Panel will review five proposals for Dreyfus Estate

STATELINE - A U.S. Forest Service supervisor is expected to choose within the next several months which business or group will be allowed a 20-year lease of the 75-acre Dreyfus Estate north of Zephyr Cove.

The property is home to a shoreline estate built by the wife of Jack Dreyfus, a Wall Street tycoon who specialized in mutual funds.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit received five proposals but refused to describe them in an effort to ensure the selection process stays fair, said Bob King, project manager.

Two applicants described their proposals publicly: One, backed by a $2 million grant, wants to operate a community cultural and environmental education center. The other applicant would turn the area into an arts, recreation and learning compound.

All proposals will be reviewed by a panel of Forest Service officials and a business group from the University of Nevada, Reno. Recommendations from those groups will be considered by Forest Supervisor Maribeth Gustafson, who will make the final selection.

A two-year planning permit will be issued for whichever proposal is chosen. The permit will allow the applicant time to conduct an environment impact study for the project, which would include a public comment period.

The groups vying for a 20-year lease of the site must be self-supporting and ensure that its beaches and facilities remain open to the public. How businesses plan to provide access to the property, tucked inside a curve on Highway 50 just north of Warrior Way, is also critical.

The Forest Service said it plans to take as much time as necessary to determine which business proposal is best for the site.

"There's no specific timetable," said Rex Norman, public affairs officer for the agency. "The right decision needs to be made for that really valuable piece of property so we can be sure we do what's in the public's interest."

Contact Gregory Crofton at gcrofton@tahoedailytribune.com or (530) 542-8045.