Then and now: CTC takes over sensitive parcels
The old telephone booth went away long before the building that once sold doughnuts. Photo/Provided
In May 2014, the California Tahoe Conservancy purchased three commercial lots in South Lake Tahoe, namely the South Y Lodge on Emerald Bay Road, the lakefront two-story Alta Mira building adjacent to Lakeview Commons, and the property on Highway 50 near 4th Street occupied by the Smoke Shop and Tahoe Psychic.
As reported in Lake Tahoe News, “… The goal for all three (lots) is to tear down the existing structures and improve the land, while also giving the public access.”
A psychic and smoke smoke shop were the last two businesses at this site. Photo/LTN file
The single-story building and the A-frame behind it on Highway 50 near 4th Street stood on less than one-half acre, but it is a stream environment zone which the CTC intends to protect.
These two buildings have housed many different kinds of businesses over the years, such as the earlier doughnut shop pictured.
The A-frame in back housed a used merchandise and consignment business and finally become the Smoke Shop, and Tahoe Psychic lastly had the front building. As LTN observed, “…the psychic owners in the front building must have been clairvoyant when they signed a three-year lease with the current owner the day before the Conservancy began negotiations.”
— Bill Kingman
The businesses had to move. Photo/Bill Kingman
The Conservancy had the buildings razed in June 2015. Photo/Bill Kingman
Bill, While I’m not a big fan of some of these local agencies, I am glad they are working on ridding this town of old and blighted buildings. Some of the commercial properties on 50 need to be renovated or removed.Let the property owner pay for improvements or demolition of an old eyesore. Thank you Bill, OLS
Without a doubt – the Tahoe Conservancy is in the real estate business buying properties they can eventually sell for future profit.
Ask yourself – why aren’t they still purchasing environmentally sensitive lots in or near stream zones ?
Unlike the rest of us – they can decide how and when to convert lands purchased “for restoration” back to high density commercial capability ( as they did with their parcels under their phony “Land Assets Sales Program) and as they did with land purchased in Meyers for retirement ( which they conveniently converted to high capability commercial to accommodate TRPA in the Meyers Plan )
This Agency is a phony self-sustaining agency using tax dollars and funding to suit their own administration empire revenue needs !
Interesting …….. wasn’t the “sensitive” property the old Tahoe Drive In was on purchased under the same pretenses ?
And then sold as capable development property later on for a huge profit !
How many times can this state agency completely dishonor their original mission intent before someone shuts them down for fraud ?
I see it this way. The conservancy deems a piece of land un-buildable due to environmental concerns. The owner of the property now has no choice, because of loss of value, which has now dropped a great deal due to it being vacant land, he can’t build on but decides to sell it to CTC.
The CTC then changes the classification of said property and the price goes up and CTC sells it to the highest bidder who is given the permits to build all okayed by the TRPA.
Sorry former property owner, you just met one of the many tentacles that is run by the TRPA. OLS
OLS, you are so right. There were several “unbuildable” lots in my neighborhood. People sold them for dirt cheap because the land was worthless to them.
Then the rules changed. A Certain contractor known for building monstrosities built a massive McMansion and sold it for a million and a half. The other two were built on by others, and sold in the six to eight hundred thousand range. After the previous land owners lost money, thanks to an all-powerful regulatory agency.
I’d sue.
Dogula,
You wouldn’t believe how many times I watched X TRPA employees who became consultants cheat widows and orphans into selling their lot for nothing. After a year or so they would transfer in coverage they stole from someone else and build a McMansion.