STATELINE, Nev. – The Van Sickle Bi-State Park on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore is getting park ranger housing, and accessory dwelling units are now allowed on more properties following Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board approvals this Wednesday.
“Throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin, momentum on affordable housing is continuing to build as organizations and individuals work to ensure Lake Tahoe’s environment and communities can thrive together,” TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan said.
The Board approved a project by the Nevada Division of State Parks at the Van Sickle property to construct a maintenance shop plus two deed-restricted housing units for park staff. Van Sickle Bi-State Park is a 725-acre, day-use park co-managed by the California Tahoe Conservancy that offers hiking trails, scenic views, picnic areas, and historic ranch buildings steps away from the busy state line area of Tahoe’s South Shore. Having affordable housing on site will help park rangers and reduce vehicle miles traveled.
The Governing Board also adopted amendments to the Washoe Tahoe Area Plan for Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Nevada, to allow accessory dwelling units on properties less than one acre in size. The housing incentives incorporated into the plan, originally approved in 2023, encourage more affordable units near transit and services to help reduce traffic and support water quality improvements through environmental redevelopment.
The Board’s action on accessory dwelling units brings consistency to both sides of the lake and allows all local governments in the basin to consider allowing them on residential parcels smaller than one acre. Resort communities across the country are incentivizing these types of granny flats or backyard cottages as a strategy to address housing affordability, according to TRPA.
Credit: Nevada Division of State Parks