Then and now: Public beach access threatened
In the 1950s this was known at Bijou Pier. Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society
Connolly Beach always has been a prime attraction on the South Shore for locals and tourists. Notice the water level.
After incorporating in 1965, the city of South Lake Tahoe has retained maintenance, access and free public use of this beach fronting what we knew since the 1970s as the Timber Cove Lodge. (It was recently sold and renamed Beach Retreat & Spa).
Timber Cove Pier is private. Photo/Bill Kingman
Extending from public Connolly Beach is a 700-foot long private pier — the longest pier on Lake Tahoe today. It is still commonly referred to by locals as the Timber Cove Pier. Note how low the water level is today.
While the pier is private, the beach is public — despite what the hotel tells people. All the posted signage indicating “Connolly Beach” and “public” have recently disappeared. The new convention building project by “Beach Retreat” on Bal Bijou Road has closed the public driveway. One must “trespass” now via their Highway 50 private entry.
The public access issue was brought up at the Sept.9 City Council meeting and staff said they are working with the owners to ensure public access is maintained.
— Bill Kingman
So it looks like the hotels convention center project will seal off public access to public beach? Will this access be reopened after construction is complete? Tell me that access requirements were included in the city’s rights to the beach.
Sounds like the new owners need a stern talking to. No way are those signs being removed randomly.
As a local I have used that beach for years. It’s a great place to go out for a paddle or chill at the beach. The new ownership has made it so difficult to assess that area that I did not go to that beach once this summer. Public access should have been addressed befor the new project was allowed to proceed.
Public access must be addreseesd. The city has indicated they will take this up. Public access should be well marked just like on the California coast.
The fishing used to be pretty good off the end of the Connolly pier when I was a boy.When the end of the pier began to fall apart someone nailed pieces of 2×4’s making a ladder to one of the old pilings so you could swim out and sit atop the piling and hope to catch a tagged trout.
Too bad they are closing it off to the public as it was a nice place to go.
Thanks Bill, OLS
“Working with the owners to ensure public access”……..The city approved the plans, that should have been already addressed! Our building department will throw their weight around with others and claim they won’t final a project until X, Y, or Z is accomplished with other property owners. Which by the way is illegal unless it is spelled out in original documents and plans. Although in this case they are working on it? Reactionary problem solving should not be accepted.
Why was a building permit issued for the beach retreat without addressing the public access to the public beach. My understanding is in the past the public has been asked to leave this area by this lodging property stating this is a private beach which it is not. The city needs to be much more aggressive in taking steps to see the public beach signs be installed and kept in place. In addition to insure the public has access to this area.
Anyone know why Stateline beach is fenced off and charging to access a public beach?
My understanding is there is a public easement attached to the deed. When property was developed, 72or so this easement was, is part of a deed restriction. Public access occurs at elevation 6228.87 ft. above sea level but you need access to get there there for the easement. I and other’s, Janet, have brought this issue before the council before.
Thank you
Stateline beach is same issue, you need access. Back to timber cove where did they get the coverage? And how?
When
I was a young boy, the Connoley’s Pier was just a short pier next door to YOUNGS PIER {about 100 Ft} that went out about 1500 feet or more from the beach with a large 40ft bye 40ft deck at the end. The Fire Works were set off from there every year bye the American Legion, Not sure what year it was but the first display that was shot off was bad because a spark from that first round set off the entire display and sent everyone out there into the lake as the whole pier was up in flames. great display that lasted about one and a half minutes, end of the pier burnt down, no one hurt as I remember.
When an individual does something in violation of a City Law or Ordinance, the City doesn’t work with you to in order to get you to change course or behavior. For instance if I was breaking a rule while I was at Timber Cove Beach, does a policeman who sees me say to himself, “I’m going to walk over and work with this person to get him to stop.”
Where was the City when that hotel had staff harassing people as they tried to access the beach? Now that the Summer is over they’re going to work with them? Why didn’t the City tell them/order them at the start of the Summer to cease & desist?
oldtimer, Thanks for the great story about Youngs Pier.
Anybody else with some shoreline, beach or pier stories? OLS,( A former Ski Run Marina employee starting in 1963).
At its Sept. 16th meeting the City Council heard a request that the issue of public beach access at Connolly Beach be placed on an upcoming City Council agenda. The request was made for numerous reasons.
There is a long history of the owners of the Beach Retreat and Lodge (formerly Timber Cove Lodge) violating the conditions of approval of both TRPA and the City that were imposed on the development back in the 1970’s. Recently, the actions of the motel owners to prevent the public from using its public beach have escalated to a point that cannot be tolerated. As they are conducting weddings on the public beach they are not only violating the City and TRPA requirements, but the requirements of the State Lands Commission that the area between the high and low water mark not be obstructed.
