SPRING CYCLING
Heroes in education
Ride Camino’s rollers before peak season traffic arrives.
Local teachers, administrators and community members celebrated.
Sports, A6
News, etc., B1
171
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C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
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Volume 171 • Issue 37 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, March 28, 2022
Project Homekey at work in Lake Tahoe n Calls related to
homelessness issues down, say police Laney Griffo Tahoe Daily Tribune
Map courtesy of city of Placerville
Long stretches of Placerville Drive are without sidewalks and Green Valley Road to Mallard Lane has neither bike lanes or sidewalks, as depicted in this map. Twelve non-ADA compliant curbs or sidewalk ramps have been identified, as well as three substandard transit stops.
Sidewalks and more planned for busy Placerville Drive Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer Sidewalks, new bike lanes and replacement of the bridge over Hangtown Creek are proposed for Placerville Drive. The improvements will be the focus of a town hall, 4-7 p.m., Tuesday, March 29, hosted by Placerville city officials, who seek public input on the projects. City leaders propose bringing continuous sidewalks and bicycle lanes along both sides of Placerville Drive from the Highway 50 undercrossing to Armory Drive next to the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, making for better interconnectivity for nonmotorized transit in the bustling corridor. Pedestrian access along Green Valley Road from Placerville Drive to Mallard Lane would also be improved with sidewalks added on the north side of the throughway. Some features of the proposed projects will be 5-foot-wide sidewalks, ADA accessible ramps, Class II bike lanes (established bike PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
Courtesy photo
The Placerville Drive bridge over Hangtown Creek has been determined to be functionally obsolete. Plans in the works include accommodation for bicycles and pedestrians, which it currently does not provide. lanes along the street) and Class IV bike lanes (separated/protected bike lanes), along with improvements to curbs, gutters and drainage along the roadways. Funding for environmental documentation, design plans and a portion of the actual construction will
come from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program. CMAQ funding requires the project address air quality benefits such as reducing vehicle miles traveled and increasing bicycle and pedestrian n
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — South Lake Tahoe has seen a drop in its homeless population over the past year with Project Homekey programs and the efforts of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless. Project Homekey, the state program that allows organizations to convert motels into long-term housing, was born out of Project Roomkey that launched as part of the state’s COVID-19 response to “provide non-congregate shelter options for people experiencing homelessness …” Funding from this program allowed the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, led by Executive Director Cheyenne Purrington, to purchase three motels in South Lake Tahoe in late 2020 — Red Lodge, El Nido Motel and Bear’s Den. The three properties provide about 70 units of long-term, affordable housing paired with on-site supportive services, according to the coalition. In addition, the Red Lodge location has a stabilization suite that provides private rooms on a temporary basis for highly vulnerable individuals in crisis, while they prepare for more permanent housing placement. Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless case management staff said they work with clients to connect with healthcare providers, gather identity documentation, access income and benefits and plan for long-term housing. The Red Lodge location serves as Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless’ main headquarters and offers a range of services and resources all in one central location. The front lobby is stocked with basic resources such as hygiene supplies, warm coats and hats, light snacks and water bottles. Clients can access phones, computers, wireless internet and printers. Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless staff provides assistance in completing job and housing applications, creating and
See Placerville Drive, page A3
n
See Project Homekey, page A7
Slossberg announces run for judge News release Superior Court Commissioner Gary Slossberg has announced he is seeking an open seat for El Dorado County Superior Court judge in the upcoming election June 7. Appointed as a superior court commissioner in November 2020, Slossberg handles many of the same duties and responsibilities
of a judge. He has heard nearly every case type as a judicial officer and currently is assigned to hear child support, restraining order, traffic and infractions, small claims, probate, conservatorship, guardianship, juvenile delinquency and juvenile dependency cases (i.e., cases involving child protective services), according to a news release. Slossberg previously served
as the family law facilitator and self-help attorney for El Dorado County Superior Court and as the attorney for Live Violence Free, a nonprofit that supports victims of domestic violence in South Lake Tahoe. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School. All current El Dorado County Superior Court judges as well as former Presiding Judge n
See Slossberg, page A2
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