We, the North Lake Tahoe community, are fully capable of looking out for ourselves and our beloved lake. The League’s decision to file a lawsuit challenging Placer County’s approval of the Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan is misguided and should be reversed. 

Our community is filled with dedicated citizens committed to improving our environment and quality of life. Hundreds of volunteers invest their time and expertise to make North Lake Tahoe a better place for themselves, their families, and future generations. We engage in open, transparent meetings where all voices are heard, consensus is built, and decisions reflect the community’s collective interests. This process works, and I trust it. 

The League’s unilateral decision to pursue a lawsuit undermines this collaborative effort. It disregards the years of hard work put into regional, area, and community plans designed to address tourism impacts, including traffic and parking management, workforce housing, transportation, forest fuels reduction, and trash and noise treatment. These plans are comprehensive, complex, and require ongoing understanding, patience, and investment to move forward. Allowing an outside organization to block our progress jeopardizes our ability to address current challenges and prepare for the inevitable growth in visitor demand. 

North Lake Tahoe is already home to numerous nonprofits working tirelessly to make a positive impact working with local government and the business community to achieve their goals. When any nonprofit’s leadership directs its staff to file lawsuits against entities with shared goals of environmental stewardship, economic vitality, and community wellness, it is counterproductive and unacceptable. Filing a lawsuit under the guise of “defending Tahoe” is, in reality, a fundraising tactic aimed at those sympathetic to a misleading narrative. With closed board meetings, the League operates outside the public eye – no colored t-shirts show up, there is no opportunity for our community to scrutinize their decisions. This is not transparency. North Lake Tahoe is being punished by the will of a select few, and we do not need this kind of “defense.” 

This isn’t the first time. From 2002 to 2007, my family worked diligently to bring a workforce housing project to market in Tahoe Vista. Despite our efforts to accommodate the League’s demands, the project was ultimately opposed and derailed. That project could have delivered 30 Moderate and 50 Affordable housing units on 12 acres of open land, addressing a critical need in our community. Instead, the opportunity was taken away – and now, it’s happening again. 

As a business owner, I understand firsthand the challenges of our seasonal economy – from retaining employees to managing rising costs of insurance, utilities, and wages. The proposed Tahoe Specific Plan offers significant economic benefits by bringing year-round recreation to the region. It does not just help Palisades Tahoe manage peak winter visitation; it supports the sustainability of businesses across the area by generating much-needed activity during slower seasons. 

Furthermore, the League’s actions threaten our community’s proven funding model. The Tahoe Specific Plan and associated development agreement would generate substantial investments in workforce housing, transportation, and other critical areas. The resulting increase in Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) and Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) assessments would provide locally controlled funding through the North Tahoe Community Alliance. As Chair of the Zone 1 Committee, I see firsthand how these funds are evaluated, leveraged and applied to projects that directly mitigate tourism impacts. This process works – and it’s essential to our future. 

North Lake Tahoe thrives because of its strong ecosystem of committed volunteers, supportive Placer County staff (many living here full-time), and a cooperative business community. Together, we openly collaborate to build a better future. I urge the League’s Board of Directors to reconsider their course of action. Open your boardroom. Return to the table. Collaborate with us – your fellow stewards of Tahoe – to achieve consensus solutions. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Alexander A. Mourelatos 

Alex Mourelatos is one of the family owners and General Manager of the Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort located on the shores of Lake Tahoe in Tahoe Vista, California. The family has been operating the business since 1978.