Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV – The City of South Lake Tahoe held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday to mark completion of the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project. The project, which began construction in May, was first conceived of nearly 20 years ago in the Bijou/Al Tahoe Community Plan.
Part of the Environmental Improvement Program, the project brought significant improvements to the aging infrastructure of the Harrison Avenue streetscape. Improvements to the flow of traffic, landscaping, stormwater management, and sidewalks and bike paths make this project an example of the direction South Lake Tahoe is moving.
Along with contributions from the city and U.S. Forest Service, property owners in the area created a special district to help pay for a portion of the project costs. Many property owners also have completed or are planning improvements for their properties.
“Projects like this don’t happen without a lot of collaboration,” said Ray Jarvis, Public Works Director for the City of South Lake Tahoe. “You will not only see streetscape and drainage improvements, but you will see business owners also stepping up and making a difference.”
Public infrastructure installed as part of this Lake Saving Project will prevent about 5,000 pounds of fine sediment from washing into Lake Tahoe with stormwater every year. It also gives private property owners another mechanism to get Best Management Practices certificates for their properties.
“This project exemplifies exactly what we are trying to instill with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Regional Plan,” said Julie Regan, Chief of External Affairs for TRPA. “Public-private partnerships are the way of the future. That’s the only way we are going to take care of the Lake and revitalize our community.”
Partner agencies for the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project include the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, El Dorado County, California Tahoe Conservancy, Cal Trans, South Tahoe Public Utility District, and TRPA.
For more information on the Environmental Improvement Program, visit www.conservationclearly.org.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency leads the cooperative effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities, and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment. For additional information, call Tom Lotshaw, Public Information Officer, at 775-589-5278.
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