Kings Beach 39° N Development Sparks Controversy at Community Meeting

Plans for a new hotel, housing, and restaurant/retail space in Kings Beach, California have recently sparked controversy between North Lake Tahoe residents and developers.

In a community meeting on May 15, with Kingsbarn Capital and Development at the helm, they were able to lay out their plans and members of the community were able to express their concerns.

Zoe Meyer from the Sierra Sun reported that the meeting attracted a “substantial and vocal crowd.”

The new development is expected to be in the heart of Kings Beach that will provide 8,300 square feet of retail space, a 179-room hotel, 38 for-sale townhomes, and 62 units of for-rent workforce housing.

“39°N is a vibrant new hotel, housing, restaurant/retail and community space right in the heart of Kings Beach. Walk to the lake or your favorite restaurant or coffee shop. Gather around an outdoor fire pit, browse the farmer’s market, or settle into your new home,” says 39°N’s website .

Their goal is to fill these retail spaces with local businesses, coffee shops, and restaurants to “create a walkable community gathering space,” and fill the critical need of workforce housing.

According to the Sierra Sun, Philip Mader of Kingsbarn emphasized the three year long planning effort, building in accordance with US Green Building Standards, meeting the goals of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and the positive effect it will have on the locals and visitors of the area.

However, the residents in attendance were skeptical of these assurances.

“This is not hospitality, but exploitation. Kings Beach doesn’t need luxury and separation of class,” said a concerned community member.

Among other concerns were the actual affordability of the workforce housing, parking, traffic congestion, and environmental implications including the removal of trees and the loss of the quaint charm of the town.

Meyer reported that you could feel the tension in the air between the public and the developer’s representatives as Mader continued to reassure that the community’s concerns will continually be considered, an assurance that fell mostly on deaf ears.

“What we are trying to do here is create a hotel that isn’t average. We want it to be a Tahoe experience hotel. Not just a box,” said Mader.

“Make it not just your project, but our project, " said a community member.

I think that sums it up pretty well. No need for my commentary. Developers will continue to review feedback and agree to give the community another chance at providing their input and feedback.