Blue Warrior Café
Alpengroup has received a lease on a 2 acre site on Lake Tahoe with 700 feet of beach access. We pursued this lease to have both a viable income for our nonprofit and to support public access to Lake Tahoe. The Blue Warrior Cafe & Environmental Center presents untapped business potential for the establishment of appropriate recreation support facilities and services over the term of the next concession agreement. The environment and scenic vistas of Lake Tahoe provide superior natural surroundings for the Blue Warrior Environmental Center’s public recreation area, an ideal environmental setting from which to conduct a recreation business operation. The visitor industry is the primary source of economic activity for the North Lake Tahoe area. North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno Tahoe International Airport, two hours from Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from San Francisco International Airport. Eleven million people reside within three hours drive. Lake Tahoe was recognized as the #1 U.S. travel destination by TripAdvisor for 2008 (#10 in the world), and the #1 destination by Orbitz users for winter 2007-2008.
The Property is approximately 2+ acres in size with approximately 600 feet of lake frontage, 723 square feet (net) of useable concession space ready for additional tenant improvements with 864 square feet of adjacent paver-stone patio, two public restrooms and a maintenance storage room consisting of 178 square feet with an adjoining breezeway, parking (21 spaces), a car-top boat launch, 600 square feet of exterior storage area designated for non-motorized boat equipment, a dumpster enclosure, a sidewalk and bus shelter along State Route 28, and associated landscaping and irrigation.
This is a unique opportunity that provides maximum flexibility and operational determination to Alpengroup within the framework established by the existing permits for operating the site. This property was developed in 1998 as part of the Carnelian Bay Lake Access and Resource Enhancement Project. The California Tahoe Conservancy’s goals for the site was to enhance regional lake access and beach recreation opportunities and to support the Carnelian Bay Community Plan’s goals and objectives of enhanced beach access, wetland restoration, and improved water quality treatment opportunities, wildlife habitat, and scenic values.
The facility at site was incorporated into the project as a long-term means to provide both sufficient revenues for the operation and maintenance of the property and income for the nonprofit’s activities at the lake.
The Blue Warrior’s building was permitted as an “accessory use” to the site’s primary beach recreation use. As such, the use proposed for the facility must enhance lake access visitation at the site. Food and beverage sales, nonmotorized recreation equipment rentals and instruction, and other beach-oriented recreation concessions are typical accessory uses to beach recreation. Motorized equipment rental are not allow at the site. Unrestricted public access to the Environmental Center’s amenities, including picnic and interpretive areas, the car-top boat launch facility, and general access to the beach, are provided at no cost to the public under all scenarios. There is to be no fees for parking and the public restrooms are open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily between May 1 and October 15 each year and open daily during the winter when the Cafe is in operation.
