“A roadmap for the next two decades, the plan is designed to help lengthen current guest stays and solidify Northstar as a premiere destination resort. It provides guests with a wider, more diverse array of terrain offerings and recreational activities, facilitating an improved and extended vacation experience for the destination and day-use guest.”-Northstar Press Release
Northstar Resort in North Lake Tahoe just announced the Placer County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 in favor of the Northstar Mountain Master Plan as reported by KOLO 8. The 20 year plan includes six new ski lifts, a high-speed gondola connecting the Castle Peak parking area to the Northstar Village and over 700 acres of new skiable terrain.
Vice president and general manager at Northstar, Nadia Guerriero had this to say about the plan’s approval:
“Northstar would like to thank the Placer County Board of Supervisors, Placer County Planning Commission and numerous community stakeholders for their unanimous support of the Northstar Mountain Master Plan, our 20-year vision to provide a premier destination resort experience. We’ve worked diligently with our community partners for more than a decade to create a plan that meets the changing needs of the ski industry, while still focused on conservation priorities and community issues.”
HERE IS KOLO 8’s breakdown of the plan:
• New terrain: Increasing the variety and improving the balance of beginner, intermediate and expert terrain by creating a wider, more diverse array of terrain offerings, such as access to the Sawtooth Range. Approximately 293 acres of new groomable ski trails are proposed with over 700 acres of new skiable terrain, resulting in approximately 3,870 acres of total skiable terrain.
• New lifts: Adding new lifts to improve the distribution of guests across the mountain, facilitating circulation while reducing congestion and crowding in higher-use areas on the mountain and on trails returning to the Village at Northstar.
• Snowmaking advancements: Improving quality of snow surface conditions through additional snowmaking coverage, further enhancing the resort’s snowmaking system with new and improved technological and energy efficiencies.
• Skier services: On-mountain skier service site improvements to provide additional seating, restrooms and enhanced food service.
This is an except from the Placer County Board of Supervisors agenda from yesterday when they addressed the approval, for the complete document go HERE.
9:15 a.m.
- COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES AGENCY
- Northstar Mountain Master Plan
Conduct a Public Hearing to consider a recommendation from the Placer County Planning Commission for Approval of the following:
- Adopt a Resolution to certify the Northstar Mountain Master Plan Final Environmental Impact Report (SCH# 2012112020) and Errata prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, and adopt the Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program supported by and incorporating by reference in its entirety the Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations.
- Adopt a Resolution to amend the Martis Valley Community Plan Land Use Diagram to relocate an existing Tourist/Resort Commercial land use area that comprises 0.68-acre from one side of the ski resort to another.
- Adopt an Ordinance to Rezone two existing FOR (Forestry) zone district areas that comprise 1.33 and 0.68 acres in size and relocate within the same TPZ (Timber Production Zone) area so that one would align with the relocated Martis Valley Community Plan land use designation square, and the other would align with one of the campsites.
- Adopt an Ordinance to amend Placer County Code Chapter 17, Article 17.04, Section 17.04.030 to amend the definition of “Ski lift facilities and Ski runs” and Article 17.16, Section 17.16.010 (D) Timberland Production Zone (TPZ) to allow for the development of ski lift facilities and ski runs as a conditionally-permitted use within land boundaries owned and/or operated by existing ski resorts within Timberland Production Zone (TPZ) land located outside the Tahoe Basin.
- Approve a Conditional Use Permit to allow for the Northstar Mountain Master Plan that would guide development of the ski resort over a projected 20-year period. The Master Plan would allow for the expansion of the existing ski terrain including six new mechanized ski lifts and associated trails, a high-speed gondola that would extend from the Castle Peak parking area to the Northstar Village, new snowmaking and associated infrastructure, additional trails and trail widening, five skier bridges, four new skier service lodges and facilities (restrooms, food and drink service, seating), improvements to existing skier service sites, relocation of an existing cross country ski center and two new campsite areas.
[images from Northstar Facebook Page]