Sign this petition to show your support to have a permanent skatepark in Tahoe City! For more information, please read on.

**Please note any contributions made on this site will not go to Scotty Lapp Foundation but directly to change.org.  If you would like to donate to SLF please go to www.scottylapp.org/donate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scotty Lapp was kind, thoughtful, loving and energetic. Skiing became his greatest passion, and during the off-season, he loved nothing more than to grab his skateboard and head out with his friends. After school in Tahoe City, kids of all ages would gather to skate but did not (and still do not) have an appropriate, identified place to go and skate. Scotty did not like breaking the rules but wanted to practice his sport. He intended to start a petition to build a park. Tragically, he passed away in a ski accident in February 2022 before he had a chance to help make his dream of a local Tahoe City skatepark happen. Hours after his death, his family decided to continue with Scotty's plans and work on trying to build a skatepark for the community's benefit.

In Scotty’s honor, the Scotty Lapp Foundation was established as a 501(c)(3) non- profit corporation to bring Scotty’s dream to fruition: creating a Tahoe City skatepark to empower youth by making ski, snowboard and skate more accessible to underserved communities and assisting athletes in reaching their full potential.

As a result of the incredible generosity of individuals, community foundations and corporate partners from around the world along with the unwavering commitment of the SLF Board, the Tahoe Skatepark Committee, and numerous others too many to name, the Foundation has accomplished much over these past 36+ months. Among other things, we have:

• raised over $600,000 in cash and pledge donations 
• secured pro bono representation from numerous consultants with technical, design and legal expertise
• secured County approval of, built and successfully operated and maintained a 4,000-sf temporary “pop-up” skatepark (relying entirely on donated land, labor and materials) for 3 summers
• created the Scotty Lapp Memorial Freeride Scholarship and “paid it forward” by contributing $20,000 in ski scholarships to Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation and the Tahoe Junior Freeride Series

The Foundation seeks to explore opportunities to partner with the Truckee-Tahoe Unified School District (TTUSD), as well as the Tahoe City Public Utility District (TCPUD) to transform the existing, approximately 10,000-sf dog park (located on TTUSD land adjacent to existing ball fields and Tahoe Lake Elementary School) into a regional skatepark serving Tahoe City and neighboring communities. Under this proposal, the Foundation would take the lead and be financially responsible for planning, environmental review, design, permitting, fundraising, and construction of the public skatepark improvements on TTUSD’s property. TCPUD would assume ownership of the constructed skatepark improvements and its ongoing operations and maintenance in accordance with the Letter of Intent recently unanimously approved by the TCPUD Board of Directors. Each party’s rights and obligations would be further defined in a future joint use agreement (or similar acceptable form of agreement) that would be cooperatively developed by the TTUSD, TCPUD and the Foundation, for approval by the TTUSD Board of Directors.

Proposed Location is Optimal | This is a stellar location for the proposed facility because, among other reasons, it is

• flat, centrally located, and of sufficient size
• located where infrastructure presently exists on-site to accommodate active recreation and public use (e.g., baseball field operates lighting from dusk until 9 pm, public restrooms located onsite, public parking exists along Grove Street, behind commercial row, and at the adjacent elementary school)
• readily accessible by foot, skateboard, bus, and car
• highly visible to enhance safety and security
• close to local schools (e.g., Tahoe Lake Elementary, North Tahoe School, NTHS)
• readily accessible for people from multiple communities (west shore, north shore and beyond)
• located near complementary commercial-retail uses (e.g., restaurants, Tahoe Dave’s) and other outdoor recreation amenities (e.g., lake, golf course)
• within the purview of TCPUD service area, thereby providing opportunities for ongoing operation and maintenance
• appears consistent with TTUSD facilities planning objectives such that the skatepark could be incorporated into planning efforts and be compatible with and not impede TTUSD’s ability to realize other long-term facilities objectives

This Skatepark Would Deliver Numerous Benefits to the Community | This regional-serving public recreational use would: 

• honor the wishes of a fallen student who was beloved by fellow students, staff and community
• provide access to much-needed additional recreational space to serve our local youth, fostering a sense of belonging
• facilitate an engaging, creative physical activity (which is also an Olympic sport) that is inclusive, affordable (particularly compared to snow sports and mountain biking), create a sense of community, and promote strong mental and physical health and well-being
• enhance educational programming with local elementary schools
• provide a training ground for all ages and abilities (beginner to expert level world class Olympians)
• serve as a destination attraction for visitors 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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