In The News – Incline Village Main Street launches Sierra Giving Circle
October 21, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 10/21/2025, Staff Report
The Sierra Giving Circle is being launched to fund beautification projects in Incline Village. IVCBA’s Incline Village Main Street program spearheads these projects and partners with Incline Tahoe Foundation to accept charitable donations from the community to fund them. Beautification supports IVCBA’s mission of “building cohesiveness for the sustainability of Incline Village and Crystal Bay. Its vision is of a “thriving community that supports and is supported by its agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and residents.”
An inaugural Roots to Revitalization dinner jump-started the campaign, raising over $200,000, which includes a 100% match from one of the donors. The goal is to raise $500,000 over the next two years. Incline Village Main Street is supported by Washoe County and collaborates with NDOT and other agencies as needed to implement beautification projects.
Incline Village Main Street’s premier project is improvements to the Gateway Roundabout, which was originally constructed in 2012. It is located at the intersection of Mt. Rose Highway and Highway 28 and is the “gateway to Lake Tahoe” from Reno, leading to Incline Village/east shore and Crystal Bay/north shore communities. Initial plans have been submitted to NDOT by project manager Lefrancois Engineering. Improvements will address safety and aesthetic issues with iconic granite boulders, vegetation, and a succession of perennial flowers supported by irrigation.
“Our community deserves a revitalized look that reflects the natural beauty of our environment….Together we create a thriving community that benefits everyone.” Linda Offerdahl, Executive Director
The Sierra Giving Circlehas been launched to fund beautification projects. An inaugural dinner, Roots to Revitalization, jump-started the campaign, raising over $100,000 that was matched by one of the donors, for a total of $200,000+. This funding will be used for the Gateway Roundabout Improvements and community projects such as the “gathering place” at Crosbys.
A newsbrief about the Sierra Giving Circle will be released shortly, with a call for more donations from the community. Charitable donations are tax deductible as allowed by law through our partner Incline Tahoe Foundation, EIN 27-0823168.
Checks may be sent to Incline Tahoe Foundation, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village, NV 89451.
DANCING WITH DAFFODILS
Planting fall bulbs for early spring blooming is the latest project for Inclined to Bloom. Our goal is to plant 15,000 yellow daffodil bulbs. We will be reaching out to our network of property managers and landscapers, but residents are encouraged to buy bulbs and plant them themselves along some of our downtown streets that could use beautification. To volunteer to plant bulbs, please reach out to Linda@IVCBA.org. To help us buy 15,000 bulbs, donate at Incline Tahoe Foundation – Inclined to Bloom.
NORTHERN LIGHTS HOLIDAY LIGHTING
IVCBA installed holiday lighting along Tahoe Blvd in 2021 as part of Northern Lights, a month-long celebration in December. Now in our fifth year, we maintain these lights for Holiday Lighting and look for new lighting opportunities. A lighting contest encourages businesses and residents to decorate! To help us light up the Village, please donate to Incline Tahoe Foundation – Northern Lights
GATEWAY ROUNDABOUT IMPROVEMENTS
Gateway Roundabout Improvements project is moving forward with NDOT. Preliminary(30%completion) plans have met with only minor changes from NDOT!
WALKABILITY
A “gathering place”, complete with Adirondack chairs, has been created below Crosby’s in Christmas Tree Village, thanks to Russell Jones, owner of Crosby’s, Tony Robinson, property manager for Christmas Tree Village, and High Sierra Gardens.
Inclined to Bloom successfully beautified Incline with hanging baskets and terra cotta pots at the bus shelters(thanks to Rotary.)
I want to thank everyone for their support. When the agencies see community support like this, they want to be helpful. We garnered feedback and ideas for over a year before deciding to move forward with the Gateway Roundabout improvements. Businesses have been so cooperative with Inclined to Bloom; what Crosbys/Christmas Tree Village has done is inspiring others as well. Stay tuned!
Spring and summer are glorious seasons at Lake Tahoe. Now that Memorial Day is over and June is right around the corner, planting and landscaping season are officially here. Many people supplement their perennials with annual flowers that provide continuous blooming and color. Incline commercial centers are no exception. IVCBA is launching a “planters and pots” project to assist with providing a cohesive look in those centers. Hanging planters are being installed in Christmas Tree Village and Village Center. Terra cotta pots with flowering plants will be placed by the bus shelters. All businesses are encouraged to participate by ordering a planter or a decorated terra cotta pot through Linda@IVCBA.org. Community members can help by donating to the Beautification Fund on Incline Tahoe Foundation’s website.
