Tahoe Transportation District board approves purchase of old Incline Village site

STATELINE, Nev. - The Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) board voted Friday to authorize the purchase of the old Incline Village elementary school site from Washoe County School District. The 6.41 acre property at 771 Southwood Boulevard has been used as a parking lot for the seasonal TTD East Shore Express for the last nine years and they hope to transform it into a more permanent part of the transportation link around Lake Tahoe.

The school district is selling their property for $2,350,000. Most of the funds are coming from Title 49 of the US Code Section 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities fund program through the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and with the concurrence of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for protective acquisition.

If the grant funds aren't used in 2021 they will go back to Washington, D.C. for redistribution.

A citizen petition and numerous letters against the purchase were sent to the TTD board, asking they don't purchase the property and look elsewhere or a mobility hub. There were four townhall-style virtual meetings and one listening session for the public on the topic, all met with questions from Incline Village citizens and about 1,000 comments and letters were received during the process.

TTD Board Member and Washoe County Commission Alexis Hill said there are many needs in Incline Village, including affordable housing.

"If we don’t vote on this today, it will be too late," said TTD board member and Washoe County Commission Alexis Hill. "We won’t be able to do workforce housing or other best uses with proper planning without the school property. It would be irresponsible to not move forward with this grant and I am committed to working for best location for the hub."

Even though the board voted to approve the purchase, it isn't a done deal that the property will become a mobility hub. There will be analysis on possible alternative sites during the next steps. If a viable spot is found TTD can sell the school site and use proceeds for the new location.

There is no funding for the construction of the hub. After a site is identified the agencies involved will seek grants for the project.

TTD promises more chances for public input.

"Thank you for your input, outreach and time during their process," said Hill. "I am committed to work with the community on best use for the property – parking, housing, traffic issues in community."

Most board members agreed the purchase gave them the ability to do something for the community, and if the school site wasn't the final choice for a hub there were other uses. With the property in government hands it could be used for housing, transportation, and a needed public safety building.

"We still need to do the analysis, keep in control of where we go and make sure the community is involved," said El Dorado County Supervisor and TTD Board Member Sue Novasel.

South Lake Tahoe City Councilmember Cody Bass was one of two board members to vote against the purchase. He was joined by Carson City Transportation Manager Lucia Maloney.

Bass asked they evaluate the current parking lot for the East Shore Trail and the possibility of adding a parking garage.

A mobility hub for Incline Village would fit needs identified in the Lake Tahoe Basin Transit Master Plan. That plan identifies transit hubs or centers as common locations to provide parking, access to public transit, trails, and other points of community needs.

The hubs will aid in moving people to and around the lake with a goal of reducing automobile usage by 20 percent. Hubs around the lake will vary in size, shape and function; each designed to fit a specific set of needs while being influenced by location and community input. They intersect trails, bus routes, roads, bike paths, and in the case of Lake Tahoe, boats.

An example of a mobility hub on the south shore is the new one at Lake Tahoe Community College. That hub has been in operation for more than a year. Later this year it will become the go-to charging station for the Tahoe Transportation District’s three new 35-foot Proterra electric buses, along with four smaller 16-passenger electric shuttles. The Hub also provides shelter from the elements for public transportation riders and secure storage for bikes, boards, and other green forms of transportation, along with a handy bicycle repair station.