Editor's Note: This is one in a series of articles on builders of South Lake Tahoe by Steve Brown, an instructor at Lake Tahoe Community College, where he teaches a class on the Science of Building. Each article profiles a person at the South Shore who is a builder of structures as well as actively involved in building a better community.



Carl Hasty is a man driven by a dream. He loves his work, which gives him the opportunity to pursue his vision of a more pristine and placid "Jewel of the Sierra."

When asked whether we are moving inevitably toward a zero allocation mode, he had a surprising and enlightened answer. He said that it is not inevitable, nor even desirable. He feels that we must be driven by our human values, which include growth as well as the preservation of our "Jewel." He believes there should be a zero sum growth, but there will continue to be improvements which can provide for the growth the community needs. As deputy director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, his views are important.

Hasty is an old-timer, having lived in Northern Nevada for about 28 years. His major venture outside the area was spent attending California Polytechnic Institute at Pomona, the premier hands-on institute in the country. His wife, Shaun, managed their home, adding three more contributing members of society, and then proceeded to become a nurse practitioner working in Carson City. His and his wife have been instrumental in nourishing their local soccer league, helping them grown from a few to more than 1,300.

As other officials and members of the construction community have told me, Hasty recognizes the legitimate rights of property owners and the range of all the human values which must be considered when administering our codes, plans and limits.

The current ongoing redevelopment going on in town demonstrates that under the guidance of men like Carl Hasty, we can provide beautification, new construction and preservation. May we all share in his vision and his temperate leadership.