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Glenbrook’s ‘piergate’ is a subject TRPA won’t soon address

by Andy Bourelle

The Governing Board of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency won’t be holding a hearing on the controversial, contentious issue of piers at Glenbrook Bay for a few months, an official said Tuesday.

Disagreeing parties have been trying to negotiate an agreement on the issue and have decided not to take it before the board until August, said Gary Midkiff, a consultant for Glenbrook property owner Robert Daiss.

The TRPA board had planned to consider a ban of all future pier construction in the area today. Its advisory board endorsed the pier prohibition earlier this month.



Daiss is proposing an amendment that would solidify guidelines created in the 1980s, which detail Glenbrook homeowners’ wishes to keep new piers out of the bay.

One reason for the push now is TRPA is in the process of amending its shorezone ordinances. Property owners are concerned that the proposed changes may allow more piers in the bay, which is almost pier-free now.



Another reason is that two Glenbrook homeowners – Harvey Whittemore and Larry Ruvo – have two applications currently submitted to TRPA for pier’s in the bay. If approved, the Glenbrook residents feel, that could open up the possibility for up to 15 other piers to be built along the beach.

Whittemore’s and Ruvo’s proposals have been controversial. There is a pending Douglas County District Court lawsuit to block the construction of one of the piers.

Additionally, Whittemore is a powerful casino lobbyist in Nevada, and wording that would help his pier plans recently was slipped into a Nevada Senate bill revising rules for homeowners’ associations. Branded “piergate,” the controversial move brought much attention to both Whittemore and the senator who introduced it.

Last week, the Assembly approved the bill – minus the wording that could have helped Whittemore.

The bill now is back before the Senate for consideration on the amendments.


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