Zoning

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce Board recently asked the nine City Council candidates ten questions they felt were of most importance to its members. The questions focused mainly on topics relating to things that will or may affect both the local small businesses and the community in general.

Their board made the decision to not endorse a specific candidate this election, but instead rank them based on how much they align with the South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce goals based on their answers to the questions below.

On April 18, 2017 the South Lake Tahoe City Council unanimously passed a resolution to: 1) Power the South Lake Tahoe community with electricity provided from 100 percent renewable sources by 2032 and 2) Reduce community carbon emissions from baseline by at least 80 percent by 2040, and reduce municipal emissions by 50 percent by 2030.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved on May 12 an amendment to their ordinance for the retail sale, commercial distribution, and commercial indoor cultivation of recreational adult-use cannabis as it pertains to the Meyers community.

Originally, no zoning in Meyers qualified for these activities as their Area Plan zoning didn't match up with the approved areas for El Dorado County's legal activities could fit.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City Council has announced they selected Joseph Irvin as the new city manager for South Lake Tahoe.

Irvin was one of four final candidates for the position that met with the community on Monday, giving them a chance to do their own interviews, ask questions, and fill out a questionnaire on their choices.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Douglas County commissioners will be holding a special meeting on a Development Agreement between Park Ranch Holdings LLC and Master Plan amendments on Tuesday, December 3 at 9:00 a.m.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Perhaps you know of them as mother-in-law units, tiny houses in the backyard or an extra apartment above a garage for renters. The term Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) has become a popular one in describing these types of housing as the affordable housing conversation turns towards solutions.

From the California Department of Housing and Community Development:

What are the benefits of ADUs?
- ADUs are an affordable type of home to construct in California because they do not require paying for land, major new infrastructure, structured parking, or elevators.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An agreement has been reached between the City of South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Wellness Cooperative (TWC) after over two years of court proceedings between the two.

During the closed session portion of Tuesday's City Council meeting, the four councilmembers allowed to participate voted unanimously to accept the signed agreement between the City and TWC. Councilmember Cody Bass had to recuse himself from voting since he is the owner and president of TWC.

Over 1,000 Douglas County residents responded to an online survey regarding vacation home rentals (VHR) and those results are now available. The input on the surveys is equal to approximately 50 hours of public comment.

I am surprised that some people call Measure T “too extreme,” when the measure a) still allows fulltime residents to rent out their houses for 30 days per year, b) promotes the development and expansion of VHRs in areas properly zoned as commercial or part of the Tourist Core.

Do you know what is really “too extreme”?

• Local businesses struggling to fill open positions because their employees can’t find long-term housing in Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After a referendum to put a halt to the South Lake Tahoe cannabis ordinance was successful, a meeting held Monday was to work through the points of the ordinance Cody Bass and Tahoe Wellness Cooperative took issue with.

Led by the City Council representatives Austin Sass and Brooke Laine, members of the original cannabis workgroup, Cody Bass and some members of the public, about two dozen in total, spent three hours trying to come up direction for the city attorney to use in creating a new ordinance.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Each of the nine candidates for City Council answered the same ten questions that were given to them by South Tahoe Now. For nine consecutive days the candidate's responses will be shared in the order received.

Today, Hal Cole gives his responses as he attempts to return to the South Lake Tahoe City Council:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After the referendum to put a stop to the City of South Lake Tahoe's cannabis ordinance received enough signatures, the City Council has reconvened their subcommittee to create a new ordinance.

There will be a public forum on Monday, October 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers to gather public input regarding possible next steps for a cannabis ordinance.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Each of the nine candidates for City Council answered the same ten questions that were given to them by South Tahoe Now. For nine consecutive days the candidate's responses will be shared in the order received.

Today, the first-time candidate Bruce Grego gives his responses as he seeks a seat again on the South Lake Tahoe City Council:

Mayor Wendy David has stated that it is okay to have Vacation Home Rentals in residential neighborhoods as long as there is 'consistent' enforcement. Sorry Wendy but planning and zoning are not determined by enforcement. What has been ‘consistent' is the city's failure to deliver effective enforcement. When a neighbor calls in to complain about a problem with a VHR, a warning call goes out to the agent or owner of that VHR to warn them of the complaint. By the time the Enforcement Officer arrives the lights are out and the report reads: "Quiet on Arrival".

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Each of the nine candidates for City Council answered the same ten questions that were given to them by South Tahoe Now. For nine consecutive days the candidate's responses will be shared in the order received.

Patrick Jarrett shares his thoughts in his quest for a seat on the South Lake Tahoe City Council:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There will be no legal sales of adult-use marijuana in South Lake Tahoe until at least 2019 after the referendum against the City's Cannabis Ordinance passed. Assistant City Clerk Sue Blankenship certified the results of the sample signature count by the El Dorado County Elections Department and now it's the City Council's turn.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - September 21, 2018 is the date the City of South Lake Tahoe will start accepting development agreements for the six cannabis licenses up for grabs after City Council approved a cannabis ordinance on August 21, 2018.

That is, unless a group spearheaded by Cody Bass of Tahoe Wellness Cooperative and his attorney James Anthony gets enough signatures to stop the process.

A unanimous vote of the South Lake Tahoe City Council brought applause from the audience during Monday’s special meeting. It has been months of expert testimony, community input, committee meetings, and almost two dozen public meetings that led to Monday’s approval of two new cannabis ordinances.

“You have done a remarkable job,” said local resident Oliver Starr on the Council’s sorting out what will be best for the community. Starr said they created an ordinance that is clean, safe and reputable.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - At their May 1 meeting, the South Lake Tahoe City Council gave direction to the City Attorney's office to draft ordinances to regulate sales, cultivation and distribution of medical and adult-use cannabis.

Consensus at that meeting was to allow for two micro-businesses, two retail businesses, two cultivation businesses up to 5,000 square feet and unlimited testing labs.

At that same meeting, the Council assigned councilmembers Austin Sass and Brooke Laine to an ordinance sub-comittee and they have worked on the ordinance will be voted on Tuesday.

We can always count on either Supervisors Novasel or Ranalli starting off each VHR public meeting discussing VHR’s with the reminder that VHR’s are an allowed use for single family dwellings under TRPA’s land use Ordinances. They have attempted to make us believe the word of God (TRPA) has set this in stone, and that we should all now work together to allow these nuisance businesses to coexist in our neighborhoods.

The following was sent to the South Lake Tahoe City Council and was shared with South Tahoe Now:

With the voter-approved legalization of marijuana in Nevada in 2016, local governments have been working to implement requirements of state law. Washoe County is seeking public input related to zoning, business licensing and public safety of legalized marijuana in unincorporated Washoe County.

Currently there is one dispensary in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe with Washoe County locations in Reno, Sparks and Sun Valley.

Dear Council Members:

My name is Scott Ramirez, I am a long time resident of South Lake Tahoe. Some of you know me and my family and are familiar with our activities to support our town. We are advocates for our community and volunteer where we can.

Meyers, the commercial, public services, and recreation hub of unincorporated El Dorado County at the South Shore may soon have a new area plan.

The Meyers Area Plan is the comprehensive long-term plan for the Meyers Community and, if approved, will replace the original Meyers Community Plan (MCP) adopted in 1993. The MCP currently serves as the comprehensive land use and zoning plan for the community of Meyers, consistent with the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan and the El Dorado County General Plan. It was originally meant to last a decade, not the almost 25 years its been in place.