Dear Friends:

It has been another busy year and we’re only half way through! Developers’ ongoing proposals for massive, dense developments and TRPA and county land use plan amendments aim to pack more people into already crowded areas. Without adequate infrastructure in place, these planning activities continue to threaten the environment, public safety, and the unique quality of West Shore communities.

As in previous summers, FOWS has been making presentations at West Shore HOA meetings and will continue throughout the summer. Please contact me at jmtornese@aol.com if a FOWS Board member can speak for about 10 minutes at your HOA meeting to update your members on what's happening on the West Shore. Alternatively, we can provide a brief written one-page update on the status of West Shore projects which can be distributed to your members at your meeting.

As always, we will keep you updated on West Shore activities and other projects in our bi-monthly newsletters. 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,

As outlined in our previous newsletter updates, Placer County and TRPA proposed separate sets of plan amendments in 2023 that increase density, height, population, traffic, and contribute further to public safety concerns associated with emergency evacuations and access. The following information provides updates regarding the two agencies’ amendments.

Placer County Tahoe Basin Area Plan (TBAP)

At this time, the lawsuit filed by FOWS and other organizations against Placer County’s amendments is proceeding through the next steps prescribed by California law. As previously noted, FOWS has launched a fundraising campaign to help fund the costs. We sincerely appreciate the generous donations that have been coming in to date; however, we still have a way to go to reach our goal of $40,000 and we continue to seek additional donations, which are tax-deductible. Click here to donate.

TRPA “Housing Amendments”

On July 2, the Mountain Area Preservation (MAP) announced that a Settlement Agreement had been reached with TRPA regarding MAP’s lawsuit challenging Code amendments adopted by TRPA in December 2023. The Agreement requires several actions including but not limited to:

• 50% of bonus units are dedicated to affordable housing.

• Stormwater treatment will be required for deed-restricted workforce housing.

• A MAP representative will be a member of the Phase 3 Tahoe Living Working Group to consider other programs to achieve more affordable housing.

• TRPA will prepare an Environmental Impact Study as part of Phase 3 with certain criteria, including an analysis based on existing conditions. This last point is particularly important as the analysis for the 2023 amendments is based on outdated information dating back to 2011 and 2016.

More information regarding the amendments and lawsuit can be found on MAP’s web page.

Homewood Mountain Resort (HMR)

An application for the Master Plan amendment was submitted to TRPA on Monday, May 10 (application files can be accessed here). FOWS and the Keep Homewood Public community group have been reviewing the documents for completeness. In addition, “public access” and “reasonable pricing” have not been defined or guaranteed for the life of the ski resort. TRPA typically has 30 days to review the application to make sure all required items were included. However, that has been extended for this application. Once deemed “complete”, TRPA aims to process applications within 120 days. Final approval will require a hearing before TRPA’s Governing Board.

On July 24, TRPA held their Governing Board’s monthly meeting at Granlibakken Tahoe Resort. That afternoon the Governing Board toured several sites in Tahoe City and the West Shore, with the last stop being at Homewood Mountain Resort. The meeting and tour were open to the public.

The Homewood portion of the tour included informational presentations from the project applicant and Keep Homewood Public, followed by a walking tour of the site. An application for revisions to the Homewood Master Plan is in the early stages of review by TRPA staff and were not considered for action at the meeting. All documents and information about the application process are on TRPA’s Homewood Mountain Resort information page.

Meeks Bay Resort Restoration Project

The agencies released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/EIS Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Draft Record of Decision. FOWS is pleased that the alternative preferred by most of the community - which focuses on environmental restoration and non-motorized recreation - was selected. TRPA held a field trip for their Advisory Planning Commission on 6/12. It is unknown when it will be voted upon by the TRPA Governing Board; a hearing is anticipated this summer. One Objection was filed with the USFS and a meeting between the USFS and Objector has been held.

8305 & 8307 Meeks Bay Ave. Development/Vacation Rentals

FOWS has been advised that the applicant of the proposed mega-sized home at 8307 Meeks Bay Ave. is developing a redesigned building plan to submit to TRPA and El Dorado County in response to scenic impact issues. 

For those interested in these projects; please contact Dana Schneider for more information.

Boatworks Redevelopment Project

“[M]ixed-use development that includes hotel lodging, residential condo-hotel units, and independent commercial spaces. The hotel component will also include food and beverage, conference facilities, spa, and other accessory amenities. Specifically, the project will include 79 tourist accommodation units, 29 residential condo-hotel units, each with a separate lock-off unit, for a grand total of 58 units that will be included in the hotel key pool, and 9,982 square feet of stand-alone commercial retail/restaurant.” (Note: Parking plans were provided for the hotel and condos but public parking was not mentioned. The proposed building height is 56’.)

This brochure was provided with the agenda and includes renderings of the proposed project. Under the developer's preliminary design review, they are proposing that the resort hotel design follow the traditional Tahoe style (on the lake side of the property) and the condos follow a boxy California "fresh and contemporary" design approach (on the SR 28 side). Our FOWS attendee noted the audience generally supported the hotel design but not the condo design. They were also generally supportive of the project but reserved their position until there is further review. The next DRC meeting is scheduled for August 27.

Other updates

El Dorado Area Plan:

In-person and virtual workshops were held in June for the proposed Tahoe El Dorado Area Plan (TED) that is being created to govern land use in all unincorporated areas of El Dorado County. The presentations are available online (click here for in-person workshop and here for online workshop materials). Based on the current trends in TRPA’s proposed code amendments and project approvals, FOWS is concerned that development proposals in the Area Plan may not adequately consider current conditions and trends (i.e. traffic, density, wildfire danger/evacuation, increased visitation, etc.). FOWS will continue to monitor this process.

Palisades Tahoe:

Sierra Watch recently announced:

“The fate of massive development proposed for Tahoe is back in the public square this summer.

Placer County planning officials announced that they will soon release the Final Environmental Impact Report for proposed development at Palisades Tahoe. And they will hold public meetings in Olympic Valley August 15 and 17, setting the stage for a showdown over the future of Lake Tahoe.

“Alterra Mountain Company is hell-bent on overrunning Tahoe with Vegas-style development,” says Tom Mooers of the conservation group Sierra Watch. “And it’s time, once again, to turn out and stand up for our mountain culture.”

Read the full Press Release here.