Tahoe Valley Community Plan

South Lake Tahoe, California

Used by locals and visitors alike, Tahoe Valley has been a focal commercial area in South Lake Tahoe, California, for many years. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) code of ordinances required the area to develop a community plan which can assist in the process of revitalization. The Tahoe Valley Community Plan is the last community plan to be completed for the Tahoe Basin.

Efforts began when City Council established a planning team with representatives from the City, TRPA and the community to develop and outline its vision for Tahoe Valley. Design Workshop helped the team create this vision through a workshop charrette process and subsequent development of three design alternatives.

The design alternatives include (1) the vision as expressed by the Tahoe Valley Community Plan team; (2) a scheme that took the site and applied best practices of urban design; and (3) a “blue sky” option that was generated through a facilitated charrette with the Tahoe Valley Community Plan team and participants from numerous public agencies in the Tahoe Basin. An additional design option was produced in the firm’s summer 2005 internship. The alternatives formed the base for the draft community plan that will be the subject of a forthcoming Environmental Impact Statement.