up to its potential, and is now proposed for destruction to make way for a 118-room hotel.

Sold at the end of 2013, the property known as the Hendrickson Building located at the west end of Tahoe City at 255 North Lake Blvd. is being transformed into the Tahoe City Lodge.

There are many important issues concerning the Nation, California and South Lake on the November 8th ballot. Not only we will decide on who the next President is but we’ll also be voting in two City Officials, who some could argue will actually have a greater impact on our daily lives than the Nation’s Leader.

The Placer County Supervisors today approved one portion of the controversial Martis Valley Project on 1,052 acres adjacent to the Northstar California Resort, west of State Route 267.

Known at Martis Valley West, the project will add residential and commercial uses while permanently preserving 6,376-acres known as the East Parcel. Even though the acres will be preserved, 760 units and 6.6 acres of commercial area previously approved for the East via the Martis Valley Community Plan will be transferred to the West Parcel.

It was an overflowing crowd at the Tahoe Beach Retreat on Wednesday evening at the housing forum hosted by the Tahoe Regional Young Professionals. A well informed panel of experts in the field of affordable housing answered a slew of questions from both the in-house crowd, and those able to ask from home via a live-stream telecast.

What was evident after two hours of discussion is that there is no one single answer to the issue of affordable housing and it will take much more than a wave of a magic wand to bring about a solution.

Many conversations around South Lake Tahoe center around affordable housing, but the community isn't alone in this topic.

"It's going to be an interesting journey," then-TRPA director Juan Palma told Bob Mecay back in 2002. Little did Mecay know then that it would take until 2016 to see completion of that journey.

Mecay, President of Tahoe Beach Club, unveiled the end of the journey in a beachfront groundbreaking ceremony Monday in a spot that will see 143 condominium residences, a private beach club, two to five-bedroom condominiums, a private pier, lakefront clubhouse, health club, spa and pool.

The Douglas County School District has found a buyer for the old Kingsbury Middle School which had been on the market since 2012. The school board voted to accept a $3.15 million offer on the property from Lake Parkway LLC, a corporation listed in Zephyr Cove, Nev.

DCSD closed Kingsbury Middle School on 1900 Echo Drive in Stateline in the 2008-2009 school year due to low enrollment at the schools at the lake. The school site had an original price tag of $4 million.

"This is wonderful news," said DCSD Board President Ross Chichester.

“Last night’s vote by the Placer County Planning Commission to reject the proposed development at Martis Valley West is great news for all who love Lake Tahoe," said Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD, executive director of the League to Save Lake Tahoe.

The Placer County Planning Commission has voted to recommend denial of the Martis Valley West Parcel Specific Plan and the certification of the project environmental impact report.

The Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) Board today unanimously approved a set of principles to clarify and guide the final design and implementation of the US Highway 50 South Shore Community Revitalization Project, also known as the Loop Road Project.

This plan that will answer some community member's concerns about the project by addressing right-of-way, housing, road construction, assistance and support for affected businesses, and continued community involvement.

When people visit Tahoe for the first time, they marvel at the extraordinary natural landscape and fresh, clean air. At the same time, some are shocked at the dilapidated condition of the built environment: rundown buildings, crumbling infrastructure, and tired-looking development. The paradox is compelling. Despite TRPA’s mandate to harmonize the natural and human-made landscapes so that they blend together, outdated development that preceded environmental standards now serves as blight in our community.