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Parking issues loom as gondola start nears

Robert Stern, Tribune staff writer

As the opening date for Heavenly Ski Resort’s $20 million gondola approaches, parking is moving to the forefront of debate.

But with an opening date of Dec. 21, Heavenly has no responsibility to provide parking. There are no Tahoe Regional Planning Agency or South Lake Tahoe city codes that require parking for a gondola.

But according to Larry Hoffman, attorney for Raley’s, the national supermarket chain in the Crescent V shopping center, some of Raley’s parking will be set aside for the gondola. This is information that he said was presented to him Tuesday night by the leaseholder of the shopping center, Terry Hackett.



Hoffman argues the existing lease gives Raley’s veto power on such decisions.

“Raley’s lease gives control to approve any parking plan in order to ensure parking is protectable for Raley’s.” Hoffman said.



To bypass the problem, Heavenly has a plan to use Area Transit Management buses to take gondola passengers to a bus loop near the gondola base station.

President of Heavenly Dennis Harmon said the intention of the gondola is to service tourists staying in the Stateline hotels. Skiers and snowboarders driving to the mountain will go to the California Base Lodge, not to the gondola. He also said that there will be three buses traveling from the California Lodge to the gondola for motorists who want to ride the gondola.

“We are going to watch it on a daily basis and we can change that on a dime,” Harmon said.


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