Letter: TRPA Regional Plan must be approved
To the community,
I’m writing to our community to share my thoughts about the Regional Plan update because I care about the future of Lake Tahoe.
I love Lake Tahoe —in sickness and in health and I’m committed. I was born and raised here and now, with my wife of 13 years, I’m raising my family and working in the ski industry. I’m a community volunteer for nonprofits and have worked on large scale events for our communities around Lake Tahoe.
A while back, things were good in South Lake Tahoe, and our economy was good. Work was easy to find and many families enjoyed a high standard of living. I was able to build a career, buy a home and become an active part of this wonderful community.
Things are different now. We’re losing the community feeling, young people don’t feel this is a place to come to find a career or purchase a home. The street I live on has changed. Kids have grown up and moved away because they can’t find viable options to build their new careers. I see very few new families moving in to the area because they can’t afford to live here.
We can’t stay the same. “The same” is a losing proposition. We must attract new residents to help us recreate back into the viable community that our region once was. I think the Regional Plan with its focus on mixed-used design and community centers is step in the right direction. A big step.
Think of all the businesses that didn’t change and they went out of business. Are we willing to let Tahoe go out of business because we won’t change? Because we won’t put a plan together that protects the environment and allows the economy to thrive? We can do this, but will we?
Thank you for listening to my comments. Please approve the Regional Plan on Dec. 12 without delay.
Sincerely,
Sean Sweeney, South Lake Tahoe
Thank you Sean for speaking out about the urgent need for a change of course in South Lake Tahoe…and indeed everywhere. While other regions and resort destinations are busy adapting to 21st century realities and sensibilities, our increasingly fractured community can’t decide on how or even if to evolve. The longer this inertia persists, the further behind we fall in our quest for environmental, economic and social parity and sustainability.
Our low voter turnout last week is endemic of the loss of ‘community feeling’ you lament.
For those of you who have well-reasoned, forward looking ideas on how we can move the needle towards transformation, I have launched a blog to record and discuss your ideas. You’ll find it at:
Transformingtahoe.blogspot.com
It’s up to us as a community and a region to reclaim our status as one of the most beautiful AND desirable places to live and visit.
There has been huge changes in the last few decades. Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) being completed and now expanding. Meadows in the city going into the public domain. Apparently over 7K jobs lost in the stateline casino corridor on south shore since the heydays. A very complicated mixed bag. Poverty with a view for many will not change……….
Yes Perry, there HAVE been positive changes as you mentioned. TRT, Lakeview Commons, Measure R, groups focused on sustainability to name a few….BUT they have not been soon or dramatic enough (yet) to counterbalance the loss of our one-time primary economic driver…..gaming. The loss of those jobs and changes in the sensibilities and expectations of the 21st century visitor are necessitating not just a tweaking of what we offer residents and visitors—- but a renaissance in how we view ourselves. We, as a basin, a region, and a string of communities surrounding one of the worlds most majestic lakes need to embrace the concept of transformation if we hope to extricate ourselves from this downward spiral.
Sean Sweeney,
Thank you for the excellent letter. I don’t know the details that are in this regional plan, but I will look into it.
As a long time local myself, I’ve seen this community change and not for the better. Something needs to be done to get the economy going while still protecting the enviornment.
On a side note I remember working with you and John D at STR all those many years ago.What a crew!
Take Care, Old Long Skiis and I’m hoping your happy up at Sierra at Tahoe.
Great letters. I also have been here 30+ years and love it. What are we going to do? My daughter was born here and has just got her BA in Micro bio. She wants to come home but I worry what she will find that Tahoe isn’t the same. She knows this but wants to come home and try to make it a better place to live. With this we need change so our families will come home with the knownledge that they can have a good life. As it is now I just don’t know what the first step would be, there are so many, because we let Tahoe stay the same and didn’t think ahead. Now how’s fault is that? I guess we need younger leaders with new ideas to built Tahoe back up. Where do we even start? Come on locals we can do it!
It starts with people voting. Less than half the residents in SLT vote.
The majority of voters are 55+. Most don’t want change. They don’t care about our economy because most don’t work. Tourists are an inconvenience to them. They park on their streets, make noise in vacation rentals, cause traffic, etc.
These long time locals are content with life as is.
Look at the opposition to a parking plan near Lakeview Commons. Look at the lack of participation in city and county issues. How many non-business people did you see at the TRPA meeting? Almost none.
We have for the most part become a community of nimbys.
Bob Dylan wrote a song 90 mph down a dead end street
this plan is going to be approved
it will only further the Redevelopment agenda
the people who do not care are the Agency folks and the TFB’s since it will not affect them