At the Lake: Storm slams Sierra

Part two of a trio of winter storms slammed into the Sierra on Sunday, snarling Highway 50 for Sacramento- and Bay Area-bound motorists, but bringing much-needed snow to ski resorts that have struggled this season.

The third storm, considered to be the strongest, should arrive sometime today and last into Tuesday, bringing with it at least a foot of snow at lake level, and two or more feet above 7,000 feet. When all is said and done, more than six feet will have fallen at lake level and six feet of snow will have fallen in higher elevations, forecasters say.

Between the steady purr of snowblowers in neighborhoods from Stateline to Meyers, traffic eked along the busy highway corridor, following about a two-hour shutdown of Highway 50 for avalanche control. More than 50 reports of fender-bender accidents were made to police dispatch on Sunday, none of the accidents being very serious.

"The difference between this storm and other storms is that this one fell at the end of the President's Day week. We had a lot of vacationers up here trying to get back home," said Leona Allen, communications supervisor for the 911 center in South Lake Tahoe.

Chains were mandatory Sunday on a Highway 50 over Echo Summit, Interstate 80 over Donner Summit, and Highway 88 over Carson Pass. Chains or snow tires were required on most other highways in the region, including much of Highway 395 between Bridgeport and Reno.

Whiteout conditions caused by 60-plus mph gusts forced a number of lifts to shut down early Sunday afternoon at a number of resorts, including Heavenly. Since Thursday, the storms have dropped more than 4 1/2 feet of snow at between Heavenly Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Mountain Resort and Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Today's storm, however, should be bigger than the two other systems, with anywhere between 12 and 18 inches expected at lake level and between 18 to 30 inches above 7,000 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

"This next one should be the grand-daddy because it has the support of both of the jet streams," said Simon Smith, South Lake Tahoe's co-op observer for the National Weather Service. The storm should start sometime this afternoon and could last well into Tuesday, possibly into Wednesday.

The snowfall also has given a much-needed boost to a skimpy Sierra snowpack, which has recently stood at 40 percent to 50 percent of average for the date in the Lake Tahoe area.

A Tahoe Regional Planning Agency staff recommendation on Heavenly's Master Plan amendment paves the way towards one of the plan's final hurdles to implementation, approval by the TRPA's Governing Board.

TRPA staff will recommend alternative 4 "with modifications" at Wednesday's Governing Board meeting, according to a statement issued by TRPA.

"Modifications include a requirement that no trees larger than 24" in diameter (diameter is measured at breast height) will be cut on one of the proposed ski trails and a provision that no grooming would occur on this trail as not to disturb the underlying vegetation," according to the statement.

Heavenly appeared satisfied with the recommendation, although the resort initially favored alternative 2.

"Through the agency's collaborative efforts it appears they have developed a solution that offers high quality recreation that protects and further enhances the environment," said Russ Pecoraro, spokesman for Heavenly.

The alternative that will be recommended by TRPA staff calls for the replacement of the North Bowl and Olympic lifts with a single high-speed quad without an angled mid-station configuration.

Environmental groups in the basin have favored alternatives 4a and 5 because the lift configuration avoided the need to remove hundreds of large red fir trees in the Nevada Woods area of Heavenly. The trees are defined as old growth under TRPA regulations.

The new chair lift proposed in alternative 4 would bisect this stand of red fir.

"It's the wrong decision," said John Friedrich, spokesman for the League to Save Lake Tahoe. "Everyone who wants to see an alternative chosen that avoids impacting the North Bowl stand should come speak out at the Governing Board meeting."

Alternative 4 does provide for the removal of fewer total trees than alternative 2 through the "glading" of the new ski trails proposed in the North Bowl area. "Glading" of ski trails would leave half the trees standing on the new runs, according to the Master Plan Environmental Impact Report.

Discussion of the Heavenly Master Plan is set for 10:30 a.m. at Wednesday's meeting. Also on the agenda is the Villas at Harborside project in Homewood. The proposed development project is slated to be discussed at 2 p.m.

A dog park, Target store, monorail, scheduled air service, transportation service overhaul, youth sailing program " city leaders did not run short of ideas to improve life in South Lake Tahoe.

