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Board directs staff to draft limited camping addendum for Truckee Tahoe Soaring Association
Summary
Directives include limiting camping to association employees/volunteers and customers, defining maximum sites and vehicle sizes, adding a portable toilet, and including a short cancellation clause; staff will return with draft lease language.
The Truckee Tahoe Airport District board directed staff to prepare a lease addendum and letter of agreement to permit limited, managed dry camping on leased airport property used by the Truckee Tahoe Soaring Association (TTSA).
TTSA President Ron Hess presented the association’s request to reintroduce camping areas that historically supported glider operations and a youth soaring academy. Hess said the club seeks modest, dry camping — tents, small vans or trailers — to let pilots and instructors stay near the field on flyable days and support youth programming. “This would allow us to bring our clients for overnight stays. They typically travel from the Bay Area [and] Sacramento. They want to fly all day, and then they want to sleep at night and fly the next day,” Hess said.
Staff explained a constrained approach to reintroducing camping. The district and TTSA agreed the camping proposal should be small, managed and compliant with FAA rules for non‑aeronautical use adjacent to the airfield. Staff emphasized there is no current infrastructure at the sites: no potable water, no permanent restrooms and no campfire provision. The district will require a porta‑potty and specify no open fires.
Board members asked for specific controls before granting broader access: limit use to employees, volunteers and active TTSA clients or restrict to association employees only as an initial step; define a maximum number of sites and maximum vehicle/trailer length; require sign‑in and a letter of agreement; and include an immediate‑termination clause. Staff said the lease currently allows termination with notice (30 days) and that the district can draft a clause allowing termination for any reason in shorter notice if the board desires.
Directives to staff (consensus, no final vote on execution): prepare a draft lease addendum and letter of agreement that includes (at minimum) provisions to limit camping to employees/volunteers and TTSA customers (board to finalize definitions), set a maximum number of sites and vehicle/trailer length, require a porta‑potty and trash arrangement, include a no‑campfire rule and include a termination clause (30‑day or shorter for cause/for convenience as the board directs). Staff will return with the proposed lease addendum and sample letter of agreement for board approval.
Why it matters: the measure is intended to support a local nonprofit’s aviation education program while reducing unmanaged use of airport property and preserving safety and FAA compliance. Board members repeatedly emphasized that authorization must be narrowly drawn and revocable if the arrangement proves problematic.
Next steps: staff will work with TTSA to draft the addendum and return a detailed proposal including defined categories (employees, volunteers, customers), maximum occupancy, vehicle size limits, sanitation provisions and termination language for board consideration at a future meeting.
