TRPA decision allows manufacturing, wholesale, and distribution uses in Gateway area of South Lake Tahoe Tourist Core

A decision today by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) governing board will allow the Tahoe Wellness Center to move forward through the City of South Lake Tahoe's cannabis use permit process. By a vote of 12-2, the board approved changes to the Tourist Core Area Plan (TCAP) Tourist Center Gateway District Special Area #1, reversing their previous action. In January 2022, they had voted against the proposed changes, leading the City of South Lake Tahoe to ask for the matter to be brought back before the board for reconsideration.

The change now allows small-scale manufacturing, industrial services, wholesale, and distribution in that area zone (seen in photos above).

February 5 marked the 13th anniversary for Tahoe Wellness Center (TWC) which started as a medical marijuana business, then after Prop. 64 was approved by California voters in 2016, the business could move forward as a recreational use business.

The City of South Lake Tahoe created a cannabis ordinance in 2018, outlining the local rules and regulations, and creating zones the cannabis businesses could be located.

At the time, Tahoe Wellness Center did not fit in an approved zone and would either have to relocate or work to get zoning rules changed so the Tourist Core area the business was located in would allow all microbusiness uses it currently operates with.

That last hurdle happed on Wednesday, February 23 when the TRPA governing board decided to reverse its January 26, 2022 decision. At the January meeting, the motion to approve the amendment to code needed four affirmative votes from both states, it garnered only three affirmative votes from Nevada, with one no vote and one abstention. Douglas County Commissioner Wes Rice was against the change at both the January and February meetings due to the county's stance on not allowing cannabis businesses starting at the state line, just a couple of miles from TWCC. At the meeting, Board member John Friedrich, who is also on the South Lake Tahoe City Council, requested reconsideration of that vote at the next Governing Board meeting.

The other board members, including El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel, wanted TRPA to look only at the zoning change, not what type of business would be involved. The voters in both Nevada and California had already approved cannabis businesses.

Tahoe Wellness Center is located in the Gateway District of the Tourist Core Area Plan. Other changes to that plan by the City included a 56-foot height cap on buildings in the area which would allow TWC's neighbors Tahoe Beach Retreat and Lakeland Village to add another floor if desired.

Cody Bass, the owner of TWC, said he doesn't have plans to go higher at this time, though years down the road that might change.

"This is an exciting day for Tahoe Wellness Center," said Bass on Wednesday of the TRPA vote. "I am glad it passed. This has been a long 13 years in the making."

Bass had been operating TWC under a settlement agreement with the City of South Lake Tahoe since April 2019. Bass and TWC were able to operate the adult-use cannabis portion of the business under the City's new ordinance requirements for three years. During those three years, he had to meet the new rules of the ordinance, and zoning changes by TRPA and the City were the main part of that. Retail sales of TWC fit the new rules, but the cultivation, distribution, and manufacturing areas of the business did not.

Now TWC can move forward through the traditional cannabis ordinance steps through the City.