Where is it in the process?
On March 25, the Events Center was approved by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board. After more than three months of intense negotiations with the project proponents, TRPA Staff and the California Attorney General's Office, the League is now comfortable that the final Events Center plan includes adequate and enforceable safeguards for the Lake and the South Shore community to prevent unwanted impacts, such as more traffic, increased parking strain and pollution.
What project improvements was the League able to secure?
The League is pleased to see that the changes we advocated for have been included in the project and will be up and running the day doors open. These changes include:
- A fully coordinated parking management plan for the Stateline casino core, which includes the Events Center and the four casino properties: Harveys, Harrah's, Montbleu and Hard Rock.
- A free microtransit shuttle program serving the South Shore from Stateline to Al Tahoe, running at 15-minute intervals, beginning with seasonal service and moving to year-round within five years.
- Robust monitoring and adaptive management mechanisms to ensure traffic-reduction targets are being met, along with self-implementing improvements if performance is lagging.
- A dedicated funding source - drawn from a surcharge on Events Center tickets and other sources - that can be tapped to beef up the project's traffic mitigations.
These changes will not only mitigate the project's impacts, they will help catalyze future public transportation improvements for Tahoe's South Shore.
What is the League’s position?
We are confident that the project, in its improved state, will provide the necessary protections to not only prevent increased traffic impacts but also provide a foundation for future transportation improvements for the entire South Shore. This outcome was only possible because of direct and vigilant engagement from the League and the California Attorney General's Office, as well as a very unique set of circumstances.
The environmental review and approval process used for this project
must not become a model for future projects anywhere in Tahoe. While we were able to improve the Events Center plan through direct engagement with the project's stakeholder group, our success would have not have been possible if we were not invited to participate. A more public and inclusive process, supported by comprehensive environmental impact analysis, will ensure future projects are required to preserve the well-being of the community and the Lake.
What's next?
The project is planned to break ground as soon as May, 2020 and could open as early as spring of 2022. The League will stay engaged as the project develops to ensure it is achieving performance targets as promised.
More information and League advocacy
