Tveten land being used as Caltrans staging area

The old Tveten property is not getting an overhaul despite all the equipment on the lot in Meyers.

Don Garcia Excavating and Paving has leased the rundown site for three years as it does work for Caltrans on area highways.

“The contractor has to provide traffic management, sweeping and stormwater management plans to TRPA and Lahontan, and depending on the site location there may be other environmental studies required before it’s approved for use,” Steve Nelson with Caltrans told Lake Tahoe News.

This particular property has been a bone of contention for years. It used to be a gas station. Now the remaining structure is often covered in graffiti. El Dorado County has long wanted to get new owners for the property or at least for the owners to make it less of an eyesore.

County officials deferred comment to Caltrans regarding the current use.

J.E. Tveten Corporation, Sarbjit Singh Kang, and the estate of Joe Erik Tveten were fined $250,000 in 1999 by the Lahontan Water Quality Control Board for failure to cleanup and abate petroleum contamination in ground waters.

A 1997 leak from the old Beacon station was eventually cleaned up by the state. Two wells used by South Tahoe Public Utility District became contaminated and were shutdown.

Some Meyers residents question how the staging contract got approval from all the necessary agencies because it is considered part of the view corridor per Tahoe Regional Planning Agency regulations.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report