The Local Lens – Celebrating Community at the IVCBA Annual Meeting
April 15, 2026 | Linda Offerdahl
IVCBA shared its accomplishments and current plans at its Annual Meeting yesterday at Prim Library. The evening felt like a true celebration of the past five years, bringing together the community and building programs that support businesses and strengthen connections across Incline Village and Crystal Bay. It was a meaningful opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come and to share the vision for what’s ahead.
A huge thank you to UNR at Lake Tahoe for hosting and providing food and refreshments, and to UNR President Brian Sandoval for his annual update and continued partnership. We’re especially grateful to have spent the evening with more than 120 members of our community, an inspiring reminder of the people and relationships that make this work so impactful.
I want to share some of our history and accomplishments. We reformed the original business association into IVCBA in 2021, with membership dues ranging from $50 to $5,000. With over 285 members coming from agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and residents, we view our mission as a mandate. We are apolitical and view our work as benefiting the entire community by bringing people together and making our community stronger.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Our strategic priorities are economic vitality, civic engagement, and revitalization through beautification.
Provide local news and promotion for local organizations through the Weekly SnapShot, now reaching over 3,000 subscribers.
Organize community-wide events Local Heroes 4th of July Celebration with signature parade(partnership with Rotary) and community fair(partner with IVGID).
Organize a Northern Lights Tahoe community tree lighting and a “Forest of Giving Trees” at Prim Library. Jingle Mingle is the “shop local” event.
Organize and promote Community events: Restaurant Week and Fall Fest.
Started the LIVE.WORK.PLAY magazine highlighting local residents and organizations.
Initiated the Gateway Roundabout improvements, to be executed in spring 2026
I hope it is obvious that what benefits our members benefits the entire community. Most communities have local governance structures to help fund the programs we run. As an unincorporated part of Washoe County, we do not have a city government. Moving forward into 2026, we are asking the community to help fund and sustain IVCBA in a variety of ways.
IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot! If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help!JOIN HERE
Incline Village Main Street Secures Permits for Gateway Roundabout Improvements
April 15, 2026 | Linda Offerdahl
The gateway to Lake Tahoe from Reno begins at the intersection of Mt. Rose Highway and SR 28, where a traffic circle installed in 2012 directs visitors east to Incline Village and west to Crystal Bay. Washoe Tahoe is known as the “gem of Washoe County,” and the Gateway Roundabout is home to a collection of bronze animal sculptures created by renowned local artist June Brown.
Fourteen years later, enhancements are needed to improve both safety for visitors and the sculptures, as well as overall aesthetics. The Incline Village Main Street initiative is leading these improvements, with irrigation as a key component to support additional perennials and trees. Iconic granite boulders will be incorporated to reflect the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe’s east shore.
This project represents a true public-private collaboration, with strong community involvement, particularly in fundraising efforts, helping bring the vision to life.
History of the roundabout
In early 2007, the community was engaged in the Incline Visioning Process, where residents could share their ideas and plans for the future. Inspired by his cat Spumoni, resident Don Kanare envisioned a traffic circle as a means to solve the traffic problem at the intersection of Mt. Rose and Highway 28. The idea was supported by the Infrastructure Committee, consisting of IVGID General Manager Gene Brockman and residents Bill Landry and Jim Nowlin.
It took many years to bring the idea to fruition. 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.
History of the Bronze Sculptures
“The Gateway Committee, consisting of Jim Clark, Jim Nowlin, and Don Kanare, worked with the Parasol 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 Incline Village business, donated all the rocks and boulders on which the bronze statues are mounted today.
The roundabout features a significant public art display of life-size bronze sculptures by world-renowned sculptor June Towill Brown, of Incline Village. Local residents donated funds for the bronzes in honor of beloved pets, such as Don Kanare’s cat Spumoni.
The most widely recognized bronzes are the black bear, the mule deer, and the bobcat. A coyote, raccoon, stellar jay, and squirrels inhabit the circle as well.
Native perennials were planted to complement the sculptures.
