News Briefs
Fire Mitigation Work Impacts Roads, Trails
TAHOE BASIN
NV Energy is replacing power poles and clearing large logs and brush that pose fire hazards to company infrastructure in the Tahoe Basin. Due to the steep, mountainous terrain in the area, NV Energy will use helicopters to conduct this work.
The work began Oct. 14 and will last for approximately 5 weeks. There may be brief disruptions to traffic and trails between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. while work is ongoing. Additionally, the company will be removing hazardous logs and brush from six sections along Lake Tahoe. Roads and trails in the area will be impacted during this timeframe to allow for the safe movement of the helicopter and other equipment.
Affected areas include:
- US Highway 50: Intermittent closures near Spooner Summit, Glenbrook, and Spooner Cut-Off Road.
- State Route 28: Intermittent and full closure of lanes along State Route 28 in Crystal Bay and between Sand Harbor and Thunderbird Lodge. Lane closure of State Route 28 near Sweetwater Road.
- East Shore Bike Path, Bear Mountain Trail, Chimney Beach Trails, Daggett Loop Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail to the east of US 50.
Learn more by visiting nvenergy.com/powersafenv.
~ NV Energy press release
Tyrolian Trail Reroute Now Open
INCLINE VILLAGE
The newly rerouted, final segment of the Tyrolian Downhill Trail in Incline Village is now complete, offering mountain bikers a new section of technical singletrack while incorporating important environmental improvements. The new 0.75-mile trail segment was rerouted to move the lower section of the trail away from nearby residential neighborhoods and to reduce impacts on the nearby creek.
Built by the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and with funding support from the Tahoe Fund, the Tyrolian Reroute includes technical rock work, a 24-foot wood bridge, and a new 0.25-mile connection to the Diamond Peak Resort parking lot where the trail concludes.
The project also had the support of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association and the Incline Village General Improvement District.
Learn more about the Tahoe Fund’s Tahoe Trails Endowment at tahoefund.org/projects/active-projects/tahoe-trails-endowment.
~ Tahoe Fund press release
Notice of Default Removed for Tahoe Biltmore Project
CRYSTAL BAY
The previous notice of default on the Tahoe Biltmore Hotel and Casino site in Crystal Bay has been rescinded. EKN Development is continuing to prep the site for construction as efforts to refinance the project advance.
“We are focused on ensuring a successful outcome for all stakeholders as we actively work through the restructuring of financing,” said Ebbie K. Nakhjavani, founder and CEO of EKN. “As a result of these efforts, the notice of default has now been removed. We remain fully committed to the revitalization of the Tahoe Biltmore property as we continue to invest and make progress on site work in anticipation of demolition and groundbreaking by spring 2025.”
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency unanimously approved the revitalization project on April 26, 2023.
To date, the developers have completed the initial required steps to abate the hotel structure and demolish the property’s cottages while continuing to mitigate pre-existing environmental impacts with preliminary site cleaning measures.
~ EKN Development press release
Home Kitchen Program Townhall Scheduled
NEVADA CITY
Nevada County will hold an online town hall meeting on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m., to discuss a proposed microenterprise home kitchen program under consideration by the board of supervisors. Should the board move forward with approval of an ordinance, residents in Nevada County could legally operate small restaurants from their homes.
The town hall will be an opportunity for community members to learn more about microenterprise home kitchens, ask questions, and share opinions. The Nevada County Environmental Health Department will provide details about food safety regulations, needed permits, business licenses, well standards, and more.
Microenterprise home kitchens are different from cottage food operations, which are already allowed in Nevada County. Cottage food operations sell pre-packaged foods from private homes with no on-site food consumption.
Microenterprise home kitchens, by contrast, would be able to offer on-site dining, pick-up or delivery options to customers. They would have to prepare and serve food the same day, with a limit of serving no more than 30 meals a day or 90 meals a week.
To access the online meeting, visit nevadacountyca.gov/homekitchentownhall. For more information about the ordinance, visit nevadacountyca.gov/homekitchens.
~ Nevada County press release
Presentation to Discuss the Effects of Climate Change on Children
TRUCKEE
The North Tahoe chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby will host a free discussion on children’s health and climate change by author and pediatrician Debra Hendrickson, MD, in Truckee on Oct. 23 at the Truckee Town Hall Council Chamber from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Dr. Hendrickson will also be signing copies of her new book, The Air They Breathe, A Pediatrician on the Front Lines of Climate Change, about the health impacts of climate change on children.
Dr. Hendrickson is a board-certified pediatrician practicing in Reno. She is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, and is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the AAP’s Council on Environmental Health, and a founding member of Nevada Clinicians for Climate Action. Before attending medical school, she worked for 10 years as an environmental analyst.
~ Citizens’ Climate Lobby press release
Business Briefs
Applications Open for Green Energy Program
NEVADA
NV Energy is now accepting applications for its updated NV GreenEnergy Rider program, which makes more than 230,000 megawatt hours of energy from renewable resources available to residential and business customers.
Under the program, eligible customers pay an additional fee to offset their electricity usage through one of two options: existing renewable resources or new renewable resources.
Large commercial customers that have average annual usage of 1 megawatt or greater can take advantage of the option to use a new renewable resource. Interested customers will work with NV Energy to identify and assign a new resource to meet their load and execute a special contract with the utility that must be filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada for approval.
Interested customers must submit a letter of intent to NV Energy as outlined on nvenergy.com/cleanenergy/ngr-open-season by Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. If more customers sign up than there is available capacity for the program, a transparent lottery system will be used to designate energy allotments.
~ NV Energy press release
