Letter: Patience needed regarding Chateau project
Publisher’s note: This letter was submitted to the city in regards to the Chateau project. It is reprinted with permission.
Members of the city of South Lake Tahoe Planning Commission:
As a former member of the Planning Commission for approximately 13 years, I am well aware of the difficult task that you have before you in recommending action to the City Council regarding the stalled Convention Center and Retail project. I served on the Planning Commission in the early stages of the project and saw it as an engine for driving the economy of the city as well as a good land use for the properties involved.
The commission at that time saw the project in its entirety and supported it as a complete project, not one to be completed in stages. As time has passed, that vision has seemed to become difficult to complete as originally planned. I urge you to look to our actions involving the then Embassy Vacation Resort as a successful guide as to how to proceed involving such a complex project to be completed in stages. Our actions consolidated all the parcels, abandoned all the streets and assured that the project would be built in four stages.
I strongly urge you to recommend to the City Council that the project be approved under the following conditions:
1. That all the parcels of the project, not just the six being considered, be consolidated at this time. This will work to insure that the complete project be completed.
2. That all the streets in the complete project area be abandoned, not just the one you are considering. This will show developers that the city is looking ahead and continues to support the project as initially envisioned.
3. That no action be taken until all the original property owners in project area be financially be made “whole”.
We are on the verge of finally seeing this long stalled project come to completion. I urge you to not be rushed into a hasty decision. Look to the past for successful actions on how to proceed in order for us all to prosper.
Thank you,
Patrick J. Frega, South Lake Tahoe
Good advice, hopefully that hole in the ground will prove to be a successful venture for all concerned.
4. Require adequate and satisfactory performance bonding before any work is allowed to further proceed.
Hopefully the city and its city council will not be allowed to make hasty, naïve, irresponsible decisions as was done in the past.
Hey Pat, you sound like a very bright guy. Why don’t you run for City Council in the next election? We could really use someone with a grasp of what this town really needs. The current members seem out of touch with what the fine people of this town support. We need a Mayor with a vision for the future and the guts to fight the established ” good old boy” system that seems to be running things now. The only way things are going to change for the better around here is for things to change with the people who lead.
Be that change.
Pat’s ideas are sound, and what we might ask in good times with money readily available. But the hard truth is that our economy needs a convention center, the ability to bring 500 to 2000 people a week in to town all on expense accounts. We do have the world’s most beautiful lake, but not the only one any more and gaming is slipping fast. Look at the facts, the casino use to employ 7000 it is know 1500 at best, and the shoulder seasons get loner and longer. Cities like Sacramento are working day and night to keep their basketball team and to build a new stadium while we stand by an watch our business district die and dry up.
Instead of advice on how to be so careful that nothing will happen, we need to be putting our heads together to find a way to make this project happen. Unfortunately it seems that people would rather sit on the side lines and ring their hands and complain rather then roll up their sleeves and get to work. I say lets work together and find away to revitalize our economy.
Ted Long,
Blah, blah, blah. Same old rhetoric. The things you do speak so much louder than the things you say.
Do you want everyone to “roll up there sleeves” and go down to the “Hole” and start working right now? We seem to have all the money we need for studies and parking meters. What I believe Mr. Frega is saying is that the council members need to look at the whole picture. Rushing ahead at this point seems foolhardy considering we still don’t know what will happen with the rest of the project. You seem to be saying we should just roll the dice. Do you or any of your clients or friends have any chance of making financial gains from the project going forward without the due diligence that Mr. Frega is calling for?
Patrick:
would you email me? kimmoore@comcast.net I would like to meet with you. Thanks!
I dont think Ted Long has much credability with anything he has done and would never want our fine city to put their eggs(our eggs) in his basket…
Pat ! Happy to read you are alive and kicken !
Ya still have 10 years of Cole and counting. Davis is Mayor again, must be his third or fourth time with the hole in the ground. What goes around comes around. OMG
Pat, your thoughts are not complete and that’s why this project has been a disaster. Steve is right, there is a #4. There is also a # 5; what are the plans for the rest of the hole and when will they happen and how will they get financed? #6, ask Hal Cole to recuse himself since he is overly motivated to fix his first mistake. #7, solve the water problem with regard to STPUD before anything goes forward.#8, who is going manage a convention center or performing arts center or whatever as this goes forward. #9, how does the city make $$ on this project?
Thanks for the advice Pat. The fact that you are someone that has “been there, done that, got the tee-shirt” I hope our current representatives heed your advice especially in regard to any water contracts. I think 10 years or so down the line fresh water wars may be California’s #1 political and social issue. Let’s make absoluely sure we’re not out-lawyered or rushed into any deals with Lakeside Park assoc. water systems who have decades of experience in navigating Calif. laws and regulations that no City employees or planners could possibly possess. Let’s not have taxpayers be held hostage in the future by bad water deals done today.
Bijou, You might have to worry about the city when it comes to water knowledge but not STPUD. They have numerous people there that know more about water than the whole lakeside park assoc. put together.
lou p.,
I agree that STPUD has some very knowledgeable and dedicated people but nobody gets water and construction deals, especially concerning the Lake Tahoe environment, done with the state of Calif. without some serious legal and regulatory heavyweights with clout and smarts as LPA did in the 90’s.
I’m just suggesting we “measure twice and cut once” on all these issues this time around.
Bijou Bill, please let us know what you are referring to with regards to the water and construction deals which LPA got in the 90’s. I’m not aware of anything they got in their water district.
They had to borrow money to build a new processing plant which was forced on them by the Federal Government even though their water met all Federal quality measures. It was “we don’t care how good your water treatment is, you’ll do it the way we want or we’ll put you out of business”.
tahoeadvocate,
My point about the LPA water district getting things done with their 90’s project is perfectly clear. They had the option of going out of business or complying with certain standards and requirements to fix an obsolete system. They obviously had long-term plans to make money on their substantial investments or why bother? This company will always be for profit first and is not a public utility entity like STPUD. Therefore, I think the community as a whole should make sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed. What’s wrong with that? These people are not being persecuted by big, bad gubmint.. that’s laughable.
Bijou Bill, LPA is a non-profit corporation. The members of this organization don’t make a profit. There are a few water company employees who work all year. The other employees are hired during the summer to work on the beach. There is no profit made by or dividends distributed to the members. Any money collected goes to keep the water company operating or to support the beach and marina. The members pay for everything through their association bills which includes paying for the water company and the beach/marina. No profit motive, just the desire to have good drinking water from an independent company which they own.
They lost about 15% of their members when the convention center project was begun. They’ve lost that income and the other members bills have gone up to cover the cost of running the water company. Most are paying way more than if they were on STPUD water.
Save your non-profit corporate scheme nonsense for someone else. I was born at night but it wasn’t last night. Somebody please call the wah-wah wahambulance for these poor Tahoe lakefront property owners being abused by evil government. Do you mean to tell me that this group of people invested that huge amount of money with 0 profit motive in mind? Again, pick any middle finger.
Bijou Bill- you are entitled to your opinion which is based on inaccurate information. There are people who do things for other than profit and obviously you aren’t one of them. LPA isn’t looking to make money just break even and cover the costs.