Maintenance of the roundabout was undertaken by its original founders and subsequently by various community groups, including the Good Neighbors Committee of the Incline Village Realtors and the two Rotary clubs. When it became infeasible for the original Gateway Committee to manage maintenance, IVCBA, the community and business association, was asked to take over. Incline Property Management now does the maintenance clean up every spring pro bono. IVCBA has responsibility for the bronzes.
Incline Village Main Street
In early 2022, IVCBA joined the national and state Main Street organization to establish the Incline Village Main Street program. Its goal is to create a stronger identity for Incline Village that instills pride in its residents in this place we call home. Placemaking and transformative strategies, beginning with beautification, will help revitalize the commercial areas of Incline Village.
Inclined to Bloom was its first beautification project, adding hanging baskets to shopping centers and terra cotta pots to the bus shelters. The Dancing with Daffodils campaign last fall resulted in volunteers and property managers planting 7000 daffodil bulbs in high-visibility commercial areas.
For the last three years, Incline Village Main Street has quietly worked on a larger project to improve the Gateway Roundabout. Over time, invasive plants have overrun the roundabout. Lack of irrigation prevented the flowers from fully reaching their potential for blooming. The low-mounding design of the roundabout led to cars accidentally crashing into it, making the bronze sculptures an “endangered species”. Hence, the need for improvements 14 years later.
Gateway Roundabout Improvements
Improving esthetics to reflect the natural beauty of the East Shore and safety are the goals of the planned improvements. Iconic granite boulders, fir and aspen trees, and a succession of perennials are part of the new design. Irrigation will be installed to support the new plantings. The entire traffic circle will be mounded higher to improve visibility. The bronze animal sculptures will be repositioned on the roundabout.
Community input was gathered through Main Street focus groups and stakeholder meetings. The Incline Village Main Street design team, led by Linda Offerdahl, Christine Karnofsky, and Steve Porten, coordinated public input for the initial sketch. Dale Smith of Smith Design Group and Larry Wodarski of IPM are also on the design team. LA Studio Landscape Architects provided the final design.
A critical step in the project was to bring Lefrancois Engineering on board as the Project Manager. Structural and engineering plans were developed by Mike Lefrancois. He has expertly steered those plans through NDOT, Washoe County, IVGID, and TRPA to secure permits for installation this spring.
The construction bid was awarded to FW Carson, a local building contractor with expertise working with NDOT on public property. FW Carson was involved with placing the bronzes on the roundabout in 2012. They are highly engaged in our community and have been very generous with their donations to the project, including the foregoing of their profit.
Washoe County and other agencies have worked hard and also made in-kind donations to the project.
Irrigation has been an important but troublesome component of the improvements. By working together, Washoe County and IVGID found a cost-effective way to deliver water to the roundabout for irrigation. Nevertheless, the project involves the contractor digging a trench to access the irrigation sleeve in place underneath the road. There is no need to open the road, thanks to NDOT’s foresight in 2012, when the roundabout was originally installed.
NDOT has been a partner in this project from the beginning. They have had input into the design, ensuring it addresses safety issues. Although these improvements are welcomed by NDOT, they were not enough to justify the cost of making this an NDOT project. However, at the recommendation of NDOT Chief Tracy Thomason, traffic control is being handled by NDOT as an in-kind donation.
Other community donations
Iconic granite boulders are a key feature of the new design. A call to the VP of Engineering of Realberry, owner of the Cal Neva, resulted in the donation of 7 boulders to the project. SMC and SNC contractors on the Cal Neva project are donating the transportation of these boulders to the roundabout. FW Carson is donating the labor to place these boulders.
