SLT Planning Commission to review 4 new projects Thursday

The monthly meeting of the South Lake Tahoe Planning Commission on November 10 will have four major projects to consider, along with hearing an appeal of a vacation rental permit denial.

Drivers and those passing by 1259 Emerald Bay Road may have noticed a "coming soon" sign for awhile, a sign announcing the new business, Blue Granite Climbing Gym. where the 21-unit Tahoe Budget Inn was once located. The new building will be two-stories, have 245 linear feet of climbing wall, along with a world class training facility. The proposed gym, patio and parking lot will cover 14,675 square feet and the applicants will need to purchase some Commercial Floor Area (CFA). They are currently in escrow for 1,600 square feet of CFA and are asking the city to purchase 4,873 sq ft of coverage from their Tahoe Valley Area Plan CFA pool.

The second project the commissioners will review is the major redesign of McDonald's at the "Y." The company is planning on demolishing the current restaurant which was built in 1977 and remodeled in both 1998 and 2000, and create a new one that is a bit smaller with a reconfigured drive-thru and new landscaping. A new bike path is also included in their plans that will connect the path in front of the lot to the path in the back.

Third up on the agenda is Phase 2 of the Zalanta Project near Stateline. This new phase will run along the back of what was once referred to as "the hole" and will include 60 new Tourist Accommodation Units (TAUs). The original plan for the area approved in 2007 came with 123 TAUs, so the total of 90 between phase 1 and 2 are less than approved for. The original approved plan also came with a requirement of 136 parking spaces, and the developer is asking for only 114 to be created at Zalanta. Both phases were previously approved. The main reason for Thursday's hearing is to approved the "stand alone" feature of Phase 2, so edges of the building will have to be finished differently than if moving immediately onto a Phase 3.

The Gondola Vista Estates near the gondola adjacent to the Van Sickle Bi-State Park is the fourth project for the commissions to evaluate. The 20-unit residential project will be located on two parcels, with the third parcel owned by the developer being left alone at this time. There will be ten duplexes that will be accessed by a private driveway that comes off of Lake Parkway. The Tahoe Transportation District would have to gain easement from the project area for the proposed Loop Road.

In 2005, Randy Lane gained approval for developing the parcels into 20 timeshare units and four affordable housing units. The applicant for the new project has removed those four units, stating they had to be prepared for the new Highway 50 setback.

In a final item, the commissioners will be hearing an appeal to the Zoning Administrator's denial of a Vacation Home Rental permit for 3758 Overlook Court.

The monthly Planning Commission meeting is held the second Thursday of each month in the City Council Chamber at the Lake Tahoe Airport starting at 3:00 p.m.