The City Council and department heads gathered all day Friday at Inn By the Lake to crank out their goals, visions and dreams with one big idea in mind " to develop the local government's strategic plan. First, facilitator Len Wood asked them to view the exercise as if money was no object, until city Finance Director Christine Vuletich reminded her colleagues that responsible fiscal policy should be an underlying goal amid all ideas.

For an $85 million corporation like the organization known as the city, it's easy to spend money. It's more difficult to practice restraint when many of the veterans care about enhancing the community. Some staffers and council members have spent decades in the community watching the ebb and flow of programs and services through the years. The city has seen many challenges, with major staff cuts in 1999 and the threat of more budget axes a few years later to cut a $2 million shortfall.

When all was said and done, collective priorities were ranked ranging from completing the city's general plan, airport runway, Highway 50 project, 56-acre concept, Tahoe Valley Community Plan, street repair program, customer service policy and an improved internal communications plan.

The City Council will deliberate the joint goals with the members' individual wish lists at a later public workshop scheduled for 10 a.m. March 5 at the council chambers to prioritize the matters that affect the future of South Lake Tahoe.

"This is what 478 cities in California do when developing their general plan," City Manager Dave Jinkens said in setting the scenario.

To get to that point, the earlier exercises seemed to built cohesion, compatibility and creativity, with the group at one point hunkering down on the floor drawing and writing their wish lists on maps and easel sheets.

"It's dangerous to give planners pens and a map," city Redevelopment Manager Gene Palazzo joked, as he proceeded to outline roundabouts, streetscapes, mixed-use development, potential annexation of areas outside the city limits and a dog park. The latter, along with more work force housing commonly brought up around Barbara Avenue, appeared to be an ongoing theme for a town and region known for the love of its canines.

Beyond the divided departments, city council members were given their own individual canvas to dream on.

"Isn't this our inspiration?" Mayor Kathay Lovell asked that morning while glancing out at the picturesque view of the lake's South Shore. It had snowed more than a foot at lake level the night before, creating a backdrop for what Tahoe lovers call a bluebird day. That's the signature blend of white powder and sunny, blue skies.

Councilman Mike Weber used a corner next to the large picture window adjacent to the Highway 50 as his source of inspiration during the exercise.

Weber wanted to use August as a timeline date to coordinate efforts to bring money into the region. Every summer, local, state and federal lawmakers with interested agencies and parties descend on the South Shore for a Lake Tahoe environmental summit designed to attract funds to projects that improve lake clarity.

"They say money follows good ideas," Weber said.

Councilman Jerry Birdwell was quick and firm in his suggestions: Implementing the Tahoe Valley Community Plan created to revitalize the "Y" area, finish the Highway 50 curb-and-gutter project and achieve full commercial service at the Lake Tahoe Airport.

"And this is why. When we get the convention center completed, we'll need full service," Birdwell said.

Much of the bank of ideas and willingness to have consensus in steering the direction of the city revolves around synergy.

Lovell added many projects to the visionary wish list, which included a rehabilitation of Regan Beach, South Tahoe Middle School community track, city roads and workforce housing " namely, behind the Raley's at the Village Center across from the Marriott-anchored Heavenly Village. It also involved the building of the $410 million convention center complex, the assistance in finding a new home for Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care and the creation of the concept of the 56-acre project, an extensive blueprint designed to enhance recreation and culture in an area anchored by Campground by the Lake.

Councilman Ted Long threw in the construction of an indoor tennis park to host a Tahoe celebrity tournament and a high-speed rail service to take advantage of whisking Bay Area visitors in one hour to Meyers, where a welcome center would greet them.

"I took the assignment as an absolute license to fantasize," Long said.

Transportation became a reoccurring theme. Councilman Bill Crawford provided a pragmatic approach to the goals, which he chose to mention over the short term.

Crawford wants to overhaul the bus system, referencing a few recent criticisms of BlueGo run by Area Transit Management as an example.

"I think we've digressed seriously," he said, referring to former youth ski and sailing programs once supported by Parks and Recreation years ago. He even mentioned how the ski hill was removed from South Tahoe High School.

"If we make a community for those who live here, we make it good for the visitors," he said.