Residents Oppose Use of Old Elementary School for “Mobility Hub”
Residents in Incline Village have been united against the use of the Old Elementary School (OES) at 771 Southwood Blvd as a parking lot by the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD). Established in 1980, the TTD is a bi-state agency like the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), and implements public transportation projects in Tahoe. For a quick read, jump ahead to OPTIONS and CONCLUSIONS.
The timeline below shows key dates.
TIMELINE
CAUSES
Causes of the issues:
1. Development of the East Shore Bike/walkway and elimination of parking on Hwy 28, without sufficient alternative parking. The East Shore Trailhead parking lots: 90 spaces paid metered parking – do not have enough spaces to meet the increased demand.
2. TTD, and its director Carl Hasty, seems to have pursued its “mobility hub” objectives disregarding resident objections and short-cutting regulatory requirements. TTD purchased the 6.41 acre OES site for $2.35 million, a low price, partially due to asbestos concerns in the school.
3. TTD seems to not have made an effort to examine other locations, such as Diamond Peak parking lot, even though it used Diamond Peak on Aug 16, 2022 for its shuttle to the Lake Tahoe Summit at Sand Harbor. IVGID did not charge TTD anything for its use, even though the budget to maintain the parking lot was $3.9 million (2020). Nor has TTD considered use of Mt. Rose parking lot, which would potentially keep cars out of basin, a TRPA goal.
4. The Washoe County School District (WCSD) did not accept a higher bids by a developer ($3 million), even though some bids might have included development for workforce housing and underground parking. [Nov 23, 2022: A Sotheby broker made an unsolicited offer – see email below – as well as another broker.] WCSD is not obligated to sell at highest bidder as they can claim a lower bid is for the “public good”. Only WCSD Trustee Jeff Church voted against the sale to TTD.
5. IVGID did not buy the parcels – even though $7.5 million was included in the Community Services Master Plan for “Old Elementary School Park Development”. Potential uses included Dog Park, Bocce Courts, Adventure Playground, Senior/Community Center, Dedicated Rectangle Fields (see page 71 and 88-91). The offer price WCSD made to IVGID was $2 million. The reason given in the report from then General Manager Steven Pinkerton to the IVGID Board was, “Currently, there are no identified funding sources for any aspects of the Plan. All current District capital assets are dedicated towards maintenance and replacement of current District facilities.” However, IVGID had about $700,000 available from the Construction Tax account held by Washoe County that could have been used[updated Nov 18, 2022].
6. Government agencies who have aided TTD in its objectives include the TRPA, Washoe County School District, the Nevada Department of Transportation, the US Department of Transportation, the Washoe County Regional Transportation Agency and Washoe County. Washoe County declined to fund the purchase by TTD on April 21, 2021.
7. Public comment and input has apparently been ignored by Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill, and the Boards of the TTD Board, TRPA and WCSD. Ms. Hill, appointed by the Washoe county Commissioners, made the motion and voted for TTD to make the purchase. 
8. Residents used public comment and an internet petition, not realizing these mechanisms are viewed as “part of the process” and have been generally ignored by public officials.
Resident Ronda Tycer protested via public comment in March 2021:
“Over the past 17 years, the use of the Incline Elementary School (OES) on Southwood Blvd has transitioned from serving the Incline community as an elementary school to serving the Tahoe Transportation District as a park-and-ride service for taking tourists to Sand Harbor.”
Resident Diane Heirshberg, a retired lawyer (CA), in the same public hearing stated:
“Mr. Hasty of the TTD kept the project secret from the community while he worked behind our backs to get a grant to purchase the property at the same time as he knew that the community desired to have workforce housing at the site… a transportation hub at the site is not for the benefit of or in the best interests of the Incline Village community and is to benefit visitors to all of Lake Tahoe.”
Ms. Heirshberg pointed out,
“Mr. Hasty had applied to the Federal Transportation Administration for a “categorical exclusion” from the standard procedures to be allowed to do things out of order, so that the TTD be allowed to purchase the property first, before any public input, because he said purchase was urgently required because “Washoe County said that they were getting rid of the property and it would go to another purchaser.”
