A land-use and zoning plan for the community of Meyers in El Dorado County was approved Wednesday, Feb. 28, by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board.

The plan, officially known as the Meyers Area Plan, was unanimously approved by the board more than two months after being adopted by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors. With TRPA approval, the plan will go back to the supervisors for one final vote.

The area plan covers approximately 669 acres of the Meyers community, centered around the intersection of U.S. 50 and California Route 89.

“The county greatly thanks the Meyers community for their continued participation through the long process to create and adopt the Meyers Area Plan and we are excited to move ahead now with implementing the goals and policies outlined in the plan to make Meyers a better place to live, work, and play,” Brendan Ferry, principal planner for El Dorado County, said in a press release.

Approval of the plan came after five years of community meetings that followed approval of the TRPA Regional Plan in 2012. The Meyers Area Plan is the fifth local area plan approved at Lake Tahoe since adoption of the regional plan, according to TRPA.

The Meyers Area Plan updates land uses, and zoning and building and sign design standards for the Meyers community, and identifies measures and proposed projects to improve recreation opportunities, transportation, community vitality and the environment, according to TRPA.

It includes new protections for landmark trees in Meyers, adds 348 acres of conservation-zoned land and 137 acres of recreation-zoned land to the area plan boundary, offers new incentives for buildings that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and outlines proposals for new trails, bike lanes, and shared-use paths to better link neighborhoods, schools, shopping areas and recreation sites.

The plan also creates a Meyers Advisory Council comprised of community residents who will help advise El Dorado County’s Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors on projects and issues in Meyers.

“TRPA applauds the Meyers community and El Dorado County for working together on this important area plan,” Joanne Marchetta, TRPA executive director, said in a press release. “We look forward to working with community partners to help implement this plan to improve the environment, recreation opportunities, quality of life, and transportation infrastructure and services in the Meyers community.”