Past decisions add to S. Tahoe’s Linear Park costs
By Kathryn Reed
South Lake Tahoe is balking over the $35,000 connection fee the water district is imposing in order for there to be ample water to irrigate Linear Park.
This stretch along Highway 50 isn’t really a park, but instead a paved path with landscaping from McDonald’s to Holiday Inn Express in front of the gated Tahoe Meadows neighborhood. It once looked better than it does now, but plants died without enough moisture and then the lights got kicked in, which contributed to the dilapidated look of the area.
In 2004, the now defunct Core 24 Charities had landscape plans drawn up for the area and secured a free connection for the 2-inch waterline from South Tahoe Public Utility District.
Linear Park in South Lake Tahoe will get a makeover this summer. Photo/LTN file
South Tahoe PUD saw this as a demonstration project to show how native landscaping can work in Tahoe with minimal water use and a way to promote its turf buy-back program.
(Core 24 morphed from the inaugural Leadership Lake Tahoe class that at the time was a product of the two chambers of commerce that later merged to become the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce. Duane Wallace was the head of one of the chambers and on the STPUD board, STPUD spokesman Dennis Cocking was in LLT and Core 24, as was this reporter. When Core 24 dissolved, it gave the city $22,000 to be used solely for Linear Park.)
Former City Manager Dave Jinkens later traded that free connection for water at city facilities.
And with the current landscape design by Brett Long, the same person who did Core 24’s plans, the city wants lots of grass. This is not what the nonprofit had proposed or what was endorsed by STPUD. This requires larger water lines to accommodate all of the irrigation.
It also means the city now must pay a $35,000 connection fee. (The whole project will cost about $770,000.) The City Council on March 19 entered into an agreement with Herback General Engineering to do the work.
The California Tahoe Conservancy paid for most of the work the first time, but they aren’t allowed to use taxpayer money on do-overs.
Mayor Tom Davis pulled the item from the consent agenda and then went on a rant about how horrible STPUD is for charging connection fees.
The district, which was not at the meeting, told Lake Tahoe News afterward the connection fee is about buying into the nearly $1 billion South Shore water system.
“When people say waive this or that, they are saying all the ratepayers should help pitch in and waive this for project X,” STPUD’s Cocking said.
The money goes toward future improvements and replacement costs to the system.
“We are bound by law to charge what are real costs and what the costs of infrastructure are down the road,” Cocking said.
He added that the last time the rates were looked at – 2009 – the consultants recommended an increase. The board keeps saying stick with what’s in place.
But for Davis, he said the fees are “excessive” and “a job killer”.
He said the city doesn’t charge STPUD a fee to have the water and sewer lines under city streets.
When told this, Cocking said the city has altered its rules when it comes to STPUD crews doing repairs and that now more streets are paved by the district than anytime in the past – so the city is charging a fee of sorts.
At the end of the council meeting the five decided to create a new position, where Councilwoman Brooke Laine will be the city’s rep who will go to STPUD meetings and report back what is going on.
In other action:
• City Manager Nancy Kerry was given an “excellent review” by the council, according to the mayor. No changes were made to her contract.
• Aaron Abrams and Michael Adlard were awarded the concessionaire contract at Lakeview Commons and Regan Beach. Donna Rise (Aloha Ice Cream) will be the concessionaire at Bijou Park. Both contracts are expected to be for three years.
• The council approved guidelines for special events at Lakeview Commons.
• The five agreed to issue a request for proposals for signature events at the Commons.
• Councilmembers Davis and JoAnn Conner will work with city staff, Lake Tahoe Community College and the business community to keep SnowGlobe in town. The North Shore is wooing the music promoters. The college board on April 9 will have a debriefing on the 2012 New Year’s weekend music festival.
Heh, Davis. You were elected to Council to solve problems. Not rant and rave like a little baby. The public is tired of this smoke screen you put out there. Deal with the issues or resign. Jesus!
WHEN WILL THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH LAKE TAHOE REALIZE THAT TOM DAVIS AND HAL COLE ARE THE WORST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY AS A WHOLE. TOM DAVIS IS ONLY INTERESTED IN WHATS GOOD FOR TOM DAVIS AND HAL COLE IS ONLY INTERESTED IN GOOD FOR HAL COLE.
THEY WERE BOTH ON THE COUNCIL WHEN THEY ALLOWED FORMER CITY MANAGER DAVE JENKINS TO TRADE THE WATER RIGHTS TO LINEAR PARK AND DID NOTHING TO STOP THE TRADE OFF.
IF THE PUBLIC ONLY NEW OF THE MANY DEALINGS UNDER THE TABLE3 THAT THEY HAVE MADE TO IMPROVE THERE OWN PERSONAL NEEDS, AND YOU KEEP ELECTING THEM, WOW
Drove by there the other night and really enjoyed the beautiful lights along the path there (sarcasm).
I think the North Shore going after SnowGlobe is a bluff, they don’t have the same number of hotel rooms. Transportation would be a nightmare because they would be moving people from Truckee, Kings Beach, Tahoe City, the west shore and Incline to the event site, where ever it will be.
