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CommentsSupersized TAUs
Published: September 11, 2008by Jerry Wotel
Development in Tahoe is redefining an important commodity, TAUs, and in doing so, has the potential of altering the face of our communities. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Code of Ordinances clearly defines that Tourist Accommodation Units (TAU) is a public entitlement of a motel-type unit of one bedroom in size and can be transferred to another unit. The majority of existing TAUs came from small motel units, usually about 300 square feet. This system was adopted to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin from overbuilding and the resultant harm to the environment. However, something very important was left out of the initial definition. There is no protection from allowing a TAU to grow in magnitude several times its initial size, which is the trend recently.
Currently, many developers use TAUs for timeshare or fractional ownership units 10 times, or more, as large as the original entitlement. For example, a TAU that was originally for a one-bedroom 300-square feet motel is now being transferred to a four-bedroom fractional/timeshare unit of 3,000 to 4,000 square feet, as occurred in the Villas at Harborside (West Shore), and the Tonopalo Resort and the current Sandy Beach Fractional ownership developments (Tahoe Vista). Moreover, the parking requirements, infrastructure impact, traffic, and environmental impacts on air quality, tree removal, surface water runoff, also increase dramatically. This practice is obviously not consistent with regulating growth.
A significant number of current planned accommodations for the North and West Shores are fractional/timeshare ownership units, which have higher occupancy rates, e.g. Boulder Bay (Crystal Bay), Homewood Mountain Resort (Homewood), and Sandy Beach. This “Supersizing” of TAU usage will create accelerated stress on public infrastructure and environmental impacts. The transfer of TAUs from one commercial area to another, even within the same county, will also affect development in both areas. For example, Homewood Mountain Resort has bought a motel in Brockway and plans to transfer the TAUs to their development. The North Tahoe PUD is concerned that ratepayers will be affected in that district.
Another development design practice is also unrealistic. Based on current ordinances, parking requirements for motel units are one space per unit, which is adequate for a small motel typically containing one bed, one car and two people. But a TAU transfer to a four-bedroom fractional unit with up to 10 people in residence realistically requires parking up to four spaces, and the additional provision for a boat trailer. So where do the owners/tourists park? Everywhere they can and sometimes shouldn’t.
Why should you care about TAUs? If you are a developer, you don’t want to change anything. However, the scale, character, infrastructure and environment of the community can be overwhelmed by this unregulated growth. This is of concern to the North Tahoe Citizen Action Alliance, League to Save Lake Tahoe, Sierra Club, and several community oriented organization around Lake Tahoe.
A more realistic approach to the TAU definition has been proposed by the North Tahoe Citizen Action Alliance, and is based on the number of bedrooms. If a developer wants to build a four bedroom fractional/timeshare unit, it will require four TAUs, and four parking spaces. The direct benefits to the community would be environmental improvements to Lake Tahoe by reduction of unit density, decreased traffic, less air pollution, and preservation of community scale and character.
To comment on this issue, contact TRPA, Attn: Mr. John Singlaub, Executive Director, 128 Market Street, Stateline, Nevada 89449, or at jsinglaub@trpa.org and express your opinion. If you don’t speak up, this inequity will continue.
~ Jerry Wotel, Tahoe Vista
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