Dear Friends,

Having skirted the potential for thunderstorms that never came to be, the weather was perfect for this year’s FOWS Annual Community Party on August 12th! We had a great time celebrating with friends, new and old, who share a similar love for the West Shore and Lake Tahoe.

As always in our bi-monthly newsletters, we will keep you updated on West Shore activities and opportunities to participate in land use planning activities. We look forward to your continued feedback and support, and encourage you to contact us with any additional ideas or questions you may have.

Sincerely,

TRPA Housing Amendments

TRPA’s proposed Phase 3 amendments (named “Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin” by TRPA) are currently being analyzed in an Environmental Impact Statement, which is anticipated to be released for public review this fall. FOWS and others remain concerned that increasing the density and population in areas like Tahoma, Homewood, and Sunnyside without first addressing existing problems, such as traffic congestion and the limits of having only one two-lane road for emergency access and evacuation, will exacerbate existing threats to public safety (read FOWS comments on the scoping document here). FOWS will continue to monitor and report on the proposed amendments.

Placer County Tahoe Basin Area Plan

Lawsuits filed by FOWS and others due to a lack of adequate environmental analysis (including impacts to emergency access/evacuation) for Placer County’s Phase 1 and 2 housing amendments are proceeding through the courts at this time. More information regarding the lawsuits can be viewed in previous FOWS Newsletters. There are no new updates.

El Dorado County Area Plan

An environmental impact report (EIR) is currently in preparation proposed “Tahoe El Dorado” (TED) Area Plan” with a draft EIR anticipated to be circulated for public review in early 2027. Recent presentations and recordings from the NOP workshops can be accessed here.

United States Forest Service (USFS) Plans and Projects:

Multiple projects and proposals by the USFS have raised significant concerns among the public regarding the negative impacts to public lands.

2) Plan to apply Glyphosate in the Basin:

The USFS plans to apply Glyphosate to areas within the Caldor Fire burn scar, including areas around communities, beginning in 2028. A local community group has organized to spread the word and communicate actions that can be taken to prevent application.

Homewood Mountain Resort (HMR)

There are several updates on HMR:

• The application to modify the HMR Conditional Use Permit regarding the North Tahoe Fire Protection District (NTFPD) [included in our last newsletter] has been withdrawn. At this time there is no update related to an agreement between HMR and the NTFPD regarding HMR's requirement to fulfill and mitigate public safety obligations. 

• HMR representatives recently reported at the Homewood HOA meeting that the new gondola is on track to be installed by December and a celebration is being planned. The gondola will also operate during the summer months for recreation and sight-seeing.

• HMR recently replaced aging water infrastructure with new, fully-automated technology.

• TRPA recently issued a conditional permit for snow-making and is addressing the applicable Master Plan mitigation measures.

• The first of seven constructed homes on Fawn Street have been sold, thereby officially “initiating” the “Mountain and Lake Club.” The club amenities will include the West Shore Cafe, the Maritime Building and a temporary tent at the top of the mountain. 

• HMR is expected to submit plans to TRPA soon for the “Lot 5 development” (the group of condos clustered around the gondola base.) Construction of 22 residences and resort services (anticipated to be open for public use) is expected to break ground in 2027.

Other updates

• Boatworks Mall: The developers recently announced they have started bankruptcy proceedings to prevent foreclosure (the foreclosure auction sale of the property scheduled for August 12 was cancelled) and they are still planning a mixed-use development for the property.

• California lawmakers “effectively killed” the “California Grizzly Recovery Assessment Act,” a proposed bill that would have required the California Department of Fish & Wildlife to evaluate the feasibility of reintroducing Grizzly Bears back into California.

• Moonshine Ink recently provided an update on the Boatworks Mall and the Lighthouse Center titled “Trouble on the East End: Two of Tahoe City’s Biggest Commercial Properties in Limbo”. While the owners of Boatworks Mall have since taken steps to avoid foreclosure as noted above, the impacts of the current status of both properties continue to affect Tahoe City and the West Shore, including Safeway’s failure to keep up with grocery demand while also preventing another grocery store from moving into their old location.

• The National Park Service has quietly been working on a controversial land swap that would give a private developer unprecedented access to Yosemite National Park. A connection between the proposed land swap and a Tahoe development is stirring public perspectives regarding the 39-degree North project proposed in Kings Beach.

Other Items of Interest

• Starting in October, a Tahoe City lakeside favorite, Sunnyside Restaurant & Lodge, will undergo a $5 million renovation as it changes hands.The overhaul, expected to take six months, will include a comprehensive remodel of the lodge, kitchen and dining room, including the relocation of the bar.

• The Nevada Current has published detailed articles outlining concerns regarding the continued efforts to draw more tourists to the Basin without adequately considering the safety impacts of current residential and tourist populations. The Nevada Legislature’s committee for oversight of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency met Aug. 20 and addressed evacuation with “a vaguely worded call for an “evacuation study” in its work session document.” 

• After nearly five years of planning, the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship has completed a master plan designed to connect 15 mountain communities across Northern California and western Nevada through a regional trail network of over 500 miles.

• A recent court ruling could bring new habitat protections for the rare Sierra Nevada Red Fox that was recently spotted on the West Shore for the first time in decades.

• Moonshine Ink recently reported on the current status of the old Tahoe City Firehouse Building and the potential SNOW Museum in Olympic Valley.