Edgewood Lodge permits approved; could open fall ’15

By Kathryn Reed

STATELINE – The Edgewood Lodge project kept its “no negative comments” streak alive Thursday with 11 positive remarks.

In a series of votes by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board, the hotel project on Edgewood Tahoe golf course received not a single no vote or abstention from any board member at the Aug. 23 meeting.

Edgewood Companies, which owns the course and hundreds of adjacent acres in Stateline, has talked about making this area near the shoreline of Lake Tahoe more than a place for golfers.

A 154-room hotel will be built where hole 9 is now. Reconfiguring the golf course will be the first order of business; and that could be next summer.

There is expected to be no interruption to the annual American Century Championship golf tournament in July. What may pose a problem is parking.

In addition to the lodge will be 10 fourplexes. Those will range from 1,200- to 1,800-square-feet, while the lodge units will be about 500-square feet.

Still to be determined is whether the hotel will come with a brand name that would be recognizable to the consumer. First the need for that would have to be determined. An Edgewood representative told Lake Tahoe News it looks like the need is not there.

In 2014-15, the lodge would likely be built. Financing, though, is an issue and will be the determining factor for when ground is broken.

The structures will be built to silver LEED specifications, with a goal of reaching gold. The other South Shore building meeting the U.S. Green Building Council’s criteria is the Tamarack Lodge at Heavenly Mountain Resort, which is silver.

Many of the people who spoke Thursday talked of the combined economic and environmental benefits the lodge will bring.

“This will be the first true golf resort in Northern Nevada,” Bill Hoffman, executive director with the Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau said.

While he acknowledged the two ends of the lake compete for the drive-up guest, the destination traveler likes to explore the whole lake. And golf, to Hoffman, is a component that brings people to the region and with the Edgewood Lodge would likely bring more visitors.

Even though the four-star hotel will bring a guest who can spend a bit more money than other lodging properties are charging on the South Shore, it has something for the average Tahoe resident. The now-private beach will be open to the public. And there is no intention of charging a fee, like some beaches do on the South Shore.

Plus, the bike trail will go through this property and hook up with the Stateline-to-Stateline trail that eventually will end in Crystal Bay, but will initially go through Rabe Meadow to Round Hill Pines Beach.