Opponents to the Villas at Harborside project in Homewood scored a victory Tuesday when the Placer County Board of Supervisors agreed to hear an appeal to the project and ordered that the issue go back to the North Tahoe Regional Advisory Council.

The main reason supervisors gave for approving the validity of the appeal by Homewood resident Jane Echlin was the failure in noticing a public meeting on the project.

"There is a concern about the lack of noticing," District 5 Supervisor Bruce Kranz said. "There are so many misunderstandings, we have to hear an appeal."

But District 3 Supervisor Jim Holmes, the only dissenting vote, said Echlin did not exhaust all her opportunities to speak out against the project before she filed the appeal.

Randall Faccinto, the attorney for Nate Topol, who wants to build nine lakefront fractional-ownership residences on three lots, tried to show that Echlin did not attend any meetings on the project or write letters in opposition before filing her appeal.

He also noted that Echlin works for San Francisco-based JMA Ventures, which tried to buy the three adjacent lots from Topol in August.

"She did not identify herself," Faccinto said. "Is it her own personal interest or her employer's interest? If you appeal above you have to appear below."

Attorney Tom Tunny, who represented Echlin at the hearing on behalf of her lawyer David Blackwell, said it is not important to hear the identity of who opposes the project, but that the issues themselves be heard.

"We think it is in everyone's best interests that these issues are fully aired and discussed in a public hearing," Tunny said. "A full hearing would give the county a chance to do that."

Eight members of the public commented on the project, most of whom supported the board hearing the appeal.

One second home owner said he relies on the newspaper to find out about public hearings and others said they have a hard time getting to Auburn to attend a public meeting.

But Ed Miller, a West Shore resident, said he supported the Villas at Harborside project because it would "have a positive effect on the community."

NTRAC will hear the issue before the Board of Supervisors takes action on the appeal early next year.