improvements

The 2007 Douglas County Transportation Plan did not address any needs in the lake portion of the county, and the newly completed 2016 plan doesn't as well though it discusses a potential gondola from the base of Kingsbury Grade to Heavenly Mountain Resort.

The results of 2016's Douglas County Transportation Master Plan update will be presented during a public meeting on October 20 at 6:00 p.m. in the C.V.I.C. Hall.
Parsons Corporation, the organization which prepared the update, will give the presentation.

A proposed 3-legged roundabout in Meyers at the intersection of Highway 89 and Highway 50 will not significantly affect the quality of the environment according to a report just released.

The Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is proposing the intersection improvements due to safety concerns for both cyclists and drivers. The purpose is to influence traffic calming with the implementation of a roundabout, something transportation officials say is needed because the intersection is experiencing a number of collisions related to the intersection type.

All lanes of US 50 through the Cave Rock tunnel are now open to traffic, almost a month ahead of schedule on the $6 million traveler safety and roadside water quality project.

Since May, drivers have had to utilize a single lane of traffic in each direction through one side of the tunnel.

The contractor, Q&D Construction, will earn an extra $300,000 for completing early. Their contract gave them $15,000 for each day prior to the deadline they completed early, with a maximum of $300,000, which they earned.

Nobody likes more taxes, but voters in South Lake Tahoe will be faced with approving a new tax that would provide funding for one of three areas that have been deemed a necessity in the community, housing, roads or facilities.

The 1/2 cent sales tax proposal is different than most as the voter gets to decide exactly how it will be spent. That works out to be five cents on every ten dollars spent on non-grocery items and would bring the sales tax in the City to 8.5 percent.

"These are needs we cannot fund without funding from the tax increase," said SLT City Manager Nancy Kerry.

Supervisors have approved a balanced budget for El Dorado County for the fiscal year 2016-17, one totaling $548.92 million.

Investments will be made in infrastructure and public safety, two focuses identified in the County's strategic plan as well as providing for funds to be set aside in reserves for emergencies and deferred maintenance for aging county buildings.

The following are examples of strategic plan investments made in the fiscal year 2016-17 budget:

 $3.075 million for initial costs towards the Sheriff’s Department new Public Safety Facility

Owens Realty Mortgage has reported that Tahoe Stateline Venture, LLC, has entered into a purchase agreement with Jianping Pan, Kawana Holdings LLC to sell some of their Chateau at the Village for $42.5 million.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – As part of ongoing efforts to evaluate and use numerous tools to fight aquatic invasive plants in the Tahoe Keys, the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association recently announced its plans to apply for a permit for a small-scale demonstration of aquatic herbicides in 2018.

Crews working on the SR28 Shared Use Path/Safety/Stormwater project in Incline Village will start a 24-hours-a-day schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 21, and then from Monday, Sept. 26 to Friday, Oct. 7.

The Nevada Department of Transportation has announced the updated late-September/early-October construction schedule to meet their original Phase 1 completion date of October 20.

Motorists should anticipate delays of up to 30 minutes with one-lane flagger controlled closures near Hidden Beach, one mile south of Incline Village. (During Phase 1, the average wait time has been 5-15 minutes.)

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. – Travelers going through the Cave Rock area of Lake Tahoe should anticipate minor delays as construction crews enter the final phase of construction on a $6 million safety project. There will be work zone traffic pattern changes as both lanes of the roadway are repaved, spraying of concrete continues as well as other final tasks. The project is expected to be completed by October.

The first phase of the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) project along State Route 28 from Sand Harbor to Incline Village is now 25 percent completed.

Part of the completion includes a “shoofly,” a temporary lane detour around the existing road to keep traffic flow of one lane in each direction at Tunnel Creek

Upon completion the project will:

Include three plus miles of shared-use path from the south end of Incline Village to Sand Harbor
Relocate and also organize shoulder-parking areas near Ponderosa Ranch and Tunnel Creek Café

Is South Lake Tahoe bike friendly? Once known as a “Bicycle Friendly Community," the City has applied to become one again.

The application to the League of American Bicyclists has been submitted, and they will be reviewing criteria such as the number of miles of bike lanes and bike paths in South Lake Tahoe, what improvements have been made to the bike infrastructure, how the City engages with the public and encourages them to cycle, law enforcement related to cycling, educational outreach for cycling, and basic demographics of the community.

