Homewood resident, FOWS board member sounds off

Dear Publisher,

On July 7, Mr. Dave Tirman, senior vice president for JMA Ventures, wrote a rebuttal to an article written by Mr. Tom Rosenberg in the Sacramento Bee on July 4 regarding Homewood Mountain Resort (HMR). It was inappropriate for Dave Tirman to mention Friends of the West Shore in his rebuttal. Friends had nothing to do with the article and members first saw it when published by the Sacramento Bee.

As Tom Rosenberg has stated, he is not a member of Friends and does not represent Friends. Friends has over 300 members, so the only comments attributable to Friends are from a board member specifically writing or speaking on behalf of Friends [not as an individual] or from our letterhead or website.

Dave Tirman’s last comment is misleading that “certain members of Friends of the West Shore are resorting to misinformation and distortion of fact to further their agenda”.

Friends relies primarily on information from HMR’s or Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s website or official written documents. Because of its size and complexity, clarification on certain aspects of the proposed resort has been necessary, including confusion over the measurement of total height and the number of units to be included in the project. These items were clarified at the May 27 TRPA meeting. In particular, TRPA advised that under the EIR/EIS analysis, the project includes 349 units, not the 316 as noted in the presentation by JMA, the project developer. Also, Friends appreciated that Dave Tirman attended the Friends community meeting on July 2 and, at the request of Friends, spoke to the group and provided information and clarification on the HMR project.

Friends supports a revitalized HMR that is smaller in size and scope, with a much reduced number of units. Some concerns noted by members of West Shore communities regarding this project:

1. Density, size and scope of the project are not compatible with the long-time character and scale of the neighborhood or the West Shore.

2. What is the impact on wetlands, watersheds and any development on raw, vacant land, especially the Fawn St. wetland area and the steep hillside slopes of the mountain.

3. Potential traffic congestion from 349 units (number of bedrooms undisclosed) could easily result in 300–500 cars, not including service and employee vehicles or boats and trailers. The proximity of the resort to Highway 89 could cause a backup on the highway during peak activity.

4. What is the availability of water and the impact on the aquifer level of other nearby communities. Who pays for any required new water and sewage infrastructure? What will be the impact of the Truckee River Operating Agreement?

5. To what extent is the project economically feasible and sustainable over a long period of time? Can the West Shore homeowner/rental base absorb such a high density project?

Friends is trying to obtain accurate information about the HMR project to disseminate to residents of the West Shore so they can evaluate the extent of this development but the information changes frequently and is sometimes incomplete. Therefore, full disclosure and understanding of the project details is important and Friends asks the public to refer to the HMR or TRPA websites for available facts and clarification. We also look forward to the release of the draft EIR/EIS for further details. We are aware that there many divergent views on the size and scope of the proposed resort but Friends is hopeful, through community meetings and communication with JMA Ventures, that the development process can be respectful of all opinions and result in a development that satisfies the needs and concerns of the West Shore Community and HMR, a resort that everyone can appreciate and accept.

Judith Tornese, West Shore homeowner and board member of Friends of the West Shore

PS: Friends of the West Shore is a Lake Tahoe, non-partisan community organization established to help preserve and enhance the character, scale and historical significance of the West Shore. It is a resource to the community and uses the collaborative efforts of the residents to make a positive impact on the West Shore neighborhoods.