Main Street Beautification campaign
The campaign starts with cleanup, particularly with maintaining defensible space around properties. Neighborhoods can become a FAC, Firewise Action Community. Individuals, church groups, and other affiliations can start their own Tahoe Blue Crew. These efforts culminate in a village-wide “Incline Green Clean” sponsored by IVGID’s WasteNot on Saturday, June 7.
The Main Street Beautification committee has several components: Inclined to Bloom ‘Pots and Planters,’ Roundabout Redesign, and Public Art. These programs are all community-led initiatives to beautify Incline Village.
Perennials vs. Annuals
Some of these plants bloom once in the season, like daffodils and tulips. Others will have multiple blooms throughout the season. Lupines can be found along Incline Way and other parts of town. Often, people supplement perennials with annuals to add more consistent color. Although all plants benefit from good soil, fertilizer, and regular watering, plants should be chosen based on location and consideration for the environment. Many native plants are drought-resistant and can survive in the native desert soil. Contact one of IVCBA’s many landscapers for expertise: Incline Property Management, Canopy, Christine Karnofsky Plant Design, and Hoskins Landscape Contractors.
Where to shop
High Sierra Gardens is our local nursery that stocks trees and bushes in addition to flowers. You can spot their location on Tahoe Blvd by their plethora of blooming flowers along the boulevard. If it’s just annuals you are looking for, Grocery Outlet and Raleys are both convenient places.
SUPPORT INCLINED TO BLOOM
Not all of us have a green thumb or a garden. Please help us make Incline a flourishing flowering place to live by donating! You can Donate at Incline Tahoe Foundation.
SPRING IS HERE…and we all know what that means. Get out the spring-colored sweaters and prepare for the spring snowstorms! I hope you were among the locals hanging out at the beach over the weekend and enjoying that beautiful weather.
IVCBA is launching its annual beautification campaign starting with SPRING CLEANING…your yard, your neighborhood, your business, OUR community! Those windy storms this winter have no doubt led to an accumulation of pine cones and needles. Mark your calendars for June 7, the annual Incline Green Clean (Waste Not) and the block party at Incline Library. As activities and events roll out, we will highlight them.
Beginning in April…
Mountain Ace Hardware and its monthlong spring promotions in April.
Roundabout Redesign: LeFrancois Engineering is the project manager. We have met with all of the agencies involved. When we have the next iteration of the design, we will ask for more input from the community.
Public Art committee: is being launched this spring. If you are interested in being on it, let me know.
Inclined to Bloom: . I have heard reports of daffodils already…keep watching for them. I hope you planted your own bulbs. They are hardy enough to withstand the snow, just like all of us locals!! Take pictures! We are currently researching the feasibility of pots and planters in commercial areas. We hope to offer summer gardening classes as well
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
IVCBA is collaborating with Washoe County and UNR on a Washoe Tahoe Leadership Academy. This is a great learning opportunity and a way to find out how you can be more involved in positive ways in our community. Registration is closing this week. I understand there a couple spots left. Here’s the link for registration.
Tomorrow night, March 27 I am meeting up with a girlfriend at the Hyatt’s Osteria restaurant for a Cakebread Cellar’s wine pairing dinner. With the Lone Eagle closed, Osteria is taking over the role of presenting wine dinners with sommelier Jana Manfredi.
LIKE WHAT YOU READ?
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Originally Published in Moonshine Ink, 11/14/2024, Written by Melissa Siig
The small Tahoe enclave has seen better days. Can the redevelopment of the Cal Neva and Biltmore return the area to its former glory?
Charlie Soule has owned The Soule Domain restaurant at the western entrance to Crystal Bay for 40 years. In that time, he has watched the small casino corridor go from a vibrant neighborhood full of shops, restaurants, and a bustling nightlife to an area with boarded-up and dilapidated buildings and empty parking lots littered with trash. Out of the three anchor businesses in Crystal Bay — the Crystal Bay Club, Tahoe Biltmore, and Cal Neva — two have been closed for several years: the Cal Neva since 2013 and the Biltmore since 2022. Just to the west of The Soule Domain, another derelict building, the Tahoe Inn, has been sitting empty for almost 10 years.
“Right now, and I’ve been here a long time, the neighborhood sucks,” Soule said. “It’s about as bad as it’s ever been.”
The tiny neighborhood of Crystal Bay, which abuts the California-Nevada border and straddles Highway 28, presents a strange dichotomy.