SIERRA GIVING CIRCLE
Private donations are the key funding source for the Gateway Roundabout improvements and other beautification projects. Charitable donations are given through partner Incline Tahoe Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. A Roots to Revitalization community dinner held last September raised over $230,000 for beautification projects in Incline Village Main Street. Subsequent donations have been considerable, but Main Street is seeking an additional $30,000 for the Gateway Roundabout. Go to the IVCBA mainstreet page to make a donation: https://ivcba.org/programs/incline-village-main-street/roots-for-revitalization/
Say Good-bye on Saturday to Sunshine Deli owners John and Debbie Sullivan and say hello to new owner Marley at their farewell party from 2-4. When John and Debbie Sullivan took over Sunshine Deli 12 years ago, they brought new life to this local restaurant on Incline Way. In the early years, they took their lunch business to local businesses, bringing sandwiches and salads to people who couldn’t leave for a lunch hour. Their catering business was a labor of love, including service to Rotary lunches and TBX breakfasts, among others. They were my “go to” caterer for numerous IVCBA events too. The new owner has Laotian heritage and New Zealand roots, where she lived for many years. She will bring new international flavors to the Deli, including signature dishes like “Andaz biscuits (cookies)” and sausage rolls. The IVCBA staff sampled them on Monday, and we approve.
Are we thrilled to be Dancing with Daffodils?! Thanks to everyone who planted daffodil bulbs last October. I want to give a shout-out to:
IPM – daffodils at Raleys Incline Center and Natural Grocer
IMS students with direction from Mary Danahey of Incline Education Fund
IVGID – thanks to Steve Phillips and his grounds crew
Christmas Tree Village and property manager Tony Robinson
Tahoe Immo and property manager Scott Dutcher
Steve Blaney and friends
Lori Bard and the Tahoe Trekkers
And all of you who either picked up some bulbs from IVCBA or supplied your own!
FUN LEARNING EVENTS
I so appreciate all the “big city” events right here in our little Village. UNR is rolling out the Tahoe Discovery Lab and Innovation at Tahoe, thanks to UNR Professor Chris Jeffrey. The Tahoe Series features him this Thursday at 6pm at the Prim Library on the Lake Tahoe campus. Title of the talk: Learning from Resilience: Nature’s Innovation and Multidisciplinary Discovery. Watch for the one on May 7 as well.
Probiotics…do you take them “just because your mother told you to”? Alina at Natural Grocer will explain WHY they are so important on Saturday at 11 am. Pretty sure you will get a recommendation on which ones are actually effective! It’s a good reason to shop healthy and stock up on your other supplement needs. See you there!
LIKE WHAT YOU READ?
IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot! If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help!JOIN HERE
The Local Lens – Main Street Revitalization & Restaurant News
March 18, 2026 | Linda Offerdahl
We will be “Dancing With Daffodils” soon! Remember those 7,000 bulbs planted last fall? Be on the lookout for daffodils near you or throughout our commercial areas. Send photos of daffodil sightings to Info@IVCBA.org. Daffodils reflect the hardy nature of people who live here year-round. We know we will get snowed on again this year, but we keep popping back up! We are so fortunate to enjoy this unprecedented stretch of warm weather, but remember what I say about spring: It’s really only the month of June, and then all of a sudden, it’s summer on the 4th of July!
Incline Village Main Street is the IVCBA program that champions beautification and revitalization projects. It brings you daffodils, flowers in pots, and hanging baskets, and works to create a cohesive look to Tahoe Blvd. The Gateway Roundabout improvements are on track for this spring and will create a sense of place for the gateway to the East Shore of Lake Tahoe, also known as the gem of Washoe County. Irrigation to support perennials and other vegetation will reflect the natural beauty of the Tahoe Basin.
COMMERCIAL REVITALIZATION
Sometimes I feel like I live “under a rock”, but even I have been hearing the buzz about the new restaurant going into the old Rookies building in Raley’s Incline Center. I have met with James, who works for a restaurant implementation company, on behalf of the building owner. Although they have not finalized the name or menu, I can safely tell you it is not going to be a steakhouse (as the current rumor). Watch for casual dining and a “provisions” hub for “grab and go” food items for picnics or family dinners.
One could say there is a restaurant revitalization underway throughout Incline. Rosewood in Raleys Incline Center is expanding into the old Jiffy Pizza space; details still to come. Across the street at Incline Plaza, Bite expanded its space last year, and La Loca adds a fun Mediterranean vibe at the end of the boardwalk. Country Club Center is still a “go-to” place for restaurants. People who go looking for Austins will not be disappointed to find Paxton’s.
