Submitted by Lee Weber Koch & Don M. Kanare

Improvements to the Gateway Roundabout are the current project for Incline Village Main Street under the auspices of the IVCBA community and business association.  The improvements enhance safety and aesthetic features, with irrigation as a primary component. The community was engaged in the original project implemented by NDOT and reflects the public-private collaboration in place now.

Since “The Gateway to Lake Tahoe’s” christening in October 2012, the roundabout has been the symbolic entrance to the north shore of Lake Tahoe and features a significant public art display of life-size bronze sculptures by world-renowned sculptor, June Towill Brown, of Incline Village.

It was early March 2007 when Don Kanare was sitting in a line of cars waiting to turn left from the Mt. Rose Highway onto Tahoe Boulevard. It dawned on him that there had to be a better way to make the traffic flow smoothly through this intersection. 

He thought about how his cat, Spumoni, would run from room to room in a circle around the house, but if a door was closed, it was like a stop sign. Don thought if we had a roundabout that would fix the problem. 

It was this moment of inspiration that led to the creation of the Incline Village roundabout, which he affectionately calls Spumoni Circle and is known as The Gateway to Lake Tahoe.

Coincidentally, in early 2007, the community was engaged in the Incline Visioning Process, where residents could share their ideas and plans for the future. 

Kanare’s idea for the roundabout was initially supported by the Infrastructure Committee, consisting of Incline Village residents Gene Brockman, Bill Landry, and Jim Nowlin. 

After years of planning and hard work, the roundabout was constructed during the summer of 2012 as part of a major project by the Nevada Department of Transportation to improve roadways on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. 

The new roundabout immediately improved traffic flow, reduced air pollution by eliminating cars idling at the intersection, and created an aesthetically pleasing gateway for visitors and residents alike. 

It was also an ideal location for one of the largest outdoor public art displays in the state.

“It was an honor to be selected by the Incline Village Roundabout Committee out of many submissions to create a monumental entrance to Lake Tahoe,” said June Towill Brown.

“This long project turned out to be a labor of love for me, starting with studying the habitat of local animals that the committee wanted to be incorporated in the roundabout. The vision was to celebrate Lake Tahoe‘s natural surroundings for all to share. It warms my heart that the inspiration and meaning of this Gateway to Lake Tahoe will be honored and cherished by generations to come.”

The Gateway Committee, consisting of Jim Clark, Jim Nowlin, and Don Kanare, worked with the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation to raise funds to complete the project’s public art display. Together, with the help of Incline Village residents Lee Weber Koch and Janet Pahl, the group raised $110,000. F.W. Carson Co., a family-based and Incline Village business, donated all the rocks and boulders on which the bronze statues are mounted today.

Black Bear: Funded by The Jerry Stewart Family

In memory of Lois Stewart:  Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and community volunteer

Trout ~ within the Brown Bear Sculpture: Funded by Community Donations

Bobcat: Funded by Donald M. Kanare

In Memory of his cat, Spumoni, who provided the inspiration for the Roundabout

Mule Deer: Funded by the Ted Fuller Family

OTHER BRONZE STATUES:

Raccoon: Funded by Lynn & John Schiek

Squirrels: Funded by Harlan Braaten & the Margaret & Manny Sylvester Charitable Fund

Coyote: Funded by Community Donations

Stellar Jay:  Funded by Nancy & Wade Hampton and Laurie Sweeting 

In October 2012, a formal dedication ceremony was held to honor all the supporters of the Incline Village Roundabout project. 

Today, the Gateway to Lake Tahoe is a spectacular landmark that greets over three million people each year as they travel along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, while providing a much safer and memorable entrance to one of the most beautiful places in the world – and where we are proud to call home.