Mid-Town Area/Specific Plan Initial Study/Initial Environmental Checklist/Negative Declaration

The proposed project is a new area/specific plan that will replace zoning and land use guidance for approximately 780 acres within the City of South Lake Tahoe. The Mid-Town Area Plan (Area Plan) serves as a mutual plan for the City and TRPA by providing directions for how the area should be regulated to achieve regional environmental and land use objectives. The Area Plan will support the 56-Acres Master Plan by further identifying community goals for the space and incentivizing redevelopment, especially mixed-use projects with residential components to create a vibrant and walkable downtown environment. The Town Center overlay previously included 65 acres, to which the Mid-Town Area Plan proposes a 339-acre expansion consistent with the findings in TRPA Code of Ordinances 13.5.3.G. The major changes proposed by the Mid-Town Area Plan are associated with this expansion, as parcels within the Town Center overlay may have more flexible design standards, including height, coverage, and density. Other special designations that overlay parcels within the plan include a stream restoration plan area and Shorezone Tolerance District 4.