I need another paragraph to cover more restaurant changes! Have you seen the renovated Glasses Wine Bar in Village Center? Gamechanger! Go see it. Sunshine Deli has changes coming up too. Long-time owners John and Debbie Sullivan are retiring and turning the business over to Marly. Marly has a Kiwi accent but has roots in the Southeast Asian country of Laos. New lunch place: Happy Tiers is expanding, both their food options and adding a location in Kings Beach.
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Tahoe Forest Health System and UNR at Lake Tahoe both want your feedback and insights into future programming. True North is the hospital’s campaign. Their survey is already out. Two listening sessions are planned for Incline in the next couple of weeks. Also, TNT/TMA is conducting a Winter Commuter Survey to better understand commuter needs and encourage the use of alternative transportation.
The CAB meeting next Monday…They have asked Tahoe Family Solutions and Sierra Community House to speak to the need for workforce housing. They hope to attract the attention of the Reno Housing Authority, which has also been invited to the CAB meeting. Washoe County has asked RHA to explore the possible use of the old elementary school site for workforce housing. Tahoe Transportation District announced in December that they were no longer trying to build a transportation hub there; presumably, there could be more discussion about it at its April 1 board meeting.
Linda’s “hot tip” for enjoying the nice weather: Take advantage of the East Shore Trail in this off-season when you can probably get a parking place!
LIKE WHAT YOU READ?
IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot! If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help!JOIN HERE
I have exciting news to share. Incline Village Main Street has approval from NDOT to install the Gateway Roundabout improvements! IV Main Street is the IVCBA program that addresses revitalization in our community. Improving the roundabout enhances the entrance to both Incline Village and Crystal Bay, the gateway to Lake Tahoe from Reno. Beautification projects like this are what I call “low-hanging fruit”. It is a placemaking project that unites the community around a common cause.
This is the second time the community has rallied around the roundabout. The first time was in 2012 when NDOT installed the original roundabout. A traffic circle was needed, and the community supported it. Bronze animal sculptures designed by local artist June Brown were funded by key community members. Native perennials were planted to complement the sculptures. Over time, invasive plants have overrun the roundabout; the lack of irrigation has prevented the flowers from fully reaching their potential to bloom. The low-mounding design of the roundabout led to cars accidentally crashing into it, rendering the bronze sculptures an “endangered species”. Hence, the need for improvements 14 years later.
Gateway Roundabout Improvements
Improving esthetics to reflect the natural beauty of the East Shore and safety are the goals of the planned improvements. Iconic granite boulders, fir, and aspen trees, along with a succession of perennials, are part of the new design. Irrigation will be installed to support the new plantings. The entire traffic circle will be mounded higher to improve visibility. The bronze animal sculptures will be repositioned on the roundabout.
Community input was gathered through Main Street focus groups and stakeholder meetings. Incline Village Main Street design team, led by Steve Porten and Christine Karnofsky, coordinated public input for the initial sketch. Dale Smith, Smith Design Group, Larry Wodarski, IPM are also on the design team. LA Studio Landscape Architects provided the final design. Structural and engineering plans were developed by Lefrancois Engineering, which is also the project manager. Mike has worked closely with NDOT, Washoe County, IVGID, and TRPA to get the plans permitted for installation this spring.
I will be providing more information about Incline Village Main Street in subsequent Local Lens blogs.
LIKE WHAT YOU READ?
IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot! If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help!JOIN HERE
Lefrancois Engineering has sent out RFPs to contractors to bid on the work to improve the roundabout. Although we are still working through the permits, the project seems to be on track to start work this spring. The improvements include safety features recommended by NDOT and upgraded landscaping supported by irrigation. Christine Karnofsky, Garden Designer, led the volunteer work of the Incline Village Main Street Design Team. The improvements will include iconic granite boulders, fir and aspen trees, along with a succession of perennials throughout the blooming season. The popular bronze animal sculptures by June Brown will be repositioned on the roundabout.
