Will Three Rivers remain a small, tightly knit and somewhat isolated foothills community, or is its destiny to become a crowded, rambunctious tourist destination? The passionate and sometimes unpleasant debate over the future of Three Rivers turned uglier than usual last week, when a frustrated would-be restaurateur blasted his neighbors on social media.
And the commenters seemed eager for the fight.
‘Mind Your Own Business!’
In a February 27 post on a Facebook group for Three Rivers residents, the owner of a popular local food truck made his upset known with his foothills neighbors.
Tony Konnaris, a 20-year resident of Three Rivers, has spent the last few years constructing a permanent home for his Greek-style cuisine. Tony’s Taverna has almost finished construction at the former site of the We Three Bakery, 43368 Sierra Drive. But at least three times, according to Konnaris, his project has been reported to the Tulare County Resource Management Agency (RMA) for possible violations of his building permit.
The latest incident was apparently too much for Konnaris:
“Enough is Enough. Mind your own business,” he wrote in a post to the group Three Rivers Helps Its Own. “All plans have been approved by the County. If you like it or not the lights will stay the way they are. If you want darkness then move to the end of Mineral King. This is becoming a joke for the County. They laughed over this. If you have a problem, this is my number (redacted). My name is Tony.”
The response was fast and fiery. And a week later the angry debate is still raging.
County Says Restaurant Construction is Properly Permitted
A statement from the RMA said Konnaris has the necessary permission from the county for his project.
“Tulare County has issued a permit for construction and remodel of the structure on the site. Lighting is allowed as part of the permit. Lighting is subject to building code and county standards and conditions,” a statement by RMA media specialist Lacey Patrick said.
The county employs the 2022 California Building Standards Code from Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. Those requirements are mainly concerned with energy consumption. Yet the state limits lighting levels at new commercial construction and requires automatic shutoff for some areas. Lighting requirements are also set by the California Energy Commission, which has divided the state into light zones (LZ).
Three Rivers – with a population of 2,053 in 2020 – would appear to fall into LZ1. LZ1 is reserved for rural areas with a low population density. This includes single- or dual-family residential areas, parks and agricultural zone districts, developed portions of government-designated parks, recreation areas, and wildlife preserves.
The population density of Three Rivers is 46 people per square mile. The state average is 251 people per square mile.
State BUG Lighting Rules Protect Neighbors, Sky
Additionally, bright outdoor lighting (6,200 initial lumens or greater) must comply with backlight, uplight, and glare (BUG) requirements, which can vary for different lighting zones. The BUG rules are intended to keep light where it belongs through the use of shielding. Besides protecting the night sky, shielding decreases blinding glare and reduces light pollution for neighbors.
So far, Konnaris’ project is in compliance with these requirements, the RMA reported:
“County building and code enforcement officials are inspecting the construction project to ensure compliance with the permit, building code, and County standards. The sconce lighting installed appears to be lighting downward away from traffic and in compliance. This will be confirmed at the final inspection,” the RMA from Patrick stated.
Further, the Konnaris construction project has been recently inspected by the RMA, Patrick confirmed.
County Keeping a Close Eye on Konnaris Now
Apparently, citizen complaints to county authorities are not quite the “joke” to officials that Konnaris described in his social media post. An additional RMA inspection of the site was conducted on Wednesday, March 5.
“If there are any compliance issues, the Tulare County Resource Management Agency will issue a correction notice to seek resolution,” the agency’s statement read.
County Supervisor Eddie Valero, who represents the Three Rivers area, did not respond to a request for comment.
Those inspections, initiated by complaints of the residents of Three Rivers, are what prompted Konnaris to take his frustration to social media. He said their accusations are unfounded.
“They call the county three times,” he said. “All three times they were wrong.”
Social Media-Magnified Clash Polarized Community
Konnaris believes certain members of the community only wish to cause strife.
“They don’t have anything else to do but sit at home and make trouble on Facebook,” Konnaris said.
The nature of social media, its pseudo-anonymity, likely played a large role in turning what could have been a civil discussion among neighbors into a highly-visible, off-putting public argument. The comments in the thread were highly personal. Several commenters, including Konnaris, gruffly told lifelong residents of the area to move out.
