Defend Granite Bay

07/26/2026

Tahoe is a international wonder. Please consider sending comments to your supervisors that it needs prudent oversight, population caps, affordable housing for the many tourist and support jobs needed by its residents and adequate infrastructure and fire protection to keep everyone safe.

Supervisors emails:

Bonnie Gore - [email protected]
Shanti Landon - [email protected]
Anthony Demattei - https://www.placer.ca.gov/9794/Contact-Supervisor-DeMattei
Suzanne Jones - [email protected]
Cindy Gustafson - [email protected]

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From our friends in Tahoe.

Tahoe Residents: Speak Up by July 31

California lawmakers are considering AB 2679, a bill that could direct more Tahoe-generated revenue toward state agencies while failing to address the impacts residents experience from peak tourism—including wildfire evacuation, infrastructure strain, housing, transportation, and rising utility costs.

Tahoe SPARK is asking residents to support four important changes:
* Require a Tahoe carrying-capacity plan before expanding infrastructure or development.
* Reinvest revenues directly into local wildfire safety and community resilience.
* Give Tahoe communities meaningful oversight of how funds are spent.
* Require coordinated planning between California and Nevada.

** Join Monday’s Virtual Community Meeting
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Tahoe SPARK will explain the proposed changes, answer questions, and help residents submit comments before the July 31 deadline.

Monday, July 27
4:30–5:30 p.m.
Virtual meeting — limited to 100 participants

Register for the meeting (https://calendar.app.google/bytqbBy6BSVXcQYA9)
@

Appropriations Committee Meeting is August3. Tahoe residents are facing a critical turning point and must provideinput by July 31.

07/15/2026

Land use is one of the most critical issue that impacts each and every individual in the county. From taxes, to traffic, to aesthetic, to character, to affordability, and the list goes. Placer County is mandated to update its General Plan periodically and the next update could significantly change how the County grows. Please consider joining the General Plan Update Meeting on July 30. From the County:

“Join us for the Virtual Placer 2050 Stakeholder Workshop

We are excited to invite you to a Virtual Placer 2050 General Plan Update Stakeholder Workshop to discuss land use planning in the county at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 30, 2026.

In October 2025, our Board of Supervisors adopted the Placer 2050 Vision Statement and Guiding Principles, shaping the path of the General Plan. During the next phase, we are exploring where changes in land use may be needed to protect open space, facilitate housing development, or close gaps in access to services and jobs, amongst other things.

During this workshop, we hope to hear from Placer County stakeholders to understand:

How land use influences your mission and the communities you work with?

Are there specific changes in land use you’d like to see?

What specific communities with features or conditions that need to be planned for beyond current efforts?

Ways to Participate:

July 30 Virtual Stakeholder Workshop: Targeting local organizations and agencies to help shape land use planning, register at

https://placer-ca-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DK4J_WYoRIKMx51uEnUJOg

Attend Public Meetings and Open Houses: See a list of all scheduled events coming up at Placer2050.com.

Provide Online Feedback: Let us know where you see gaps in access that can be addressed through land use at

http://www.engage.placer.ca.gov/general-plan-update

Your insights are crucial to planning for all interests and perspectives for a thriving Placer County. We appreciate your time and look forward to continuing to work together.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

This update will establish our community’s vision for the future and is an expression of how our community wants to look, feel, and change over the next 25 years

06/08/2026

Update:

From our friends in Penryn fighting for appropriate affordable housing in their community and ours.
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Dear Community Members,

We are writing to share an important update regarding the status of the Hope Way project and the evolving mission of Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights.

Following the recent settlement, PCNR is shifting focus from the initial opposition efforts to the active monitoring and stewardship of this project. PCNR remains dedicated to ensuring that all aspects of the development strictly comply with the terms of the settlement agreement, while continuing to work to protect the rural character of our Penryn community.

To reflect this transition, PCNR has updated the website to provide accurate information regarding the community's current goals.

We invite you to visit the updated page at preservepenryn.org to view these changes and learn more about how your continued support will enable the community to stay vigilant in protecting our treasured rural community.

Thank you for your dedication and support of Penryn.

Brian Myers, Chairman
Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights

Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights and USA Properties Fund reach a settlement regarding Hope Way Apartments in Penryn.

05/15/2026

Informational Alert: With the current push for AI and the need for mega data centers, many communities are now being faced with massive projects. One such center in Utah will consume more power than the existing state currently uses. It will be the equivalent of 3000 Walmarts and cover an area the size of Manhattan. Local residents are concerned about spot climate changes regarding heat equivalent to a nuclear bomb going of daily and drain and contamination of Salt Lake waters which are already dangerously low.