Gateway Roundabout Funding and Agency Partners
Private funds have been donated for the roundabout and other beautification projects through the Sierra Giving Circle. IVCBA partners with Incline Tahoe Foundation, a 501(c) 3 organization, to manage charitable donations. Thank you to all of the Sierra Giving Circle donors! Agency partners include Washoe County, NDOT, TRPA, and IVGID. Agencies have been very cooperative! Local funding partners include the Rotary Club of Tahoe-Incline and several prominent local philanthropists.
Incline Village Main Street Project Manager
Steve Blaney has been hired as a part-time subcontractor to manage Inclined to Bloom and other beautification projects. His work will help establish the feasibility of short-term projects, such as trails that improve walkability, and long-term projects, such as installing lamp posts along Tahoe Blvd. Main Street is exploring ways to extend the placemaking features planned for the roundabout to our “main street” through Incline Village. Steve’s business is Wildlife Mitigation Consultants. He brings knowledge and experience in urban planning and landscaping to the job. Funding for these projects comes through the Sierra Giving Circle at Incline Tahoe Foundation.
2025 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Gateway Roundabout Improvements
● Established Design Team: Steve Porten, Christine Karnofsky, Dale Smith, and Larry Wodarski; utilized community input for initial design ● Hired Lefrancois Engineering as Project Manager ● LA studio completed landscape architecture drawings ● Successfully engaged agency partners ● Submitted preliminary plans to NDOT
Inclined to Bloom
● Hanging baskets in Village Center and Christmas Tree Village ● Railing planters and wooden planters in Raleys Incline Center ● Terra cotta pots at 3 bus shelters, watered by Rotary clubs
Community-driven Projects that promote Walkability
● Gathering Place below Crosby’s at Christmas Tree Village
Sierra Giving Circle partnership with Incline Tahoe Foundation
● Kick-off Roots to Revitalization Community Dinner in September ● Raised $230,000 for Beautification projects
Commercial Community Redevelopment Projects
● Hyatt Regency kicked off its project on the lakeside of the Hyatt property ● Revitalizing the Cal Neva is underway for its extensive remodel with plans to reopen in 2027
This is a question we were all asking yesterday when we woke up to the blizzard outside. There’s an app (actually a website) for that! I asked Washoe County’s Aaron Smith this question a few weeks ago so I could be ready to share this timely information.
Here’s what I learned:
Washoe County provides a real-time snow equipment tracking and roadside parking status on the Where is My Plow: I.V.C.B. Website. The tool provides real-time snow equipment operations and history for the Tahoe area. Residents can use the feature to track the location and activity of snow removal equipment in their area.
The Incline Village/Crystal Bay Roads crew includes seven full-time personnel and is supplemented with 4-6 additional staff members to service 11 routes during winter operations. Nearly all of the crew commute from Reno, Sparks, or Carson City, where travel over the passes during winter road conditions can be extremely challenging. During severe weather patterns, temporary lodging is provided. The safety of the traveling public and the ability of law enforcement and first responders to respond to community needs are our priorities.
More information is available on the Roads and Stormwater Website. Residents can report snow plowing concerns, potholes, and other road-related issues through Washoe311, which serves as a direct line to County services, or by calling the Roads and Stormwater line at 775-328-2180
THESE GUYS ARE MY HEROES!
But what about the guys who clear our driveways and commercial parking lots? They deserve recognition too. They often try to reach our driveways even before the plows are out! I am talking about service workers who either run their own businesses or work for larger companies. These guys don’t have work if it doesn’t snow. Please, give them a tip this week. Maybe they are just happy to be working, but perhaps they have bills that have gone unpaid during our drought the last month and a half. I can’t name them all, but I can tell you which businesses I know because they are members of IVCBA. Incline Property Management…thank them for clearing the parking lots at 3 of the shopping centers. Canopy Property Services covers many HOAs too. SQ Enterprises operates Tahoe Snow Solutions; find them on social media. These companies are providing winter jobs to help keep our workers living here year-round. Thank you!
WHAT ABOUT THE SIDEWALKS?!
