The density, look, and character of a community are defined by a variety of land use planning efforts. In the Tahoe Basin, land use falls under the El Dorado County Zoning Ordinance and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s Regional Plan. 

Currently, the land use policies and zoning designations in some areas conflict with one another. This creates confusion about what is allowed and what can be built on these properties. Conflicting land use policies can constrain or prevent new projects on those sites.

An Area Plan can refine proposed land uses in a specific community to better reflect the unique vision of its residents and businesses. These proposed land use plans can also potentially resolve conflicting policies and zoning requirements on topics like housing, circulation, land use, recreation, and conservation. An Area Plan can also create consistency and establish land use designations that would be unique to the County’s unincorporated area of the Tahoe Basin and key communities within that planning area.

A concurrent effort is underway by TRPA to develop new land use standards that will affect all areas of the Tahoe Basin to enhance affordable housing. However, implementation of these new standards could vary for jurisdictions with adopted Area Plans. This is another reason why the County is moving forward with the TED.

The Goal:

The goal of this effort is to ensure consistency between the County’s Zoning Ordinance and TRPA’s Plan Area Statements, simplify permitting and streamline environmental review, allow the County to control land use policies and decisions based on each community’s needs, and incorporate TRPA Code and State law updates – ultimately, establishing a better framework to advance housing and economic development.

Learn more about the TED here.