Tahoe group views donor's violations as serious

RENO (AP) - Lake Tahoe's leading conservation organization says it regards environmental violations that took place at the site of its annual fundraiser as "a very serious matter."

League to Save Lake Tahoe Chair Robert Damaschino said the group was unaware of the violations at the Tahoe City property of Tamara Fritz until a few weeks ago, when the settlement process between her and regulators was well under way.

Fritz has agreed to pay a $35,000 fine to settle a dispute over the illegal extension of a pier and the unauthorized installation of a boatlift. But the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's legal committee now is considering a higher fine.

Fritz's lakefront property is the site of the annual Oscar de la Renta Fashion Show, which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the league. The event is scheduled to take place there as scheduled Aug. 6.

"The League to Save Lake Tahoe views the environmental violations that took place at the site of our fundraiser as a very serious matter," Damaschino said in a statement. "We support the efforts of TRPA and the landowner to correct them and assure they are not repeated."

Fritz did not return phone calls seeking comment.

The story about the environmental violations was first reported by the Tahoe Daily Tribune of South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

TRPA's legal committee decided last week to postpone action on a settlement agreement regarding code violations on Fritz's property. The committee plans to meet sometime in August with Fritz or her representative to consider whether the $35,000 fine is enough. TRPA's governing board would then take final action on the fine.

The issue surfaced in 2008 during a routine TRPA staff inspection of Fritz's property that revealed the unauthorized storage of a large cargo container, heavy construction equipment and other materials. Subsequent investigations turned up violations concerning the pier and boatlift, TRPA officials said.

Last September, a federal judge ruled in favor of the league by striking down TRPA's regulations allowing new buoys, piers and boat ramps around Tahoe. The league's lawsuit said the new facilities would have contributed to more pollution from boats and reduced the lake's clarity.

Last month, the league sued the city of South Lake Tahoe over its new planning regulations, saying they allow for too much development at the expense of the lake's clarity and scenic beauty.

"What we need in Tahoe right now is smart solutions to protect the lake, not fundraisers to create litigation roadblocks," City Manager Tony O'Rourke said after learning about the environmental violations at Fritz's property.

Rochelle Nason, executive director of the league, told the Tribune last week that Fritz has "done a great deal" for the arts and environment at Tahoe. Nason said she also understood that Fritz had no personal role in the environmental violations at her property.

Damaschino said Nason's comments were not meant as a defense of the actions that took place on the property.

"The league has long taken the position that every landowner in the Lake Tahoe Basin must be held accountable for what they allow to occur on their property, and, of course, contributions to the community do not excuse anyone from the obligation to follow environmental laws," he said. "We have every confidence that the agency and the landowner will address the violation satisfactorily."

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Associated Press correspondent Scott Sonner contributed to this report from Reno.