Konnaris later apologized. The process of opening a restaurant has been extremely stressful, he said. He made at least one apology publicly, and seemed to reach an accord in that case.
“The few people I went off on, because I was very upset. You don’t know what I’m going through,” he said. “The people I went off on, I apologize.”
Others, however, did not temper their angry words, choosing instead to add harassing messages and double down on their attacks as the week progressed. The mood they created was noticed.
“Helps Its Own has turned to Rants and Raves,” one commenter said, drawing this response from a “top commenter”: “I left that nasty forum. Arguing online puts a damper on an otherwise supportive group.”
Other participants scoured the personal information of those with whom they disagreed to bolster their personal attacks and reported what they discovered. Yet others encouraged Konnaris to add more lighting in order to further upset those who have complained. Calling those who complained “cowards” became a popular insult.
One commenter summed up the thread this way: “I think this horse has been beaten to death! It’s just turned into a hateful tit for tat! Let it go and enjoy your weekend.” Yet the comments continue.
Restaurant Site Added Lights After Theft
According to Maritza Konnaris, the construction site was robbed in late 2024, causing the need for added lighting. She also said a portion of the lighting is turned off at night.
“Half the lights go off at 10 p.m. We don’t have to turn them off at 10 p.m. We do this to be considerate,” she wrote. “The lights are for liability and crime deterrent. This is not our first rodeo. We’ve had restaurants for many years. If we bend over backwards for each individual’s want and need in this town, then you will have absolutely nothing in this town.”
Tony Konnaris said the couple had reduced their lighting to satisfy a neighbor’s privacy and were happy to do it.
“I put 75% blocking (on) the lights in the back of the restaurant,” he said. “I listen to people.”
Communication Breakdown Threatens Small Town Prosperity
But it was the lack of face-to-face discussions that prompted Konnaris to take his frustration public, he said.
“Everything has a limit,” he said.
If those with concerns had brought them to him instead of the county authority, Konnaris said his reaction would have been different.
At least one person who claims familiarity with the background of this situation thinks assumptions have stymied calm discourse. The individual only agreed to speak on the record anonymously.
“The neighbors who turned him in are probably afraid to talk to him,” the individual said. “He can be very aggressive in the way he reacts to any criticism.”
The person is also supportive of Konnaris’ business, but not the way he handled this issue.
“It’s not like he has a bad business,” they said. “He just needs to be more polite.”
And Tony’s Taverna is not the only business with exterior lighting that has brought complaints from Three Rivers residents. Both Konnaris and some of those who have complained about his lighting agree AirBnB-type rentals are a threat to Three Rivers.
“And the vacation rentals are out of control,” the anonymous source said. “The lights are on inside and outside all the time. I don’t know what they’re afraid of. Animals maybe.”
Konnaris expressed an almost identical sentiment: “The AirBnBs are out of control. Nobody can afford to buy a house and come up.”
Ironically, nearly everyone involved in the Facebook thread only wanted what’s best for Three Rivers. As seems normal for social media, everyone was talking, but no one appeared to want to listen.
I know people don’t like bright lights but it’s a safety issue and there are thieves. I applaud this man for opening a business especially in a very small town and in this topsy turvy Trump economy. Tarrifs on 1 day off the next and laying off national park workers. Give the man break! Support your local businesses otherwise you’ll have to drive 30 miles to Visalia! And, the tax dollars won’t stay in Three Rivers or have jobs for people in the community!
A greek business that would never last
Great coverage on 3R – more of this, please! County Supervisors and the RMA are bleeding this town dry by siphoning off our TOT and failing to reinvest in our community. The boiling anger on all sides of every issue is the result of Tulare County not following its General Plan, and failing to reign in unregulated Airbnb’s. It’s become so bad that a vast majority of the younger locals have left for greener (and more affordable) pastures. They were our future.
A greek restaurant that would have never lasted. Good forbid we have government oversight.
This guy definitely got ARPO FUNDS to build a greek restaurant in Three Rivers that would never last lol.