Let me just say, if it takes a while to get them cleared, no whining please! We live in the mountains. Snow and ice happen. Even when they are cleared, there can still be ice in the shady parts. If you must venture onto them, use common sense, sensible boots, and maybe those things you clip on them to dig into the ice. Stay safe! This is a small town, and not everyone has the luxury of staying home in bad weather. If you see someone walking on the street because they have to, perhaps offer them a ride.
Here’s the actual answer on sidewalk clearing from Washoe County:
Washoe County Road Crews understand the challenge snow poses to pedestrians in our mountain communities. There are approximately 10 miles of paved paths in Incline Village, and Washoe County Roads crews clear snow on approximately 8.2 miles of them. The paths are cleared of snow after the roadways are cleared and widened with a snow blower. The roads are prioritized 1 thru 3, and paths are considered a priority 4. The road and path priorities can be found on our Washoe Regional Mapping System. Sections of pathways are cleared based on priorities as well, with priority given to those adjacent to schools and the main routes.
The time it takes WC Roads to clear paths varies considerably depending on the amount and type of snow and the frequency of storm events. For example, if Incline receives 6-12” of snow during an event and does not receive additional snow in the next few days, WC Roads will typically start clearing snow on the paths approximately three days after the end of the storm. The more snow received, and/or multiple storms come in back-to-back, it can take considerably longer to start on the paths. When storms are frequent and there is little time between them, the Roads crew prioritizes snow removal on streets, and snow accumulation is greater on paths. Unfortunately, this results in greater effort and more time to remove snow from the paths. Residents can help by avoiding parking vehicles on or near pathways to allow crews better access for snow removal. Clearing private driveways or sidewalks onto pathways may delay snow-clearing efforts and is discouraged
LIKE WHAT YOU READ?
IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot! If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help!JOIN HERE
INCLINE VILLAGE MAIN STREET – 2025 Accomplishments
February 18, 2026 | Linda Offerdahl
Gateway Roundabout Improvements
Established Design Team: Steve Porten, Christine Karnofsky, Dale Smith and Larry Wodarski; utilized community input for initial design
Hired Lefrancois Engineering as Project Manager
LA studio completed landscape architecture drawings
Successfully engaged agency partners
Submitted preliminary plans to NDOT
Inclined to Bloom
Pots and Plants
Hanging baskets in Village Center and Christmas Tree Village
Railing planters and wooden planters in Raleys Incline Center
Terra cotta pots at 3 bus shelters, watered by Rotary club
Dancing with Daffodils
* Community planted 7,000 daffodil bulbs in high-visibility locations
Community-driven Projects that promote Walkability
Gathering Place below Crosby’s at Christmas Tree Village
Sierra Giving Circle partnership with Incline Tahoe Foundation
Kick-off Roots to Revitalization Community Dinner in September
Raised $230,000 for Beautification projects
2026 Plans:
STRATEGIC GOALS
Create a visually appealing town center (placemaking)
Revitalize commercial core
Align community around a common goal(beautification)
TRANSFORMATIVE STRATEGY: BEAUTIFICATION
2025 was a pivotal year for Main Street. The Gateway Roundabout project with aesthetic and safety improvements got underway, under the direction of Lefrancois Engineering and the Main Street design team. Inclined to Bloom pots and hanging baskets were installed. A Gathering Place was built below Crosby’s at Christmas Tree village driven by the center with a grant from Main Street. The Sierra Giving Circle was established with partner Incline Tahoe Foundation. $230,000 in private donations has been obtained for beautification projects.
In attendance: Linda Offerdahl, Chris Wood, Clare Novak, Elise Fett, Laura Levine, Laura Vitencz, Kathie Julian
Note: River Coyote had the meeting recorded via AI and then sent to the participants. Here’s my summary. (Linda); Clare may make additional comments when she returns.
The purpose of the meeting was to identify possible programs for the Workforce Housing Series in 2026. Priorities are:
Potential WF housing on the old IES site; Reno Housing Authority is researching the feasibility for Washoe County. Meeting targeted for April.
Presentation by TRPA on its Phase 3 policies that focus on their EIS that impacts workforce housing. Chris Wood has summarized the proposed phase 3 policy changes.