Unfortunately, the City has lost a great deal of its institutional memory, as a number of key employees with knowledge of the history of the property have retired or left. In years past, these employees were diligent in efforts to ensure the public’s right to use this beach and parking that is to be maintained for beach users.
Because of this loss of institutional memory, it seems it would be helpful to have this placed on a Council agenda to ensure there is recent legislative history maintained in the City Clerk’s office to make it easier for staff and members of the public to understand the history of this important historic beach. In addition, placing this on a Council agenda will aid in clarifying to the public that this area is indeed a public beach and the public should not be intimidated from using the area.
For forty years the owners of the motel have been attempting to erode the public’s right to use the beach, but after the developers of the property, HKM Investments and the City litigated the matter, the court found it is a public beach. It is important that diligence be maintained in ensuring the public’s right to enjoy the beach.
As to the question raised about where the coverage came from, I believe additional coverage was made available when some adjacent parcels were acquired and consolidated with the larger parcel.
I would also like to clarify that the Lakeside Beach was a private beach prior to the City’s incorporation, unlike Connolly Beach.
Kae, thanks for writing about this issue, and I look forward to more updates.
There are large busineses and corporate entities that are stealing public land and very little is being done about it, and some of them pay little or no taxes!
Sweet deal if you can get away with it I guess, OLS
It’s time for the city to put up a fence between the motel and the beach, then there will be no questions. Also mark the 18 public parking spaces. In case we have already forgotten we are trying to be a recreation destination. Also get the sign out front of the motel that used to be there that says public access, free parking!!!
Used to work for the City parks and rec on the parks side. Had a conversation over the phone with someone in management at Timber Cove about what I do not remember. I said after all it’s both of our beach, and he said “It’s not your beach you have certain rights on the beach, but it’s not your beach. Then he called the p&r director and complained. Parks Superintendant talked to me and I explained everything. Later on there was an exposed pipe at the beach, the city and Timber Cove went around and around about whose responsibility it was. I was asked to check it out. Took a small crew out and started digging. After a few seconds I said wait a minute and pulled out a 5 to 6 foot length of pipe. After all of this I determined that our rights were to pick up trash and fix problems.
Is the city making sure they are collecting a business licence fee/ tax on the money Lakeside Beach collects from the public to enter?
Fine idea, mark the parking spaces and erect some signs. Even after a legal judgement HKM is still pulling this crap? And they think locals will go in their new sports bar? Think again, that’s just evil, boycott that place, they are the new guys, it’s our town.
This is from Booking.com: “Featuring a PRIVATE BEACH, this lakefront resort is within a 5-minute drive of the Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort. It has a heated year-round outdoor pool and free Wi-Fi in rooms.”
I’m not on Facebook, but someone who is could post a link to this article on their page and see what they say…
The city has to enforce the public use of beach below the elevation 6228.87 ft.
above sea level. There are civil libalities that come with not enforcing this.
Atomic,
I think HKM was the original developer of the property. And they went thru who had access/control back when things were first being built on the land. But new owners acquired the property a couple years ago. And certain rights are now being ‘conveniently forgotten’.
Leila, as I am sure you intended , to say that this is a private beach is misleading. To be clear there were city trash cans on Connely Beach, and we went by there every day except in the off season.
all of you folks should go to Timber Cove and see the access from the pavement to the sand.
you will be disappointed with the limited access-boulders and City trash boxes.
these folks from Florida are probably like those Jokers at the Keys Marina, and can get away with anything.
Slow Roller, I am assuming that all of the trash containers are by the parking lot, this is foolishness. They need to be strung out along the beach if you want people to use them.
I think you need to read between the lines. It was my understanding that Timber Cove Beach was taken off the City website that showed public beaches and recreation in our town when it once was there. So their comment that “staff said they are working with the owners to ensure public access is maintained” is just to pacify the citizens. Why was it taken off the website? They know more than what is being told to the public and because of their lack of care/enforcement to this site with weddings, allowing employees to run off citizens, are complacent and in bed with Beach Retreat. Watch them.
The whole lake should be free for the people to use. If you own to the water, make a pathway down the side of your house so the public can reach it. The Lake belongs to the People. The issue of the Beach Retreat, the city puts it on their website, signs are posted on the beach that it’s public and trash cans attended to by the city. The hotel can put up a small fence to keep their guest separated if they want on the property they legally own. No, they can’t stop people from reaching it, they’ll have to provide a walk way.
I have been a home owner in Al Tahoe for 50 years and let us fight for all beach access. It is hard enough to enjoy the area during the summer with parking spaces limited. Don’t let this slip by without public input.