Community comments combined into new Regan Beach plan

The City of South Lake Tahoe has been involving the community in several planning sessions, from the Tahoe Valley Area plan to the Recreation and Airport Master Plans. On Tuesday night, the latest plan for the Regan Beach area were unveiled to a group gathered at the South Lake Tahoe recreation center.

While attendance hasn't reflected a very large portion of the community, several dozen locals have played active roles at the meetings.

The most recent plan to be shared, the redesign of city-owned Regan Beach, was originally unveiled in June during a community workshop to about 24 people. In July, three plans that came from comments at the June meeting were presented to about 50 community members, and, on October 6, about 25 people were present to see the final concept presented by Design Workshop.

An on-line survey was available for people to participate in after the July meeting, and Design Workshop received 320 responses. They took those, and combined them with the public comments made at the community meetings to come up with a final plan to present to City Council. The conceptual drawings shown at Tuesday's meeting may be adjusted to reflect recent ideas and those that may come from a final survey.

During the public process, people have weighed in on what they wanted to see in the Regan Beach/Park of the future.

The number one desire was a non-motorized boat launch, followed by an expanded beach, the addition of a jetty, an adventure play area not just for children, a new concession stand and restroom area as well as an expanded picnic area.

Plans presented on October 6 showed a compilation of all community ideas, with the loss of only one parking spot, the addition of a tiered event/wedding area, locked kayak storage, and a list of other things the public asked for.

"This is going to take some perfecting," said long-time local Susan Hoy. While many at the meeting liked the concepts presented they felt more needed to be addressed from their original "want" list.

"I want to see more beach above the high water line," said local Cindy Rawlings.

Regan Beach is a city owned, operated and maintained lake front property that houses a snack bar, playground, walkways, small picnic area, small beach and event area, and water dog park on 6.2 acres. It runs along 2,000 feet of shoreline in the Al Tahoe neighborhood. In 1965, the City added the retaining wall and took out the old Globin Pier. Much of the new plan will bring the slope and beach area back to what it used to be.

A proposed jetty will separate the dog beach area from another beach where dogs wouldn't be allowed. An adventure park area on the western end of the park would feature a playground for kids as well as for adults. The grass area will be much smaller in the new plan. There will be 20 more picnic tables and an increase in seating areas, including some along the path which runs from the beach to the north. Seating would increase from 70 linear feet to 512 linear feet.

The beach would become ADA accessible with ramps installed.

While this was the last public meeting on the beach, the public has a chance to participate in a final survey before the plans are revised and presented to the City Council. Once active, the link will be published.