Written by Jonathon Gardner – IVCBA’s Community Engagement Liason
In an effort to provide more structure to improvements made around Incline Village, IVCBA reached out to an organization known as Main Street. This organization has a strong presence at the state level and continues up to a national organization. The Main Street program is focused on enhancing the economic vitality and quality of life in traditional commercial districts, particularly in small towns and rural areas. As you may already know, Incline Village is considered a rural area by most definitions.
Established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the 1980s, the program promotes a holistic, community-driven approach that integrates economic development with cultural preservation and tourism. The program is structured around a Four-Point Approach—Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization—and emphasizes engaging local stakeholders in planning and implementation efforts. This ensures that revitalization initiatives reflect the community’s values while fostering a strong sense of identity and encouraging investment in local businesses.
We have experimented with the Main Street organization for the last year or so and have found that it provides great blueprints for the successful implementation of community improvement projects. It aligns well with the desires of our community as well as the mission of IVCBA. The program can bolster the local economy by supporting local businesses that cater to both residents and visitors. Our Main Street program has helped several Design initiatives throughout the community and will continue to enhance the aesthetics of commercial areas through improved signage, beautification efforts, and other projects that resonate with the village’s beautiful surroundings. Through collaboration with residents, business owners, and local organizations, Incline Village can create a vibrant community atmosphere.
The Incline Village Main Street is working on several projects, one in particular is the Roundabout, and we have entered the phase where we need your opinions and feedback. Please take the Roundabout survey. Your input is critical for the success of these projects. Please see the brief description of the project below The survey has more information as well.
Roundabout project overview:
Stemming from conversations with many community members, Incline Village Main Street has set out to beautify the Roundabout. I have heard many times that people wished that the roundabout was more welcoming and beautiful. I have also seen several cars who have crashed into the roundabout and hit a bronze statue or something else.
There is no water and no electricity currently plumbed to that space. The plants that are in the roundabout have mostly died and withered away. Is there a better solution?
At the beginning of the year, the Incline Village Main Street formed a small focus group consisting of landscape designers, engineers, architects and other interested community members. We discussed the important functions of a roundabout for a community as well as the opportunities roundabouts present to unite people by creating a sense of place. We spoke with representatives from Washoe County as well as NDOT. We even walked the property several times with those in charge of transportation safety at TRPA.
Some of our early conversations discussed relocating the bronze statues to a safer location (such as the public library) so that they could be enjoyed by children. Some members of the community spoke up against that idea suggesting that the statues should remain in the roundabout.
Our goal has always been to unite the community by beautifying the roundabout and making it safer. We do not have a final design for the roundabout at this juncture, but with the help of the community, we are getting closer to a viable solution.
We seek YOUR help at this point. Please complete the survey linked here. On the survey, you’ll see a working concept for an idea of what the roundabout could look like. We hope to make the roundabout safer and more beautiful. We hope that it will serve as a welcoming representation of our little corner of paradise here in Incline Village. Your input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks to Rotary The Bus Stations Look Beautiful Now
September 25, 2024 | Jonathon Gardner
Written by Jonathon Gardner, Incline Village Main Street Manager, IVCBA, 09/25/24
Last Saturday, we spotted members of the Rotary Club of Tahoe/Incline cleaning up and painting the final bus stop of three along Tahoe Boulevard. They began work on the other two in May and have been working on them all summer. I snapped a couple of photos and then called the former co-president, Bryan Foertsch, to get the details of the project.
“It all started in November 2022, thanks to Linda Offerdahl. She told Mike [McCallum] about the idea of decorating the bus stops for the holidays, which we did that year. The following year, in July, Mike and I became co-presidents of the Rotary Club of Tahoe/ Incline, and we made restoring the bus stations one of our top 5 priorities.”
Bryan mentioned that when they began the project, the bus stops were in rough shape and did not smell good. In May of this year, they started the project by power washing the structures and the concrete. Then, they scraped away the old paint and rebuilt portions where the wood had rotted away. Over a dozen different members of the club showed up to paint and fully restore these bus stations. “I’m a big believer in giving back to the community,” said Bryan, “It was embarrassing for me to see the condition of the bus stops for our residents and guests. I’m glad we got it done.”
Thanks to the Rotary Club of Tahoe/Incline, the bus stops are now in great shape. Mike and Bryan have since left their co-presidency of the club, and Kevin Hunt is the new president. We are excited to see what community beautification projects the Rotary Club will take on next.
Bryan added, “Our motto is service above self. Please join us on any of the first three Thursdays of the month at 7:30AM at the Hyatt for breakfast.” He extends that invitation to any community member who resonates with the motto.