Several local contractors are working on the renovation of the Lake Tahoe Airport lobby, one that is costing the City $627,371,

Improvements include mechanical and ADA improvements on the interior of the 57-year-old building. The last time the air and heating were upgraded was 40 years ago.

"It's going to be an interesting journey," then-TRPA director Juan Palma told Bob Mecay back in 2002. Little did Mecay know then that it would take until 2016 to see completion of that journey.

Mecay, President of Tahoe Beach Club, unveiled the end of the journey in a beachfront groundbreaking ceremony Monday in a spot that will see 143 condominium residences, a private beach club, two to five-bedroom condominiums, a private pier, lakefront clubhouse, health club, spa and pool.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue and other area fire departments have responded to several illegal cooking fires in homeless encampments this summer, some which have spread to burn up to several hundred feet.

The cause of the July 19 fires behind the power station by the Heavenly Gondola and in the Trout Creek area behind Ross are still under investigation, but sources have said they were both most likely started by illegal campfires. Fire crews also responded to transient camp fires on July 27 and August 8 as well as several illegal cooking fires.

To become more of a warm welcome to South Lake Tahoe, the lobby at the Lake Tahoe Airport is undergoing renovations that will include a gas fireplace, a lounge with new seating, new flooring and offices.

Why is there so much negativity in our community about issues on which we disagree? I posted a comment supporting my friend Jason Collin in this online news site and Kenny Curtzweiler replied that people should not donate to the non-profit organization I work for – the Tahoe Prosperity Center. How is that acceptable? Are we not allowed to voice our opinions and not be branded for them? My opinions are my own and not those of the Tahoe Prosperity Center. To equate one with the other (and then to ask people not to support the incredibly important work we are doing) is irresponsible.

Lisa Maloff is continuing her charitable ways in the South Shore community with yet another sizable donation. This time, it is in the amount of $2.5 million to be used on the sports field and track at Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove, Nev.

In a declaration approved by the Douglas County School District, the donation is to "enhance the education and athletic experience" of the students who attend Whittell.

El Dorado County is holding a public meeting about the Meyers Corridor Plan on Thursday, July 21 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the California Conservation Corps Building at 1949 Apache Ave. in Meyers.

Staff will be presenting the three options on roadway and path improvements that are aimed at providing attractive and safe transportation options for the area for those that work, play and visit Meyers. The targeted 1.3 mile stretch along Highway 50 and Highway 89 will see lighting, signage, landscaping and a reduction of reliance on cars with increased improvements for walkers and bikers.

With road construction to enhance driver safety on U.S. 50 in Lake Tahoe’s Cave Rock area, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is reminding motorists to anticipate minor travel delays during special events such as the American Century Championship golf tournament.

“We encourage everyone to visit and enjoy Lake Tahoe,” NDOT District Engineer Thor Dyson explained. “But, with many visitors traveling to Lake Tahoe, drivers should plan a little extra travel time for road improvements being made in the Cave Rock area.”

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) are seeking more public input on ideas to improve Lake Tahoe’s transportation system to reduce traffic congestion in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

NOTE: Most traffic-interfering work will be restricted until 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 5 due to the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

SPECIAL EVENT

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County) from the “Y” at Lake Tahoe Boulevard and State Route 89 North to Rufus Allen Boulevard: Motorists can expect a moving closure of both lanes from 10 a.m. to Noon Monday July 4 for the City of South Lake Tahoe 4th of July parade.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Most traffic-interfering work will be restricted from 5 a.m. Friday, July 1 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 5 due to the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City that is upgrading storm water drainage and treatment systems, adding curb and gutter, resurfacing and realigning the road, adding new left-turn pockets and widening shoulders on an 8-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected by summer 2017.

During the City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 21, the following items will be addressed and possibly voted on:

The approval of $627,371 to be spend on the lobby of the SLT Airport to make improvements for both appearance and aging electrical and lighting. A Verdi, Nev., company submitted the bid to add a gas fireplace, log and iron accents, stone facade, new windows, walls and ADA complaince.

Approve measures to add two new tax measures to the November ballot, one to increase Tourist Occupancy Tax (TOT) by 2 percent and the other to increase sales tax by 1/2 percent.

Transportation planners will hold a series of open houses for the Meyers community and anyone else interested in seeing three sets of plans created for the proposed Highway 50 corridor.

They are once again asking for public input on the project that is intended to provide attractive and safe travel options for the community.