INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The 15,000-sq.-ft. underwater hockey/swimming pool house being built at what is known as the former “Quiet Waters Estate” on Lakeshore Boulevard in Incline Village has garnered a lot of attention lately, and fellow east shore residents are questioning why such an elaborate structure is being built for what’s permitted for just personal use.

The property owner behind the 5,514-sq.-ft. natatorium being built is Lyndon Rive, who bought the two lots in the middle of Lakeshore Boulevard on the lake side totaling 1.73 acres back in 2021.

Rive is Elon Musk’s cousin and founder of SolarCity, which Rive says was the largest residential solar power provider in California in 2006, according to his LinkedIn. However, the stock for SolarCity tanked and in a Men’s Journal article written by Burt Helm, Tesla/Elon Musk eventually bought SolarCity back for $2.6 billion.

The 2017 Men’s Journal article about Rive portrays him as an active person—into mountain bikes, kitesurfing, cycling, and underwater hockey. Him and his wife Madeline both played underwater hockey for the South Africa national team and competed in the World Championships held in San Jose in 1998. A 2013 Forbes’ article said Madeline was able to get her US green card by being “an exceptional underwater hockey player” and Lyndon got his through marriage to her.

Therefore, when Lyndon bought the two parcels on Lakeshore Boulevard for around $32.5 million, it seems that he immediately got to work on remodeling the place to contain an octopush/liquid playground.

In looking at the blueprints of the project that were approved by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in 2022, the three-story indoor pool house will have five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a locker room, showers, bunk rooms, and other amenities. Another house on the adjoining parcel closer to its 200-ft. lake frontage will have another five bedrooms, kitchen, game room, two garages, dining room, spa, and more.

However, since the property is a “single-family residence”, holding underwater hockey tournaments would be a violation of the TRPA permit.

It’s no secret that Incline Village is a place where the ultrawealthy relocate for the beautiful scenery and tax breaks, but it’s also where 40% of Incline’s elementary school children are on the free or reduced lunch program. The great divide between the upper and lower classes especially comes under intense scrutiny when what is planned to be built between Big Blue and those thick construction walls is exposed.

Around June 2024, residents filed complaints with the TRPA about the proposed natatorium project.

“There was no indication when we permitted [the natatorium] that it would be a public project,” says TRPA Spokesperson Jeff Cowen. However, just to be safe, the TRPA sent a warning letter dated July 3 to Lyndon Rive about them. Here are some excerpts of the letter:

“This correspondence is in relation to TPRA Permit # ERSP2022-0027, which authorizes construction of a single-family dwelling and indoor pool at your property at 885 Lakeshore Boulevard, Incline Village, NV.

Several property owners in Incline Village have recently contacted TRPA to express concerns
regarding the use of your referenced property. Additionally, TRPA has been made aware of several news articles suggesting that you intend to use this property as an underwater hockey club.

We would like to make sure you understand the allowed use of your property under your permit. Although a swimming pool is a permissible accessory use to a single-family dwelling, using the property in such a way as to meet TRPA’s definition of ‘Amusements and Recreation Services’ would represent an unauthorized use. (See also the definitions of ‘Privately Owned Assembly and Entertainment’ and ‘Participant Sports Facilities,’ both of which uses would also exceed the use approved in your permit.)

TRPA does not consider ambiguous or extrinsic statements about the intended use of your property, which may not be directly attributable to you, a present violation of your permit. Should, however, further information demonstrate the property is ever being used as something other than a single-family dwelling with an accessory swimming pool, TRPA may be forced to enforce the permit through legal action, including but not limited to seeking injunctive relief and civil penalties.”

TRPA Spokesperson Jeff Cowen says that people come in with applications with unusual building ideas quite often and the agency’s job is to make sure it meets building codes for the area, that it meets the Regional Plan, and that all environmental impact concerns are adequately addressed. The TRPA’s number one priority for any project is that Lake Tahoe’s water quality stays protected.

Rive’s natatorium doesn’t impact water quality of the lake which was one of the main reasons why it was approved through the TRPA, but the property owner also has other agencies to answer to such as the fire district and Washoe County building department to meet other codes.

“There’s a perception that more money gets you whatever you want [with the TRPA] but that’s absolutely not true,” Cowen says.

For instance, the allowable height limit on a building is 36 feet and Cowen says that it’s been that way for decades, but people just can’t afford to build that high.

“The buildings on the lake must meet our shoreline compliance standards,” Cowen says.

Another example is that for projects or buildings that reduce the scenic views on the lake, builders must put in special low reflectivity glass windows “, and those are expensive,” Cowen adds.

“Folks have always designed their projects based on what they can afford, and it’s always been driven by resources available to them,” Cowen says.

Even though the TRPA sent a letter of warning to Rive, what would happen if he were to ignore it and hold an octopush (underwater hockey) tournament anyway?

“An investigation would be launched with our compliance and legal teams starting with issuing a complaint,” Cowen says.

Most of the time the TRPA calls or talks to the malefactor directly to work out the issue, explaining the code violations, penalties, and time frame for mitigating the problem. These compliance issues go to the TRPA governing board regularly, though, and some can take months to reach a fair compromise. With problems that can’t be resolved (like cutting down a tree, placing an illegal buoy on Lake Tahoe, or dumping waste into the lake), the TRPA will issue a fine that comes to a settlement. Something like placing a concrete block mooring is very detrimental to the lake because it disrupts fish and marine life, directly affecting the water quality that TRPA works to preserve.

In the case of Rive’s potential natatorium, Cowen says that if something were to take place on his property that required the TRPA’s compliance team to go in, then all those activities would be stopped.

There have been examples of special events being held on private property such as Beach Boys concert that benefits the Tahoe Forest Health System. Could Lyndon Rive hold an underwater hockey tournament in the name of charity?

“The property owners could apply for a temporary event permit,” Cowen says.

“People get concerned when a lot of money is being spent that something un-forwarding is happening,” Cowen says.

Especially on the shoreline when we see a significant amount of investment taking place, people catch wind of that on social media and they start to complain.

He adds, “The idea that money gets you more at the TRPA is unhelpful when we’re wrestling about bigger issues like transportation and affordable housing.”

The Tahoe Daily Tribune tried to reach out to Lyndon Rive for comment but did not receive a response.