The Local Lens – Beautification Efforts in Full Swing
July 17, 2024 | Member Submitted
Written by IV Main Street Manager Jonathon Gardner 07/16/2024
As we settle back into our routines post-4th of July celebrations, it’s the perfect time to refocus on the beautification of our community. The Incline Village Crystal Bay Association (IVCBA) has been hard at work, partnering with local businesses and organizations to enhance the aesthetic appeal of our village.
Recently, IVCBA collaborated with Chris Talbot, of Talbot Fine Art Galery to beautify the island at the front of the Mountain Workspace parking lot on Tahoe Boulevard. Together, we planted new flowers, weeded, added some pottery, and laid down plenty of wood chips. For the Independence Day festivities, we adorned the area with lots of American flags, adding a patriotic touch to our efforts.
The Rotary Club has also made significant contributions by painting our two bus shelters, which look fantastic. These efforts are just a part of the broader beautification initiative that includes various projects around the community.
Betsy from IVGID Parks and Recreation has been busy as well. A few weeks ago, she was spotted beautifying the garden just outside the North Tahoe Nevada Welcome Center. Her dedication is a testament to the collaborative spirit that drives our beautification projects.
Throughout the village, you may have noticed beautiful planters, including innovative hanging planters with built-in watering wicks. These planters are designed to reduce the frequency of watering, making them both practical and attractive. If you’re interested in these planters, our local plant experts can provide more information, and you can also find options online or at big box home improvement stores. Let’s continue to support these beautification efforts and promote the businesses involved in making our community a more beautiful place to live.
If you have any updates or contributions to share, please reach out to jonathon@ivcba.org
Main Street Introduction: Revitalizing Our Historic Districts with Local Efforts
July 17, 2024 | Member Submitted
By: Jonathon Gardner, IV Main Street Manager, Jul 16, 2024
Main Street America is an integral program under the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Established in the late 1970s, it emerged in response to the decline of historic downtowns and business districts across the United States, driven by suburbanization and the rise of large shopping malls. The initiative’s mission is to revitalize and preserve these areas through a comprehensive strategy that marries economic development with historic preservation.
The Main Street Approach is a community-driven, holistic strategy designed to rejuvenate older and historic commercial districts while retaining their unique character. This framework is built around four key points:
Economic Vitality: Enhancing the district’s economic base by diversifying it, providing jobs, and ensuring financial sustainability.
Design: Improving the physical appearance of the historic district through building rehabilitation, street and alley improvements, and landscaping.
Promotion: Marketing the district’s unique characteristics to shoppers, investors, new businesses, and visitors.
Organization: Fostering a cooperative effort among various stakeholders, including residents, business owners, government agencies, and community organizations.
Main Street America provides essential resources, education, training, and networking opportunities to local Main Street programs nationwide. It also champions historic preservation policies and economic development initiatives that support small businesses and sustainable communities.
In Incline Village, several projects embody the Main Street Approach:
Inclined to Bloom: This initiative focuses on beautifying our community with vibrant flowers and well-maintained green spaces, enhancing the overall aesthetic and inviting atmosphere of our village.
Improving Commercial Signage: Efforts are underway to enhance the visibility and attractiveness of commercial signage, making it easier for visitors and locals to locate businesses and services.
Wayfinding for Walkers and Bikers: To promote a pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly environment, we are increasing wayfinding measures, including clear and attractive signage, to help people navigate our community safely and enjoyably.
Through these efforts, Incline Village is transforming into a more vibrant and welcoming place to live, work, and play. Main Street America’s mission to create economically resilient communities rich in character, featuring a thriving local economy, is reflected in our local projects. These initiatives not only preserve our historic charm but also foster a sense of community, local pride, and cultural heritage. What ideas do you have about our charming village? Send me an email and we’ll go for a walk and talk about it!
The Incline Green Clean Community Clean Up Day was a great success this year. Last Saturday we had over 95 volunteers cleaning up the Village and Diamond Peak Ski Resort. It was great seeing all the families out cleaning up our town! And check out these stats:
Total Trash collected 410lb with 95 volunteers
DP Ski Team Ski resort cleanup: 110lbs ~20 volunteers (A team of 3 collected over 40 pounds on their walk to Snowflake and down the Lakeview chair line)
IVGID Community Cleanup: 301lbs ~75 volunteers
A huge shout out to Incline High Students Samiya J and Bekie S for helping organize the event and gathering data on the trash collected. With the level of turnout we had we could not have done this event without them!
Next community cleanups:
Friday July 5th
Great Sierra River Cleanup: Saturday September 21st