By March 2021, over 1,300 signatures were obtained to protest the use of the OES as a “mobility hub”. The response from the TTD was to purchase the property from the WCSD in Nov 2021, and hire a consulting firm, HDR, for $200,000 to create a design concept.
Local response has been for 26 residents to band together and file an appeal Oct 19, 2022 of the TRPA”temporary use permit” granted to TTD/WCSD. Complaints about the use of the site brought up in the appeal included illegal parking on both sides of Southwood Boulevard, daily traffic jams with drivers attempting to turn into the hub, which resulted in long lines, illegal U-turns, parking on the dirt, and an increase in the amount of litter. The appeal was denied October 26.
OPTIONS
What are some options – and their associated risks? [Updated Nov 26, 2022 Click for an interactive map of traffic crashes provided by the Nevada Dept of Transportation.] 
[CLICK for an interactive MAP showing State of Nevada, Forest Service and IVGID owned parcels]
A. In a 2017 survey, a resident suggested, “Tear down old elementary school and create two tiers of underground parking with a city park on top.” This may be similar to what a developer who made a bid to WCSD for the property had in mind.
Risk: High. Does not address increased traffic.
Risk: High. May draw more street parking as Incline Village has no summer parking ordinances.
Risk: High. More parking spaces can draw more cars into Tahoe basin, just as more car lanes can increase traffic. Will more packing be needed (see graph of current East Shore ridership below).
B. Use an alternative site: Diamond Peak. Requires fair-market value payment to IVGID for use and expenses.
Risk: Low. Not pedestrian friendly; no shopping destinations nearby.
Risk: Low. Public officials have stated verbally that parking lot could not be used because of “permit restrictions”. But neither IVGID, nor the TRPA, or USDA Forest Services (USDA-FS) can show in writing what would be being violated. The Forest Service permit applies to Forest Service property and expires in 2023. The parking lot is located on IVGID land, not Forest Service land.
Risk: Very Low. Use could only be during non-skiing periods (mid-April through October). But The TTD East Shore Shuttle runs during summer, so this does not appear to be a limiting factor.
C. Use an alternative site: Mt. Rose Ski Area.
Risk: low. Not pedestriam friendly; no shopping nearby. However, hiking is possible.
Risk: Medium. Tourists may not use because they want to use their cars; 15 minutes away from Incline Village by shuttle.
D. Use an alternative site: Spooner Summit.
Risk: low. Not pedestrian friendly; no shopping nearby. However, hiking is possible.
Risk: Medium. Tourists may not use because they want to use their cars.
E. Place the mobility hub outside of Incline Village in a yet unidentified location.
Risk: Not yet identified.
Updated Nov 17, 2022: The East Shore Shuttle only runs during the summer. Studies show snow and ice deter pedestrian activity – hardly a surprise to Incline Village residents. Incline Village has a small network of paths that are shared by bikers and pedestrians 
Click for a larger map. Walking or biking on these pathways during snowfall months (November-mid May) may not be safe due to ice and snow.
And one has to ask, who is the “mobility hub” for?
- Tourists using East Shore Sand Harbor Bike/walk Path.
- Short-term rental (STR) tourists – does not make sense for those who stay in residential neighborhoods outside the commercial center. Over 90% of Incline Village housing is OUTSIDE this core area. They are not going to park-and-ride; it makes no logistical sense, unless using the Sand Harbor bike/walk path.
- Workforce – Mt. Rose might be logical if workers were from Reno area.
- Incline Village residents – does not make sense for residents. Those who have to drive from residential neighborhood are not going to park-and-ride; it makes no logistical sense.
CONCLUSIONS
It is clear that government agencies are working together to place a mobility hub in Incline Village. Although you can still sign the petition [click HERE to review and sign], much more is needed than public comment and a petition. Residents need to work together or be faced with the problems a mobility hub will bring.