Get real. The term linear park is nonsensical except for George Orwell. It was a corrupt boondoggle back then and it is now. It is nothing more than landscaping along a walkway. A piece of crap by any other name is still a piece of crap (Thank you Wm. Shakespeare.) STPUD just gave away $550,000.00 to a another government funded welfare housing project. Come on Jim Jones lead the board in kicking down $35,000.00 for our bankrupt city.
And againg citizens, where is all that TOT money never collected?
Oh yeah, I am angry watching our city, our state, and our country going to hell.
I am waiting patiently to be admonished and set straight.
What’s wrong with natural ground cover. Do we really need an invasive species like grass?
An idea for Linear Park — Weed it and put down some bark mulch. If bark mulch is good enough for TRPA it is good enough for linear park. There will be little maintenance and no water would be required. If you wanted to do more you could put down the artificial turf that the play fields have. This also requires little to no maintenance and requires no water.
Great ideas John S!
To call that stretch of weeds along Highway 50 a Linear Park is as much a misnomer as calling a water connection fee a “job killer”. Another costly city blunder caused by its own ineptitude.
Xeriscape it and save the $35k to pay the loop road & hole in the ground consultants!
I remember when the linier park was as urgently needed as the loop road. Every time someone has an idea it has to be some sort of emergency.
Do you really think people come here to look at sidewalks? Are they going to reopen the award winning walk-up window at Mc Donald’s? Will the parking kiosks get destroyed like the lights at the park?
Have the sidewalks at lower Kingsbury and in front of lake Side Inn turned the area into to the pedestrian and bicycle utopia the city is hoping for?
Water problems? Isn’t this the same area we called “Lake Wildwood”? If you want natural, use a natural water supply.
I don’t understand why the city WANTS to landscape with water-intensive grass & plants. Why the switch from native landscaping? Why did the original native plants die? Seems like energy and money is being put in something against our ideals of water conservation.
They want to spend three times the amount the parking meters are going to generate?
Does anyone have anything positive to say about SLT? Judging from the comments here on LTN it appears not.
Don’t like grass along hwy 50? How about planting Columbine, Lupine and Dianthus. All perennials, colorful and pretty hardy!
Don’t like that some guy is gonna clean up a small old motel? New sign, fresh paint and new roof? At least it’s a start. One building at a time. He’s fixin’ the place up and will be providing some affordable housing.
Don’t like some members on the city council? Go to the city’s web site. Their phone numbers are all there and those folks are willing to talk to you. It’s not that hard and they really are interested in your views and new ideas.
Take Care, OLS
Skiis: Well said.
I do, it’s nice it rained help get some the dust, dirt off the road,my Columbines are starting to sprout.
Wasn’t there a land swap of some sort with Edgewood to facilite linier park? How is it SLT’s getting screwed on the deal and Edgewood is sitting pretty…still?!
Let snowglobe go! They have destroyed the soccer field in two years now it’s $750,000 to replace it. It was in great condition before the event came to town. We also do not need a reputation as a drug haven for kids. We do not need another death due to drugs, location of the event and the harsh winter conditions. As for linear park you can drill a well and run sprinklers for less then $35,000. Water is just 40 feet from surface, great for irrigation.
Kirsten,
I’m not sure about this but I think Edgewood bought the sewer / water rights to C&;M rooms on Bonanza when it was demolished. All going towards their new development . I don’t think Edgewood had anything to do with that strip of grass along 50. I could be wrong on that.Can someone clarify?
So much stuff goin’ on around here it’s hard to keep up with it all! Take Care, OLS
OK Tom, Hal, Brooke, JoAnn, and whoever else are you reading what the citizens have to say? Let me guess.
Edgewood has nothing to do with Linear Park.
Read this: https://www.laketahoenews.net/2012/04/construction-of-s-tahoe-park-begins-with-pomp-and-circumstance/
Kathryn Reed, LTN publisher
love the idea of lupine and columbine and maybe that nice red fire weed (name?) along hwy 50 — grows great without irrigation at the corner of 50 and tahoe keys blvd.
how about snow globe in the harvey’s parking lot — or horizon (not too much action these days at horizon)? it is close to where people stay, not near a lot of residences, no field to destroy. Or maybe we should fill in the hole — that would be a great spot on the CA side for an event! or heavenly’s parking lot.
Does the city have a water truck? For the linear park, plant native plants and other cool stuff. Water with the city truck a couple of times a week and save LOTS of money. As opposed to paying STPUD $35,000 for a hook up. The proposed $770,000 project seems a little steep to me. It can be done much cheaper and still have good results. Beautify So. Shore!! (and save lots of taxpayer money!)
It’s worth a try. OLS
wow – this place is indeed messed up – and its the locals folks!! Yes people use sidewalks and bikepaths – get out of your car once in a while – this city looks hedious, especially much of the bike path that is used and would be used more if it didnt route you through broken down neighborhoods and barely passible surfaces on a road bike – just go to Monterey to see a city develop a world class pedestrian/biking system. Yes things will break and need to be fixed (like lights), yes some items may be overcharged for (find a cheaper way to meet the goal – some folks give Plan B ideas here) – and even low water need plants need watering till established, especially with the winters we have been having. I think those that want to improve this town need to think about a Plan B ourselves – like move someplace where civic improvments are appreaciated!!