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Various housing topics to keep council busy

Susan Wood, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Housing will top the South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting Tuesday at 9 a.m. The council will have a public hearing on the subject, five days after the Planning Commission advanced the city’s housing element — a portion of the general plan in its draft stage. The final document is due Dec. 31.

Among the topics relative to housing, the most controversial are the comments submitted by citizens relating to vacation home rentals in residential neighborhoods.

The rentals have received much attention recently in respect to regulatory interest from local governments and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, which has a say on land-use issues in the basin.



City staff suggests the council consider comments made about the rentals, including those residents who take issue with the level of affordable housing units to meet the needs of low- to moderate-income residents.

To counteract the loss of permanent housing in neighborhoods, the City Council may explore a long-term strategy, as in 10 to 30 years, of “gradually transitioning from reliance on residential structures in residential neighborhoods to improving the supply of commercial tourist accommodations elsewhere in the city,” the staff report reads.



City staff placed a yellow flag on the situation, figuring vacation rentals affect 10 percent of the city’s housing stock.

Also on the agenda, the city wants to accommodate the building of more affordable housing units by proposing a zone change near the planned Melba Drive complex.

Due there is a $4 million housing complex with 26 units on 2.6 acres.

The City Council may also decide to apply for more housing rehabilitation funds from the state. If funded, the city may allocate $500,000 to repair homes and help first-time buyers.

— Susan Wood can be reached at (530) 542-8009 or via e-mail at swood@tahoedailytribune.com


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