“The recent amendments to the Tahoe Basin Area Plan have sparked both concern and support within the community. It is important to note that these changes have the potential to bring about positive outcomes for our town centers, as they encourage the development of new workforce housing units and the relocation of lodging from neighborhoods into our commercial cores.” – Katie Biggers – Executive Director, Tahoe City Downtown Association

Board of Supervisors approve Tahoe Basin Area Plan amendments

TAHOE CITY, Calif. — Seeking to generate economic investment and spur environmentally-beneficial redevelopment in North Lake Tahoe, the Placer County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a set of amendments that would allow revisions to the 2017 Tahoe Basin Area Plan.

The board acted on four items continued from the Oct. 16 board meeting and cast four separate unanimous votes on the area plan amendments. With their vote, the board adopted an addendum and errata to the 2017 Tahoe Basin Area Plan environmental impact report, adopted the policy amendments to the area plan, adopted amendments to the implementing regulations and lastly, adopted an amendment to the county code.

“An immense amount of work has gone into this plan over the last several years,” said Board Chair and District 3 Supervisor Jim Holmes. “I appreciate our staff’s efforts and the community’s participation through this process. There were a significant number of questions from the public that were brought forward during the October 16 meeting in Tahoe and taking the time to work with staff to answer all those questions really helped me make my determination on how best to move forward.”

The amendments are minor cleanups aimed at accelerating the production and supply of affordable housing in the North Lake Tahoe area while simultaneously enhancing economic vitality and promoting small-scale commercial redevelopment in both the Kings Beach and Tahoe City town centers. They are intended to drive environmentally beneficial redevelopment by removing old, dilapidated buildings and replacing them with newly constructed, energy efficient ones that can better collect stormwater runoff and protect Lake Tahoe’s water clarity.

The county’s TBAP is the land-use document that governs development in the Lake Tahoe Basin. It was originally adopted by the Placer County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 6, 2016, and by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board on Jan. 25, 2017.

The TBAP replaced all previous community plans, general plans, land use regulations, development standards and guidelines, and plan area statements within the Lake Tahoe Basin. It includes both a policy document and an implementing regulations document, which serves as the zoning code for the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The modifications remove outdated zoning restrictions in order to encourage potential redevelopment in small-scale lodging and mixed-use businesses within the town centers, making it easier to build workforce housing or start a new business.

Due to the region’s lack of affordable housing, these amendments are intended to streamline the permitting process of deed-restricted properties, limit single-family housing that’s not intended for local workers in town centers and outline the requirements for tiny homes in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The amendments do not conflict with TRPA scenic or environmental standards and current thresholds. Nor do the amendments increase density standards, increase carrying capacity or increase building height. The previously proposed amendments to increase building height and length allowance in the town centers were removed from this set of amendments following community feedback earlier this year. The maximum allowable height remains unchanged at 56 feet.

The amendments will now proceed for review by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. Learn more about TRPA’s area plan regulations and processes here.

Learn more about the Tahoe Basin Area Plan here.