MAP Challenges TRPA’s Violation of the Bi-State Compact
Mountain Area Preservation (MAP) is legally challenging the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA) violation of the bi-state compact, TRPA regulations, and the approval of the Phase 2 Housing Code Amendments, which could negatively impact Tahoe’s natural environment and public safety for present and future generations. These untested land use codes set a negative precedent for future workforce housing development and undermine the laws that are intended to protect the environment and further true affordable housing under the Bi-State Compact.
The TRPA’s new regulations allow for 65 ft building heights, 100% lot coverage, unlimited density, and zero parking in Tahoe’s Town Centers, with additional incentives for Multi-Family Residential Zones outside of town centers. These flexible codes are offered for 100% affordable, moderate, or “Achievable Housing,” which is a TRPA term that includes any household, no matter their income, so long as one person works in the Tahoe basin at least 30 hours per week. As advocates with a track record of bringing workforce development to Truckee Tahoe, we must prioritize the most critical type of workforce housing while upholding social and environmental justice through land use planning codes and policies.
These new housing codes rely on old data, as the most recent environmental analysis was completed for the 2012 Regional Plan Update (RPU). Since then, Tahoe’s environment has declined, threats such as wildfires have worsened, and conditions have changed. The RPU did not anticipate this intensification of density and use for the workforce or tourism. The RPU focused on building out Town Centers, but unlimited density, 100% coverage, and 65-foot tall buildings were not part of the vision nor analysis. Unfortunately, Tahoe’s environmental watchdog needs watching. Our legal challenge mandates that the TRPA do its due diligence, conduct a new environmental analysis, disclose impacts, and create mitigation to offset those impacts.
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