The author, J. Gumz, is a long-time resident and property owner of Incline Village and a registered voter. Cliff Dobler, also a long-time resident and property owner of Incline Village, contributed to this article.
(Nov 18, 2022: Incline Village demographics and geography might limit a shared bicycle program at a “mobility hub”.)
One reader emailed us:
I thought the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources also ended up funding the purchase?
I think the Hyatt should be mentioned as a possible location. Hyatt needs a parking garage and is also the tourist district and where the Rec Center and college are that get heavy traffic anyway.
I SECOND THE SUGGESTION OF A Parking garage at the Hyatt!!
The OES is a stupid place for parking. The proper place is the old Ponderosa Ranch. Negotiate with Ponderosa Ranch, and while we’re at it put in a chair lift to Diamond Peak from the parking lot. I know, I know, a lot of work and expense, but IV deserves a better solution than this slapdash idea.
This is another classic example of politicians (and TRPA) spending taxpayer money without bothering to think beyond the initial cost, to the cost both in money and loss of quality of the community infrastructure, which results from the long term end result. I applaud Village Alliance for keeping these tax and spenders’ feet to the fire. Hopefully they will learn something this problem they created to prevent more incomplete and poorly thought out projects which pile spending on spending without any accountability. As a possible solution, my initial thought is that John Ross has an excellent idea. Investigate the use of the Ponderosa as a parking area https://www.tahoetransportation.org/parking/ My thought is currently based only on the existing lack of development and its proximity to the trail. Obviously much more study will need to go into the possibility of permanent use of this site for parking (and possibly ski lift and perhaps a small Ponderosa park area) , including competing interests for the land. Somebody, probably has plans to put high density housing or a shopping center on the land. Which is best for IV?
As I pointed out to Director Hasty and other members of the TTD and IVGID boards in an email dated December 2, 2020, it makes no sense whatsoever to place what will undoubtedly be a heavily-used parking lot in a site zoned for residences, that is across the street from multiple family-occupied apartment buildings with young children, and that is located on a steep hill next to a busy intersection where traffic will quickly back up. At the time, I was informed that consideration was being given to the WCSO substation site off the Mount Rose Highway as a possible alternative. Was that simply a ruse to secretly proceed with the absolutely crazy idea of planting a busy parking lot in the middle of our community?
Another reader emailed us:
A transportation plan should include the rest of the Bike/Walk paths. The long term plan is to build it out all the way to Spooner, which just opened its new facility today. [It] will go to the South Shore.
That stretch being done, a better plan for Tahoe would be to put it at the junction of 28 and 50 in Spooner.
From there you could service both directions to the South Shore or North shore or East shore.
A reader emailed us:
[TTD should] Rent property from the Ponderosa. Install parking meters.
Tow cars parked on the highway
A long-time resident emailed us:
If you want to keep tourist cars off of the streets and Tahoe Blvd., build it next to the Sheriff’s station above the traffic circle.
Otherwise the old Spitsen Lumber property would be a good location – there’s already lots of paid parking available close by.
The old elementary school property should be used for low income housing, not an ugly paved parking lot!
My opinion is that putting a parking lot at 771 Southwood Blvd makes no sense. Space in the downtown Incline Village area should be used for something that enhances the Village for the benefit of its residents. Besides, the location is too far from the East Shore trail for tourists to use. The logical locations for more parking are the Ponderosa Ranch which has stood vacant for years, or a parking structure at the Hyatt that will benefit the casino and the adjacent retail area and also provide parking for trail users.
Let’s not make a mess of Incline by building parking lots that are detrimental to the village as a whole.
I agree_My opinion is that putting a parking lot at 771 Southwood Blvd makes no sense. Space in the downtown Incline Village area should be used for something that enhances the Village for the benefit of its residents. Besides, the location is too far from the East Shore trail for tourists to use. The logical locations for more parking are the Ponderosa Ranch which has stood vacant for years, or a parking structure at the Hyatt that will benefit the casino and the adjacent retail area and also provide parking for trail users.
Let’s not make a mess of Incline by building parking lots that are detrimental to the village as a whole.
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