Incline Village Realtors would like to partner with the Housing Committee for presentations to businesses and employees on attainable home ownership.
Other things on the list include St. Joesph’s program for helping renters purchase from their landlord. We could also do a program to highlight the work of Tahoe-Truckee Homeless Services.
A vigorous discussion was held on various housing topics, particularly on ADUs. Interest was show in starting a committee to research how ADUs currently work and could work in Washoe Tahoe. Elise Fett and Laura Levine may get this started.
There was a program in Truckee on what other mountain resort communities are doing. Laura Levine is going to provide a link to that program. We can learn what others have tried, but often these communities have city councils and means of funding that support these plans. So the relevance to Washoe Tahoe may not be there.
We reviewed the various working groups of the Housing committee:
Community Outreach: Clare/Linda: Workforce Housing Series programs, newsletter and webpage through IVCBA.
Programs: IVR Attainable housing for first time home buyers: Laura Levine and Laura Vitencz
Policy and Strategy: Chris Woods and Kathie Julian. Chris attends TRPA Living Communities meetings and condenses their policies into legible summaries. Kathie Julian is a member of the Washoe County APC.
Redevelopment and Development: Clare, Laura Vitencz and Linda will follow up on the efforts of RHA to utilize the old IES site.
Finance: This represents programs like Lease to Locals and St. Joeseph Land Trust’s TAHOE program. Placemate also has a program called Rooted Renters. We could work to identify funding for such a program in Incline.
UPDATES and REVIEW OF 2025 (to go into Quarterly Update)
OLD IES SITE
Tahoe Transportation District made the decision last December to put the IES site up for use by Washoe County. If RHA determines it’s not feasible for WF housing or other public use, it will be available for purchase by a private entity. Priority would be given to a group building something for use by the community. Read TTD news brief on it.
LEASE TO LOCALS
Washoe County funded the program that was run by Placemate in Truckee. WC’s $350k resulted in 15 properties with 28 people housed. We do not have any follow up data that may be available. We could look into it and identify more funding for it.
WORKFORCE HOUSING SERIES
This is our meeting program format with topics based on the community survey we did in Spring 2024. Top priority was to Unlock Existing Housing. January’s program was on Placemates Lease to Locals. It was attended by approximately 40 people. We counted TRPA’s Phase 2 housing workshop as a meeting. It was attended by 100+. The third meeting was in November. “Housing Insecurity in Paradise: New Solutions to a Chronic Problem” introduced St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church Sally Fund. It is designed to raise funds and encourage collaboration between Sierra Community House and Tahoe Family Solutions with emergency funds for people facing housing insecurity.
HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM
Reno Housing Authority has a program that allows renters to access financial vouchers for rent. It requires vetting by the landlord. There is a waiting list. Due to lack of interest by an informal poll of landlords, and lack of a volunteer to compile a list of landlords and reach out to them, this opportunity is on hold.
TRPA ENVIRIONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY
By Chris Wood, February 13, 2026, for IVCBA Housing Newsletter
TRPA Launches Environmental Impact Study: In a quest to promote development of needed workforce housing in the Lake Tahoe Basin on January 28 TRPA (Tahoe Regional Planning Association) began an Environmental Impact Study of its proposal to incentivize building of affordable housing. It is now seeking community input on what is to be studied in the scope of the Environmental Impact Study (“EIS”). This “scoping period” runs for 6 weeks, ending March 16. Send comments to: housing@trpa.gov; examine details on the web at: www.trpa.gov/major-projects . Public comment can expand what should be studied.
When the scoping period ends a summary report will be created and made available to the public for comment this Summer (2026). Thereafter, a draft EIS will be prepared and circulated for comment. A final EIS is expected in the Fall of 2026 and early 2027.
So far, TRPA has a list of 14 topics to be analyzed in the EIS. In no particular order, these include:
“Public safety hazards including wildfire and evacuation”;
“Land use, neighborhood compatibility, and growth management”.
