South Tahoe offers deals at parking garage to entice drivers
By Kathryn Reed
The city-owned parking garage at Heavenly Village has a series of specials going on. One expires in November and the other is a winter special.
Lake Tahoe News just learned about them at a recent parking meeting — and had to ask the city to send the information even though the city contracts with a company to run the garage that has a public information officer on staff.
The South Lake Tahoe parking garage loses close to $60,000 a year. The City Council at the time this redevelopment area was built agreed to own the garage. It has several years left to pay back millions of dollars in bond debt.
The South Tahoe Joint Powers Parking Authority (STJPPA) oversees the garage near Stateline. The board that runs the STJPPA is really the City Council, just like the Redevelopment Agency board is the five City Council members. It is commonly referred to as the Parking Authority.
Standard Parking and High Sierra Patrol have contracts with the Parking Authority. The city in the 2010-11 budget is paying Standard Parking $193,000 to manage the garage. High Sierra Patrol this fiscal year is being paid $104,342 to manage on street parking and the Village Center eight hours a day, seven days a week.
According to Gene Palazzo, who heads the Redevelopment-Housing Department which includes parking, no general fund and no redevelopment money is being used for parking — just money from the Parking Authority.
After looking at those prices, I will NOT use the Gondola for skiing access to Heavenly. I will park at the California Lodge area, which is free, same as I have for the past 38 years. The parking for using the Gondola costs vastly more than my season’s pass. In fact, I, like many locals, avoid the whole shopping complex…except for the Raley’s Center when I need groceries.
Snowbum (resident at SLT since 1972)
Curious why the City would pay High Sierra Patrol to manage parking at the Village Center. Isn’t the Village Center private property?
Also Mr. Palazzo’s comment that no general city funds or redevelopment funds are used for parking, but rather the Parking Authority. Who funds the Parking Authority? Money from the sky?
How long will it be before the city realizes that no one wants to pay to park.
Try this out build a 20 room motel and then only have 10 parking spaces of course you could charge the other 10 people to park some where else. The city needs to realize they made a mistake the village center will never be a winner the way it is being handled.
Having been an employee at the Heavenly Village shopping center a few years ago, I walked through the garage daily. During the peak winter months the garage always seemed close to capacity with tourists there to use the Gondola and shopping area. I think the parking garage serves it’s purpose as a place for tourists (and some locals) to park while using the Village and Gondola.
I do think it should be FREE for locals (South Lake Tahoe address on drivers license) to park in the garage on weekdays. That would entice me to go shopping at the Village more. I like a lot of the stores there… just don’t want to pay to park and shop.
I think I’d pay $100-$125 for the mid-week 5 month pass to avoid the hike from the casino parking lot. I can’t see too many people paying $300 when there are free parking options.
Seems to me that multi million dollar Vail Corporation is the solitary hands down winner in the ongoing parking fiasco…
How many more bad hands can our elected representatives deal to the citizens and yet continue to be re-elected?
If Vail Corporation is the cause – or even a part thereof; can we insist that Vail Corp. be included in the solution? Have they ever been asked or requested?
All hail Vail! The South Shore’s and Heavenly’s savior
They’ve come to our rescue for just a few backroom favors
“No city taxes! No way will we pay! We’ll stop the gondola!
What can you say!?
Now build us a parking garage to keep us in play.
And for its construction, why don’t you pay…”
Our representatives – our City Council confesses “OK”
Just giving hard fought Redevelopment #1 monies away
Put the same good ole’ boys back in office
–Recall they’ve already given Redevelopment #1 away
For and on the behalf of making Vail’s day
Just remember that we’ll never have another word, voice or say:
Vail will grow out of control just like the TRPA.