Residents urge Washoe County to resist TRPA 'one‑size' housing changes as Tahoe area plan update begins

Washoe County planning staff on Tuesday kicked off a focused update of the Tahoe Area Plan intended to bring county code into conformance with TRPA’s Phase 2 housing amendments and to fix several implementation issues that surfaced after the 2021 area plan adoption.

Kat Oglie, a planner with Washoe County, told the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Citizens Advisory Board that the work is intended to be targeted and completed in 2025 so the county can meet regional conformance obligations and to repair technical inconsistencies in the Tahoe‑specific development code. “This is not re‑opening the 2021 vision,” Oglie said. “It’s about conformance with TRPA and improving clarity and implementation.”

Several residents and CAB members said the county should not simply adopt TRPA’s amendments without pursuing local options they said would be more protective of community goals. Pamela Sigdinos told planners that many residents believe TRPA’s Phase 2 changes favor luxury condominium development and do not guarantee workforce housing. “Please do not be completely bowled over by a large agency that has consistently proven that it does not listen to the residents,” Sigdinos said.

Planning staff described two paths. One is to adopt language that mirrors TRPA’s amendments; the other is to pursue a local alternative that must demonstrate to TRPA that it will achieve greater housing outcomes — a process staff said would be more resource‑intensive. “TRPA provides the option to adopt different standards if you can show a better housing outcome, but that requires additional analysis and time,” said Eric Young, senior planner, and Trevor Lloyd, planning manager, added the county’s resources for consultant work are limited.

Residents and business representatives said they want safeguards to ensure new development does not displace existing small businesses or convert hoped‑for workforce units into market‑rate condominiums. Diane Becker, a CAB member, urged planners to preserve commercial space in the village and to craft local rules that limit unwanted commercial conversions.

The update will also include technical fixes to the Tahoe modifiers in Washoe County’s development code. Oglie said staff will consider clarifications such as whether special‑area allowed uses are cumulative with district uses, aligning the process for garage encroachments on steep lots, and reconciling Washoe County temporary‑use rules with TRPA’s temporary‑use framework.

On accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and short‑term rentals (STRs), planners said TRPA already allows ADUs on lots smaller than one acre but Washoe County code still requires an acre; the county will consider whether to amend that local rule. Planning manager Trevor Lloyd noted the county recently changed its short‑term rental rules to prohibit new ADUs from being used as STRs, but commissioners last year chose not to broadly cap or restrict STRs countywide.

Planners described a phased outreach schedule: an initial “kickoff” and pop‑up events, a drafting phase published early next year, a public outreach and revision phase, then neighborhood meetings and the formal public‑hearing process that will involve the Washoe County Planning Commission, TRPA advisory committees and the Board of County Commissioners. The public‑hearing stage itself, Oglie said, takes several months.

Ending: Planners invited the CAB and community members to submit detailed written input and said staff will post drafts and outreach dates online. Residents asked county staff to return with options that show whether local alternatives could secure more deed‑restricted workforce housing rather than primarily enabling market‑rate condominium projects.