A proposed data center in Nevada will cause termination of 75 percent of the Lake Tahoe’s California side's power supply by May 2027, leaving residents scrambling for new energy sources.

https://www.asatunews.co.id/en/tahoe-residents-fight-energy-diversion

Local residents, like others around the country, are demanding more regulation and consideration of existing communities and residents and areas already suffering from water shortages. In response to the proposal, the Reno City Council is considering a moratorium on data centers until more guardrails are in place.

https://thisisreno.com/2026/05/reno-city-council-data-center-moratorium-2/

One such center was proposed for West Roseville, but was withdrawn and replaced with a mixed use area plan. (Panattoni Development - File # PL24-1010)

Perhaps the Board should establish guidlines and a similar measure as Reno to protect vital farm and industrial land from being consumed by what appears to be an insatiable power need with more impact than benefits for locals.

Lake Tahoe residents and local groups call for a public review after NV Energy announced it will divert 75 percent of the region's power to AI data centers.

03/25/2026

Attention:

Please read the following article from Gold Country Media regarding the proposed Hope Way Apartment lawsuit. The residents of Penryn are perhaps setting a precedent for other RM30 rezone low income projects slated to be the main method of addressing Placer County’s affordable housing crisis.

At 20-30 units per acre in rural areas with typically no more than 8-10 units per acre allowed, any project of the proposed intensity will overwhelm infrastructure, traffic and school capacities and stretch public services to unsafe response levels.

This case needs to be carefully watched since the County has approved a housing element which relies on RM30 rezones rather than taking meaningful steps to increase in lieu fees and has continued to allow the Planning Director sole discretion as to if larger projects are required to produce their fair share of affordable housing units through Equivalency.

To date, their obligation at a projected $400,000 per units is a gift of ~$480,000,000. Their obligation now falls on taxpayer shoulders to construct affordable units to stay in compliance with the state.

Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights has filed a lawsuit against Placer County and USA Properties in relation to the Hope Way Apartments project slated for Penryn.

02/14/2026

An encouraging message from our friends in Tahoe. Basically, keep on swinging, we are making a dent in a relentless development machine💪 all the way at the bottom if you want to scroll!
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NTRAC Update: Kings Beach Showed Up
First — thank you.

More than 100 residents filled the room at NTRAC, and the message was unmistakable: 39 Degrees North is too big, too dense, and too impactful for Kings Beach.
The facts matter:
* 234 units on 5.17 acres
* Main structure 56 feet high and 445 feet long
* Nearly twice the length of Safeway
* More than double the height of the new gas station

This is not incremental redevelopment. It is a fundamental reshaping of our town center.

And we still have not seen full visual simulations — particularly from the mountainside, the dominant view. For a project of this magnitude, that lack of transparency is concerning.

Now zoom out.
Within 1.5 miles — along the same constrained evacuation corridor — Cal-Neva, Boulder Bay/Waldorf, and 39 Degrees together total 587 new units.
Where is the serious cumulative impact discussion?
Where is the evacuation solution?
Where is the infrastructure capacity analysis at full buildout?

The County has controlled much of this site for over 15 years. During that time, over $10 million in public funds were spent while buildings sat vacant, parcels were removed from the tax rolls, and visible blight spread along the main corridor. That same blight is now cited as justification for large-scale redevelopment.

That should give everyone pause.

Given the requested extensions and public investment, the community deserves clarity: Is this a long-term build commitment — or an entitlement strategy that significantly increases land value?

Residents spoke eloquently about safety, fire risk, infrastructure limits, and the character of Kings Beach. The applause made it clear: people are paying attention.

NTRAC graciously supported public comment and at the conclusion of the meeting board unanimously expressed opposition, though new County directives prevented a binding vote.
The takeaway?

!!!!! Grassroots engagement is the only reason this conversation is happening in the open.
Tahoe is not protected by accident.
It is protected when people show up!!!!

Let Kings Beach Breathe.
North Tahoe Preservation Alliance
Box 4 Crystal Bay, Nv 89402
775-742-1548
www.ntpac.org

“Helping preserve the natural beauty and rural character of North Lake Tahoe”l

2008 – Protected Public Safety and Access in Crystal BaySuccessfully appealed to the Washoe County Commissioners to block the takeover of the 4th Crystal Bay exit by the Boulder Bay/Waldorf Astoria development. Cited fire evacuation concerns. The exit was preserved, and a safer alternative route.....

02/07/2026

Attention:

From our friends in Penryn.

While the Board denied the funding for the Hope Way Apartments, they approved the design of this 100% low income project which will more than double the population of Penryn.

The project is not only too large for the rural area but it is in a high fire hazard zone with substandard fire response times; a health and safety issue for the town, neighboring communities and its residents.

It needs to be scaled back and new development needs to be held accountable for their fair share! Please consider a small donation as this project will be the first of many as Placer heads into the next housing cycle with an anticipated 8,000 unit shortfall.

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PCNR IS FULL SPEED AHEAD! ⚖️

The lawsuit is prepared and ready to go. We have until February 25 to file, and we are moving forward with confidence. Our legal team has identified multiple viable arguments regarding errors and omissions by both the developer and the County.

For too long, the community’s public health and safety concerns have been overlooked due to threats and intimidation from outside interests. While the Board of Supervisors recently protected our local funds by denying the developers’ $10.8 million funding request, the fight is far from over.

