Possible changes to Herbert Avenue discussed at public meeting

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With the addition of Bijou Marketplace along Highway 50 between Ski Run Boulevard and Herbert Avenue, owners of nearby properties have started to look at how this new development will help their businesses.

One of those owners, Mike McKeen, met with City Staff to explore possible ideas to change his property, located at the corner of Herbert Avenue and Highway 50, and make it a better fit the changes the Marketplace will bring to the area. The City explored that idea which could make the area safer and slow down traffic as well as continuing the improvements already happening in the area.

Because his ideas involved a public roadway, a public meeting was held Wednesday to present ideas for Herbert Avenue.

Many of those attending the meeting were given some misinformation about the reason for the meeting and the possible changes for their neighborhood. Families and homeowners came, as well as business owners to hear what had to be said.

Herbert Avenue wan't always a street. The original owners of the property that stretched from Ski Run to where the Brewery is located dedicated a dirt road through the middle of their parcel to the public in 1946. Johnson Boulevard, Fairway Drive and Herbert Avenue are all owned by the public since they were dedicated as such decades ago.

Sara Hawley, a civil engineer, completed a traffic study for Bijou Marketplace and Herbert Avenue. She led the public meeting to explore three possible scenarios for the street.

One of those is to keep the road as is. With 140 parking spots in the new center which will have a Whole Foods 365 and other retail and businesses, extra pedestrian and bicycling traffic is expected in the area along with more vehicles. Current parking at McKeen's center was dangerous even before the demolition of the Knight's Inn (which made way for Bijou Marketplace). The perpendicular parking, increased traffic and increased traffic conflicts are a safety concern.

Another option is to close Herbert at the intersection with Highway 50 and have an attractive, removable barrier of some sort that could be moved in case of emergency. Some of the neighbors at the meeting opposed this version as their traffic flow would be changed and they'd have to use other streets in the neighborhood to travel. This option makes the area much safer to walk though, and encourages those parking at Bijou Marketplace to continue their walking to other shopping just as they do at Heavenly Village. The owner of The Brewery spoke at the meeting, saying a change at the intersection is good for the businesses in McKeen's building as well as his since the bikeable, walkable area expands and they get 140 extra parking places. The Marketplace also has 88 parking spaces in the garage on Ski Run which may be used for employee parking, something a couple of people in the meeting wondered about.

The final option presented was to make Herbert one-way and have traffic calming features put along the road, such as speed bumps. This version would also increase safety and reduce delays at the intersection but would make exiting traffic from one of the three driveways of the Marketplace head out north on Herbert.

McKeen said he worked on an idea for change on the street as he could lose parking on Herbert for his tenants, which include Los Mexicanos and Tahoe Rock Shop. Parallel parking would eliminate cars backing into oncoming traffic but also have fewer spots in front of the businesses, though 140 spots will be right across the street. He does have his building up for sale, so what transpires at that corner has yet to be determined. City officials said there are interested buyers as they've already met with them.

Some at the meeting said the City gave the street to the developer of Bijou Marketplace, which they found out was a false assumption.

"I'm for full closure as it's nuts now," said Joan Regan, a resident in the neighborhood for 40 years. She said she can no longer safely walk along Herbert with her dog due to speeding traffic.

McKeen said closing off Herbert would give the neighborhood a more peaceful existence much like historic Bijou Pines. "It's a solution that could make everything better," he said.

A straw poll was taken during the meeting. Results were fairly even with 1/3 of the group voting for leaving as is, 1/3 voting for full closure, and the remaining third for one-way traffic.

No future meetings on Herbert Avenue have been planned at this point said City Manager Nancy Kerry.