El Dorado County Local News: Land Use & Development


All Local Land Use & Development News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works

The Williamson Act, passed in 1965, now keeps more than 16 million acres of farmland out of the hands of developers. Here's how the law puts the brakes on the development of California agricultural properties.

Image caption: Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law

The California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA, is both the state’s signature environmental legislation, and is also often named as the villain in the state’s housing shortage. But the story may not be that simple.

Image caption: The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land

How California’s 10 state conservancies buy up open land and shield it from developers to preserve the natural environment for public use.

Image caption: Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does

What is the California Coastal Commission? How one of the state’s most powerful agency protects public access to the state’s scenic coast from Mexico to Oregon.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society

Zoning laws determine what can be built and where. These laws have shaped California, but are they really just tools for social engineering? The history of zoning is closely tied to racial segregation, as well as the state's shortage of …

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05/16/2024
Image for display with article titled City to Prepare Report on Newly Certified Vacancy Tax Measure

The South Lake Tahoe City Council unanimously voted in favor of preparing an informational report on the impacts of the vacancy tax measure hitting ballots in November.

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05/16/2024
Image for display with article titled Is the Death Rate of Tahoe Trees Getting Better or Worse?

Earlier this year, the USDA/USFS Aerial Detection Monitoring sector released the R5 ADS Final Report (aka the 2023 Aerial Detection Survey Results for Region 5) highlighting the tree mortality rate in California.

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05/16/2024
Image for display with article titled Mechanical Forest Thinning Project to Begin Near South Lake Tahoe

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is scheduled to begin mechanical forest thinning this week on approximately 75 acres located in two locations, one near High Meadows Trail and one near Cascade Properties in South Lake Tahoe.

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05/15/2024
Image for display with article titled South Lake Tahoe Provides Loan to Developer for Affordable Housing Project

City Council passed a motion on May 7, providing a predevelopment loan to a developer for an affordable housing project, plans of which rely on changes to area developmental standards currently caught up in litigation.

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05/14/2024
Image for display with article titled Homewood Mountain Resort Submits Revised Master Plan to Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency received a revised Master Plan from Homewood Mountain Resort, marking a significant step forward in the resort's redevelopment plans.

California Local Pin Marker From South Tahoe Now...

05/14/2024
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors heard from a 13 member citizen advisory group and other residents about updates to the vacation rental home ordinance.

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05/10/2024
Image for display with article titled Map Update to Existing Fire Ordinance Turns Into Wider Discussion of Fuels Reduction Efficacy

City Council unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance designating Very High Fire Severity Zones within city limits provided by CalFire. South Tahoe Fire Chief Jim Drennan explained, "This really is just a revision of the map for an ordinance that's already in place."

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05/10/2024
Image for display with article titled New Playground Coming to Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe

Plywood currently blocks off the entrance to the now nonexistent slide that used to carry kids down the Al Tahoe playground since it was built in the late 1990s.

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05/09/2024
Image for display with article titled Mid-Town Area Plan Kicks Off at City Council

The city of South Lake Tahoe's Mid-Town Area Plan process is now underway.

California Local Pin Marker From South Tahoe Now...

05/09/2024
The month-long event will highlight 21 titles, with proceeds benefitting local nonprofit Clean Up the Lake.

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05/06/2024
Image for display with article titled South Lake Tahoe Council Approves Rezone for Development Near Van Sickle Bi-State Park

City Council approved a local developer's application to rezone a parcel near Montreal Road and Van Sickle Bi-State Park at their meeting on Tuesday, April 23. The decision changes the parcel's zoning from recreation to tourist center mixed-use zoning.

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05/02/2024
Image for display with article titled City Council to Send Vail a Message

A City Council agenda item originally providing an update on Heavenly parking arrangements and amending the parking agreement quickly turned to discussions of terminating the agreement altogether.

California Local Pin Marker From South Tahoe Now...

05/02/2024
A look at the "burnbot", a remote control masticator being used to reduce fuels in the Tahoe National Forest.

California Local Pin Marker From Mountain Democrat...

05/01/2024
UC Davis researchers are joining a developer to build a "healthy living" community of thousands of homes on 2,800 acres near Latrobe Road.

California Local Pin Marker From Village Life...

04/30/2024
The El Dorado Hills Community Services District Board of Directors is moving forward with the design and permits for the Powerline Park Bike Trails and Silver Dove Bike Park.

California Local Pin Marker From South Tahoe Now...

04/30/2024
The California Tahoe Conservancy announced public comment and feedback is open for their 2024-2029 draft strategic plan.

California Local Pin Marker From South Tahoe Now...

04/29/2024
It's time to work on home defensible space and fire hardening.

California Local Pin Marker From Mountain Democrat...

04/29/2024
Located at Saratoga Way and Wilson Boulevard, the 2.1-acre park held its grand opening on April 17.

California Local Pin Marker From Mountain Democrat...

04/26/2024
El Dorado County is planning for a new homeless navigation center in Placerville on Forni Road.

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04/25/2024
Image for display with article titled City of South Lake Tahoe Seeks Input for Programs at the Multigenerational Recreation and Swim Complex

The City's Park and Recreation Department is seeking input on future programs at the new recreation and swim complex. \

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