Once again, you can’t make this stuff up. EKN, the Irvine developer of the Biltmore/Boulder Bay project, is trying to take the replacement 4^th exit out of Crystal Bay AGAIN. This is the 4^th time, but who’s counting? EKN has made the 4^th Crystal Bay exit under the complete control of the 18 Granite Place Condo owners and designated the road (now called Scenic Dr.-third new name) as “emergency use” only. In the last 13 years North Tahoe Preservation Alliance has fought 4 times to save the only 4^th option the North Tahoe community has in case of a fire or failure of SR 28. EKN is trying to make the Granite Place luxury condo owners happy at the expense of North Lake Tahoe safety.

EKN finally submitted their new development concept to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. It’s slightly smaller, but still huge… 773,000 sq ft. Think 96- 8000 sf Kings Beach Event Centers or 20 Kings Beach Safeways. The circulation patterns and access are significantly changed. Instead of entering off SR 28, now it’s the exit for the 440 space underground parking structure. The main entrance for the underground parking is off Stateline Rd, just above Soule Domain. The main drop off for the luxury condos (7 penthouses+) and events is at the top where the new configuration of Stateline/Lakeview and Wassou connect. It’s a bad design that will cause congestion and lines of waiting cars in upper Crystal Bay and surrounding roadways. We still don’t know what the onsite population is. This is not just a Crystal Bay problem; it’s a North Lake Tahoe problem.

This is a new plan that needs a new evaluation. Defend North Lake Tahoe from reckless unsafe development. Join the North Tahoe Preservation Alliance.