“Earth resources (soils, land capability, coverage”);
“Population, housing, socioeconomics and environmental justice”;
“Hydrology and water quality”
“Transportation”,
“Air quality and greenhouse gases”, and
“Cumulative effects” of all the changes
The EIS is intended to analyze the environmental impacts of potential actions in the proposal to incentivize workforce housing. The EIS the highest level of environmental analysis under the rules governing TRPA.
Incentives For Workforce housing: Because there is a regulatory restriction on the number of “development units” for building in the Lake Tahoe Basin, some of the policies in the housing proposals include moving “development units” to deed restricted residential projects from commercial and tourist development unit pools. Further, new forms of housing would be incentivized like “junior ADUs” (units of 500 sq. ft. or less, within an existing house footprint) and “affordable by design” housing. Moreover, ADUs up to 1200 sq. ft. would also be eligible for program incentives consistent with local jurisdiction policies.
To increase housing choices TRPA’s proposal would zone for “missing middle” housing for, e.g., teachers, firefighters, police and medical staff. All new development would be approved if it contributed proportionately to the housing need in the basin. TRPA would “scale” its fees to reflect the size and impact of housing. And, like single family homes, fourplex residential structures would be exempt from environmental review standards.
Further, the limited (impermeable) land coverage allowed in the LT Basin would be directed toward multifamily and workforce housing rather than single-family homes. At the TRPA Advisory Planning Commission (“APC”) meeting February 11, TRPA proposed that the “goal is for less coverage” in the LT Basin.
TRPA would also continue to move toward neighborhood-scale storm water treatment to limit human generated runoff into the Lake. Local jurisdictions would be allowed to increase height and density if they demonstrate progress toward unlocking vacant housing stock. TRPA is proposing creation of a housing authority to facilitate funding and oversee housing programs and policies.
Negative environmental impacts will be paired with mitigation proposals, one of which could include “no growth” and no population increase, as discussed at the February 11 APC meeting. Other APC member comments emphasized analyzing the cumulative impact of all changes if they succeed and “the interconnectedness” of each change.
Other topics for consideration in the EIS that were raised at the January 28 TRPA Board of Directors meeting, where the EIS project was approved and the scoping period opened, include a look at restricting short term rentals (STRs) and/or putting them on the same terms with hotels and motels. Speakers also focused on the need for means to enforce Deed Restrictions.
The Local Lens – Ullr Fest, Olympians & a Healthy Start to 2026
January 29, 2026 | Linda Offerdahl
Fresh snow arrived today, just in time for the Ullr Fest on Friday! It’s the first big community fundraiser for the year, raising funds for young skiers through Diamond Peak Ski Education Foundation. Watch the torchlight parade at Diamond Peak and don’t forget your Viking helmet! If you are not a skier, but love the Olympics, why not attend the Evening of Champions on Saturday at the Hyatt to benefit the Ski Team? Olympians Marco and Anna Sullivan are on hand for a Meet and Greet.
I come from a Minnesota/Scandinavian heritage that believes in showing love by sharing a cookie platter after (and before!) every meal during December. I cling to the tradition of a cookie exchange with my girlfriends in Tahoe, but I gotta tell you, the enthusiasm is waning. Stepping on the scale in January was my first clue that the cookie tradition had to stop! After the holidays, many of us are trying to detox and eat clean, whatever that means! Find out at Natural Grocers this Saturday and Feb 7 at their 11am “Hack Your Health” classes taught by Alina Neacy. Teaser: Balancing your blood sugar is more than just cutting cookies from your diet.
The healthy theme continues in February, right around the corner. February is Heart Health Month at Tahoe Forest Health System. The balmy weather this winter makes it easy to get over to Truckee for their noon workshops on Wednesdays. Exercise and diet are obvious ways to promote heart health, but DID YOU KNOW that gum disease, stress, and dairy also affect your heart? Find out more at www.tfhd.com . Now for the fun part… Friday, February 6, is Wear Red Day! For those of you who remember my Dress The Party costume store, red is still my favorite color. I can’t fit into that hot leather dress from the 80’s that is still in my closet, but I will break out one of my red sweaters. I hope you will too!
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