Battle Continues Over Proposed Palisades Tahoe Village Expansion

Olympic Valley, California — The Palisades Tahoe village growth plan is one step nearer to actuality.

Final week, the Placer County Planning Board voted to advocate that the Board of Supervisors approve the proposed Palisades Tahoe Particular Plan venture entitlements and the Environmental Impression Assertion (EIS). Whereas the dimensions and scope haven’t modified from the prior proposal for a brand new base village, two important adjustments have occurred. The primary is the addition of housing for 386 staff, which might be constructed within the first section. The second is the California ski resort’s proposal to get rid of varied points of interest from the Mountain Journey Heart, together with the water park-like options many opponents despised.

This can be a advanced factor to elucidate, so it’s most likely good to start out by diving into the scenario at Palisades Tahoe. Within the early 2000s, the Village at Palisades Tahoe opened, including quite a few new lodging, eating, and buying choices round the primary base space. Nonetheless, the Alterra Mountain Firm, which owns Palisades, believes that extra lodging and visitor providers are wanted as a result of many vacationers keep within the surrounding cities after which go as much as the ski resort, which has brought about a site visitors mess. Palisades Tahoe launched parking reservations final winter, a lot to native disdain.

All through the 2010s, Palisades Tahoe (then generally known as Squaw Valley) tried to get an intensive base village growth accepted. Nonetheless, resistance to those plans was fierce. Opponents, led by the Sierra Watch, pushed Intrawest (which then turned the Alterra Mountain Firm) into years of litigation. Finally, an appellate court docket discovered deficiencies in 5 key areas. In response, Placer County dropped their approvals.

Nonetheless, Palisades Tahoe up to date its proposal to deal with the famous deficiencies. In late 2022, Placer County launched an up to date Environmental Impression Assertion (EIS). In August, Palisades Tahoe acknowledged that it was shifting ahead with its plans to develop a brand new base village following Placer County’s launch of the ultimate EIS, regardless of most being towards the thought.

“We’re assured that the thorough evaluation of this venture will fulfill the considerations the appellate court docket raised, and permit for the plan’s re-approval when it goes again earlier than the Placer County Board of Supervisors later this yr,” mentioned Dee Byrne, Palisades Tahoe president and COO, within the August press launch. “It’s time for this plan to maneuver ahead. For our group and our resort, the price of doing nothing is important. We’ve lengthy been in want of workforce housing, extra customer lodging within the valley, structured parking for day skiers, and a plan that can generate important funding for in-valley and regional infrastructure tasks that may have a constructive influence on us all. That is that plan.”

Two separate villages (Village Core and Village Neighborhood), totaling 85.5 acres, could be developed exterior the prevailing one. They might add as much as 850 residential/lodging models, with a most of 1,493 resort bedrooms. In addition they envision 297,733 sq. toes of latest and substitute business house, together with new spots for eating places, bars, outlets, and skier providers. Parking buildings could be created, that means they wouldn’t lose any spots for drivers.

However wait, there’s extra. Positioned 1.3 miles from Palisades Tahoe, the East Parcel would add 386 worker housing models, a health middle for staff, a group market, and a delivery and receiver spot. Total, 93.33 acres could be developed, most of which might occur on present asphalt.

A conceptual rendering of the East Parcel.

Over $5 million in leisure enhancements are additionally deliberate. Flushable restrooms and extra parking could be added on the Granite Chief and Shirley Canyon trailheads. At Olympic Valley Park, a brand new sewer line connection and flushable loos could be created. Washeshu Creek, altered by channelization since 1960, could be restored. A fireplace station within the village can also be a part of this proposal.

Palisades Tahoe believes this new growth will generate $25 million in annual tax income, which may very well be used for public transportation initiatives and tasks.

Regardless of the minor revisions, opponents of this venture, who make up the vast majority of public opinion, are usually not thrilled. They see the identical points as they did beforehand: site visitors would enhance as a result of company needing to come back up and keep on the property, their wildfire evacuation plan is inadequate and would result in harmful conditions, it could expend an excessive amount of water, and the event would result in environmental harm to Washeshu Creek and Lake Tahoe. One other notable gripe is that it may make Olympic Valley a development zone for 25 years.

“It’s the similar rattling plan,” mentioned Sierra Watch’s govt director Tom Mooers to SFGATE in August. “We’re coping with the identical rattling plan that we’ve been efficiently stopping for greater than 10 years.”

As well as, the Olympic Valley Municipal Advisory Council voted in August to advise that Placer County shouldn’t vote to certify the brand new EIS. They suggested Alterra to contain the group in a extra collaborative course of and construct a smaller village.

On the September fifth assembly, a number of locals confirmed as much as communicate out towards the village proposal. Nonetheless, Palisades Tahoe continued to defend its plans. In accordance with SFGate, retiring GM Dee Byrne mentioned the next to the Planning Fee:

“This do-nothing, stop-everything and delay strategy merely isn’t in the perfect curiosity of this valley long run or of Tahoe. Issues are falling aside, and companies within the village can’t survive. We want a viable, vibrant Village, various base space providing, and up to date infrastructure to satisfy the present winter demand and the summer season demand that involves this area that we can’t at the moment serve.”

Nonetheless, she proposed on the assembly that the Mountain Journey Camp not embody a water park and indoor skydiving simulator, which led to loud applause. The indoor water park a part of the constructing has been one of many core criticisms of opponents, who don’t need a Disney-type expertise at an already crowded vacation spot. Nonetheless, the Mountain Journey Camp stays a part of their plans, with swimming pools, an arcade, and conference house being thought-about.

This resulted within the Planning Committee approving the proposal. The subsequent step within the approval course of is a evaluate by the Board of Supervisors, scheduled for later this yr. If accepted, authorized challenges are more likely to comply with.