To the community,
Meyers has a rich history behind what you see today. But in some ways it really hasn’t changed much.
Jim Wilson, land developer, began developing Meyers – then called Tahoe Paradise – in the 1950s. He traveled the world in search for the right recreational ideas for this new development. Wilson called Tahoe Paradise the Gateway to the South Shore. Wilson’s concept of a recreational location for sharing the magic of the outdoors around Tahoe Paradise wasn’t much different than the “vision” of Meyers’ folks today.
Long gone are the days when I worked at Fae and Lee Anderson’s Shell Gas Station putting on chains in winter and pumping gas, working as a car mechanic at Meyers Automotive, and playing real estate at Comstock Properties, Mountain Harbor Realty and Yank’s Realty.
Somewhere back then I bought my first powerful stereo set from Joe Tveten.
A few years ago I attended what I believed were genuine Meyers Round Table community meetings in search of a “community vision”.
As stated then is still true now, most Meyers-Tahoe Paradise-Christmas Valley locals are not against carefully thought-out and responsible development in Meyers.
Meyers can certainly use some degree of tasteful architectural development, parks and bike paths, and local job and revenue producing businesses. This can be achieved gradually.
The Meyers community has a new challenge. It appears we have outside corporate developers teamed up with TRPA and sustainability entities making their own plans for our community. These so called “sustainability entities” are largely comprised of TRPA staff, county planning agencies and consulting-development corporations. What a nice little convenient group they have become.
It’s obvious that TRPA and the California Tahoe Conservancy have completely reversed their original mandated missions to protect Lake Tahoe.
This reversal in their missions is purely in the interest of self-preservation and revenue generation to sustain their agencies and cause for existence.
TRPA is attempting to save themselves by joining forces with outside corporate developers-consultants for large-scale commercial development to generate huge fees for development, permitting, and mitigation. This newly conceived revenue will offset their huge administration staffing and overhead.
The CTC has followed with a complete reversal of their original intent to protect Tahoe with their new asset land sales program. These two agencies’ new mission reversals are absurd.
My opinion is – if their original intent and mission is accomplished, they should downsize or shut down.
Agency incentivized large scale commercial development is devastating to Lake Tahoe’s air and water quality, and Tahoe residents’ quality of living.
This new dangerous combination of agency-special interest activity is compounded by a lack of local community representation.
Our local El Dorado County supervisor, Norma Santiago, was recently exposed for her involvement with One Globe Corporation and “Catalyst Program” concept plan.
This misrepresentation of interest to her constituency did not set well with locals.
Supervisor Norma Santiago’s mistaken interest likely came from a possible “conflict of interest” when she sat on multiple boards for the past few years including the TRPA, the Tahoe Conservancy, and the Sustainability Collaborative.
On a related subject – these agencies and sustainability groups – TMPO, TRPA, LTSCP, etc. – are actually grant funded through the California Strategic Growth Council with our tax dollars. Please pay attention to this one people.
This SGC program’s original intent was to improve air and water quality, promote public health, increase housing affordability, and promote a variety of other programs for the benefit of communities.
What TRPA and the sustainability groups have apparently done is primarily focus on the commercial development aspect of this SGC program for self-interests and revenue.
They have recently reapplied to the SGC for additional grant funding in the approximate amount of $995,000 — literally stating, “The community of Meyers in El Dorado County in the South Shore of Lake Tahoe is the first community that is ready to use its Area Plan, funded by SGC.”
In my opinion, this statement is truly a falsified statement and deception to receive this grant funding.
This Meyers Plan is not done. We’re not done.
Making matters worse is our community representation has been almost non-existent with our so-called MCAC or Meyers Community Advisory Council.
Most of the Meyers residents had never even heard of this council until recently when some of us brought this new Meyers Area Plan draft to their attention last month.
These council members apparently have never recorded minutes for their meetings and possibly didn’t officially vote on any key concepts for the new plan.
Their role as a representation council for the Meyers community seems to have been purely directed by TRPA, the sustainability entities, and the TRPA Regional Plan update.
This Meyers Community Advisory Council hid in fear in opposite corners of the room under the protection of the recent TRPA facilitated MCAC/community meeting on Feb. 26.
Personally, I feel the case should be made that this entire planning process is and has been “illegitimate” and should be completely revamped to accommodate true community representation.
I believe the Meyers community has the right and responsibility to do our own planning.
Our primary focus should be on these four points in the draft plan:
(1) Height restrictions of new commercial buildings
(2) Density of commercial development units per acre
(3) Land use and zoning – partially to protect businesses we already have
(4) Limited corporate development approved by a legitimate local committee.
This matter is urgent. You need to voice your opinions.
We’d like to see all of you and more at the next community meeting at the California Conservation Corps Building, 1949 Apache Ave, March 19, 6-8pm
As a Meyers community – we can get this done.
Respectfully yours,
John Adamski, Meyers
