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Population: 840 (2007)
1,396 residences; 369 are occupied year round.

Lakefront

In 200?-2006 Topol built 3 "Villas at Harborside" (fractional-ownership residences) and completed the new West Shore cafeCafé & Inn. The Villas rent for $3,500-$5,000/week and sell for around $750,000 (units on the lake side of the lot) for a quarter share. The Oliver Realty web site says phase 1 sold out, but as of May, 2007 I heard that only one of the three had sold out.

The Feb., 2006 Homewood Home Owners Association minutes state:

"In view of possible parking and lake access issues brought about by his proposed expansion of the Villas at Harborside Project, Nate has offered to mitigate these issues by materially helping to achieve community-parking solutions. Mr. Topol is also interested in providing assistance to the Association relative to validating the title to our beach parcels. This action would make it possible for the association to significantly improve the lake front parcels in terms of legitimizing the ownership, improving the parcels, and helping with maintenance, thus improving lake access and buoy rights for the association members."

Keep Tahoe Blue urges TRPA no vote in Nov. 2006.

Topol planed to build nine more units, but after objections by residents, reduced the number to six. This was approved by TRPA in Apr., 2007.
As part of the deal Topol agreed to tear down the Homewood Marina Lodge and promised to contribute $100,000 to the Homewood Home Owners Association for development of public beach access in the Homewood area.
Topol will also construct a boat-washing facility, potentially the first at Lake Tahoe, to protect the lake against invasive aquatic species.

Ski Area

Overview:
In 2006 JMA Ventures (Art Chapman, president) bought Homewood Mountain Resort (HMR) which was loosing from $500,000 to $1M per year and proposed "a new business model necessary for Homewood to remain a viable public recreational amenity". It is described at the Homewood Master Plan at skihomewood.com and includes:
Character and Lifestyle principles
The timeline calls for construction in 2010-2015
See Homewood Mountain Resort

Other

Contact:
Mr. Ken Keaton, Senior Transportation Engineer,
Department of Transportation (District 3)
703 B Street
P.O. Box 911
Marysville, Ca 95901-0911
Phone Number: 916-274-5954 E-mail: keaton@dot.ca.gov

1980   1985   1990   1993
9,700 10,400 11,400 14,500 
Source: Traffic Volume Counts on State Highways, Caltrans

As part of the Truckee-North Tahoe Transportation Management Association Expansion Study conducted in 1992, a total of sixteen interviews were conducted by LSC staff members with local business leaders. When asked to cite the most important issues that face the Truckee-North Tahoe area, the primary concern indicated by the respondents was that the existing infrastructure will not be able to accommodate future growth in the area. As a result, there is thought to be a high potential for gridlock in the area.

In their Apr, 2007 "On The Homefront" newsletter from Homewood Mountain Resort they say:
Volume in the month of August for SR 89 in Homewood peaked at 13,700 vehicles per day in 1999. In comparison, the 2005 value was 10,900, a 20 percent reduction.

The summer traffic problem on SR 89 at Fanny Bridge, however, is very serious. Due to a combination of high traffic volumes, pedestrians crossing the road and all those "fannies" on Fanny Bridge, north- bound traffic queues form during the middle of busy summer days that can stretch back a mile or more, and result in delays of 30 minutes or more. Traffic levels at Fanny Bridge, moreover, have increased from a 1999 peak month average daily traffic volume of 26,500 to a 2005 volume of 27,500.

See the newsletter for some proposed solutions.

According to MoonShineInk.com it is a planning initiative that turns the agency's traditional approval process on its head. According to TRPA, CEP will demonstrate what Lake Tahoe communities can look and feel like over the next 20 years if we start revamping commercial core areas.

Environmental benefits should include improved water and air quality due to reduction of auto trips, green buildings, and restoration of degraded ecosystems.

Five of seven prosed projects as of July 2008 are in Kings Beach. TRPA will decide in January, 2009 which qualify as CEP projects.

Other programs like the Placer Co. Place-Based Planning Process identifies areas of opportunity to reinvest in Placer County's Basin Community commercial areas. They have targeted Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Tahoe City and Homewood.

See: Lake Tahoe Regional Plan Update at Regional Planning Partners
  Placer Vision Summary
An in-depth look at TRPA's innovative Community Enhancement Program at MoonShineInk.com

Villas at Harborside