Motel 6 and surrounding property still in sights of California Tahoe Conservancy

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - On November 8, 2021, the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) board had given staff the okay to start negotiations to purchase the 31.5-acre site currently home to Motel 6 and the old Carrows building in South Lake Tahoe. At the time they had approved $10,000,000 to purchase the environmentally sensitive parcels, demolish existing structures, and stabilize the related sites which are along the Upper Truckee River. Also included would be the purchase of a home along the river on Sunset Lane.

During its meeting on Thursday, December 15, the CTC Board updated its authorization for the Conservancy to pursue the potential acquisition, located at 2375 Lake Tahoe Boulevard and 940 Sunset Drive, upstream of the Conservancy’s Upper Truckee Marsh property. They authorized up to $18 million for the Conservancy to continue negotiating to acquire, demolish and stabilize. CTC will preserve the meadow and wetlands on the property.

The Board also accepted a $1.5 million grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and approved CTC to accept additional potential grants to support the high-priority property acquisition.

“We are grateful for the support from our state and Basin partners,” said outgoing El Dorado County Supervisor and Conservancy Board Chair Sue Novasel. “Bringing these properties under public ownership would nearly complete protection of the lower nine miles of river corridor for Lake Tahoe’s largest and most important tributary.”

If the purchase is successful, escrow is expected to close in 2023, and the buildings would be demolished and the site stabilized in 2024. It would connect all restoration projects along the river to help reduce fine sediments from reaching Lake Tahoe, and a critical acquisition for CTC. It is those sediments that lead to worsening lake clarity, thus support comes from all partner agencies in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Additional funding for the proposed acquisition comes from Conservancy Proposition 68, General Funds, and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Excess Coverage Mitigation funds.