The Truth About the "NIMBY" Label
The developers accuse us of being "NIMBYs" (Not In My Back Yard) but the reality is the opposite. The Bickford Ranch developers pay a paltry $5,000 per house in fees just to avoid building affordable housing in their own "rich" developments. Now, they want to use those same funds to dump a massive project into Penryn? Who is the NIMBY? Using those fees limits all options the County has to build elsewhere.

How You Can Help
Filing the lawsuit is just the beginning, not the end. The legal process is a marathon. Your support ensures we have the resources to sustain this fight long-term—empowering our legal team to answer every motion, counter every delay tactic, and stand our ground in court until we win.

• 100% of donations go directly toward these critical legal defense fees.

• Double your impact: Every donation is currently being matched dollar-for-dollar.

Online: preservepenryn.org OR by Mail: PCNR, P.O. Box 784, Penryn, CA 95663

Help us build the war chest we need to go the distance. Together, we can protect our community. We are facing a tough legal battle against greedy developers who think they can intimidate Penryn and the politicians making these decisions. We need your support to keep the momentum going!
STAY PENRYN STRONG! 💪

Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights is a 501 (c)(4) public benefit corporation. Donations are NOT tax deductible. EIN 39-3600089ntsonnol o

Join Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights in opposing the proposed high-density apartment development on Hope Way. Help us protect the rural character and natural beauty of our community. Preserve Penryn!

01/30/2026

Attention: In a surprise decision, the Board of Supervisors voted against the financing of a low income housing projecy which would have allowed the entire population of Penryn to fill plus allow rental units. Perhaps it is time to hold new development accountable for their fair share. Building 10% market rated units
Is quite “profitable” but does little to orovide housing needed by more than 50% of Placer population.

An affordable housing project in Penryn was approved, but Placer County supervisors voted no on the funding request. For video licensing inquiries, contact: ...

01/26/2026

Attention!!

The following comments were sent on the proposed Hope Way Apartments which is seeking almost $11million in funding, construction or a one way roundabout and unknown costs for a ladder truck and associated fire fighting personnel in Penryn.

The hearing is tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. In person zoom was denied in violation of state law.
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Supervisors Gore, Landon, DeMattei, Jones and Gustafson,

Thank you for the opportunity to provide final comments on the proposed Penryn for-profit low-income housing project, Hope Way Apartments.

Defend Granite Bay is a California registered 501C3 whose mission is to educate residents on the planning process and decisions which impact their communities. For a decade, we have watched the county’s consistent pattern of practice in forgiving, in some cases illegitimately, affordable housing unit obligations of new development. As a result, the state is now prepared to take actions against the county for its failure to provide housing needed by significantly more than 50% of its residents.

As the governing body responsible for land use and the fiduciary body overseeing tax dollars, it is your obligation to “do the right thing.” To date, the total taxpayer costs of the Hope Way project have not been provided by CDRA to you or the public for review. While $10,800,000 is being requested to assist in the finance of the project, missing is the dollar amount for maintenance and management of the project, cost to provide adequate service level fire protection and cost of a single lane roundabout, which through extensive research is not considered a “benefit “or “good solution” for expediting fire evacuation.

Having some of the highest property taxes in the state due to “catch up” growth impact correction, taxpayers are entitled to understand what percent their property taxes will increase as a result of continued use of for-profit projects such as this rather than holding development responsible for their “fair share”. Relying on Bickford Ranch in-lieu fees is not prudent. To date, less than 50 units out of 1850 constructed. Fees could take more than a decade to accrue. In addition to expanding the staff and equipment of the Penryn Fire Department and constructing the single lane roundabout, the ongoing per unit cost, and impacts of a Loan and Funding program which ties up a significant portion of county monies which could be used more efficiently to product smaller and less invasive low income housing projects or programs to assist first-time buyers have not been disclosed.

Based on the available information, we respectfully request you condition approval of this project to 2-stories which will not require construction of a roundabout or ladder truck and associated firefighting personnel, is sized appropriately for a rural community in a high fire hazard zone and will not take the lion’s share of woefully abysmal in-lieu fees, reduce the buildable footprint to preserve riparian area and maintain appropriate setbacks and provide adequate parking for health and safety reasons.

Respectfully,

The Defend Granite Bay Board and members.

01/24/2026

ATTENTION:

On Monday, January 26, the Board of Supervisors will hear the final motions on the proposed 240unit low income housing project that will more than double the population of Penryn and poses a serious health and safety issue with a single lane round about for fire evacuation. Recommeded times are 5-8 minutes the assumed time is 13-15minutes.

The project seeks $10,800,000 for construction, and more for ongoing maintenance and management by a for profit company. The cost of the round about and which entity will construct it has not been disclosed.

Please read the following and consider sending comments and concerns to the board at

[email protected]

The Hope Way Apartments project slated for Penryn will go before the Placer County Board of Supervisors for final action on Monday.