Northstar plans to expand terrain, lift access
By Kathryn Reed
New lifts, increased terrain and a better experience – those are some of the goals of Northstar.
The Truckee ski resort is in the midst of getting environmental documents for the Northstar Mountain Master Plan approved. Comments will be taken for another week. The final environmental impact report is expected in the spring, with necessary approvals shortly thereafter.
But what gets built first remains to be seen. Officials said it’s too early to say how specific projects will be prioritized.
A gondola is proposed to take people from the lower parking area to the village. Parking and traffic have been major complaints of guests ever since the village was built. The village and additional lodging wiped out a significant amount of parking that was close to the base area.
Northstar’s proposed lift and on-mountain improvements.
It’s likely a lift would start in the village to take riders to the top of Lookout Mountain. Right now that area takes a few lifts before it can be accessed.
Expanding the resort to include Sawtooth Ridge has long been talked about. The proposal calls for 300 acres to be incorporated into the ski boundary.
Northstar is mostly on private land and is outside the Lake Tahoe Basin. This is why the U.S. Forest Service and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency are not involved.
“Our priorities remain in line with the initial goals of the Northstar Mountain Master Plan, which are to implement a plan consistent with habitat and land use goals defined in the Northstar Habitat Management Plan; and to offer a better balance of beginner, intermediate, and expert terrain in order to improve and extend the vacation experience for the destination guest and day use skier,” Northstar COO Bill Rock told Lake Tahoe News. “The primary project objectives contained in the EIR and proposed NMMP (are to) maintain Northstar’s competitiveness as a resort destination by upgrading existing services, amenities, and operations. This includes providing a better balance of skier amenities, improving lift technology, and increasing the variety and mix of recreational activities.”
Northstar’s eventual expansion will require more electric power for new lifts as well as increased snowmaking.
While Liberty Utilities, the electric company for the resort as well as all of Truckee and the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin, is looking at revamping its lines in Truckee-North Lake Tahoe.
“The proposed NMMP improvements would connect to existing electrical infrastructure and would not require new distribution facilities, upgrades to the Northstar substation or any other off-site improvements,” Rock said.
Liberty and Northstar have told Lake Tahoe News that the resort’s plans have nothing to do with the utility company’s wanting to upgrade its system. It’s a matter of being able to keep providing consistent power – a reliability issue that Liberty says needs addressing today under current conditions.
“We expect that building out the additional improvements proposed in the master plan will increase electrical power consumption over existing levels. This is disclosed in the draft EIR and determined to be a less-than-significant impact,” Rock said. “Ski related equipment such as chairlifts and snowmaking guns are continually being improved in terms of energy efficiency in order to reduce both consumption and operating expenses. Northstar intends to take full advantage of the improvements in these technologies over time in order to realize the benefits they offer. In addition, the California Building Code sets strict limits on the energy efficiency of each new building that is constructed, for example new on-mountain skier service buildings and warming huts.”
Liberty’s feeder tie between Northstar and Truckee is a 14.4 kilo volt line.
“This project again is not driven by Northstar load additions. It is another reliability issue that exists today and is being addressed,” Rock said. “Based on information supplied by Liberty Utilities, the current Northstar substation is at roughly 50 percent of its capacity on a peak winter day.”
Northstar is doing its part to try to conserve energy. Older snowmaking guns have been replaced with energy-efficient models and the underground parking garage was recently upgraded with energy-efficient lighting.
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Notes:
• Comments are being taken until Jan. 13. They may be emailed to cdraecs@placer.ca.gov.
• The draft environmental impact report is online.
• There will be a public hearing about the document Jan. 9 at 10:20am in the Placer County Planning Commission Hearing Room, 3091 County Center Drive, Auburn.
Wonder what impact this will have on any future Olympic bid.
“Northstar is mostly on private land and is outside the Lake Tahoe Basin. This is why the U.S. Forest Service and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency are not involved.”
This is why Northstar is so successful. They do NOT have to seek the approvals of these agencies who would do nothing but hold up their projects. The place is beautiful, sold out, and in high demand. Something the TRPA should pay attention to, but can’t do ANYTHING about.
The inconvenient truth is this upgrade was originally planned by Nevada Energy in 2010 with a base of over two million customers. CalPeco/Liberty Utilities purchased a smaller market share. Now Liberty Utilities is proposing this upgrade with approx. 49,000 ratepayers. Northstar, Squaw and Homewood stand to make millions while the local ratepayer will possibly incur up to a 30% increase in rates.
Our City Council and El Dorado County need to unite to fight this. I would guess Placer County is in favor of the power up-grade.
Why didn’t the Nevada Energy upgrade go through in 2010?
We are homeowners within Northstar and have been property tax payers in Placer County for 10 years. We have experienced first-hand the damage that Vail Resorts has done to the environment by drowning our beautiful Aspen trees, decreasing our property values and our enjoyment of the area due to their illegal and immoral placement and treatment of the uphill retention pond in their last phase or development. Our Home Owner’s Association (Aspen Grove Homeowners) has spent millions of dollars in litigation fees as the underdog against Vail Resorts who are employing Goliath tactics. Despite our ongoing wins and favorable rulings in the Placer County courts, Vail is appealing the outcomes and the water retention issue and damage persists with no end in sight. I believe it to be extremely irresponsible of any governmental organization to grant approval of any further development of our precious mountain region until Vail cures and provides restitution for the immense amount of damage they have done to our homes and proves that they can be trusted to be responsible developers. In addition to the lack of accountability and non-responsiveness they have shown for past issues and the clear indication this provides of their utter lack of stewardship of our environment, I have serious concerns that many of the proposals in this plan will cause additional downhill drainage issues to ours or other Northstar properties.
Our family has resided within Northstar since 1972. Of course, we have seen many changes and have enjoyed the many years our parents, children and grandchildren have come to love and enjoy this beautiful place. However, we have become quite dismayed and disturbed by the thoughtless character of Vail Resorts and the irresponsible and illegal actions they have taken by placing an uphill retention pond above Aspen Grove and Silver Strike that has caused millions of dollars in damages and legal fees. It would seem to me that the only alternative to further expansion at this time, would be that Vail would immediately and properly take care of the damages already incurred as a result of the retention pond. I fully oppose the Northstar Mountain Master Plan until our damaged property and Aspen Grove homeowner’s have been assured that Vail Resorts will “fix” this devastating situation.
Vail has made a request on an expansion proposal. Their past actions have shown them to be dismissive of others concerns and worse, arrogant about damage they have caused.
Aspen Grove at Northstar has suffered very real and costly damage as a result of Vail Corporation’s refusal to rectify mistakes they have committed.
Vail has cost each Aspen Grove homeowner over $13,000 to date and rising. After the last court hearing which was favorable to Aspen Grove they immediately appealed the judges decision leading to still more costs, lost value to homeowner’s who may wish to sell to escape this nightmare, and no end in sight. This is corporate greed at its’ worst. Placer County looses in this as well. By not providing proper enforcement, they participate in the devaluation of property and this only goes one way – like the water problem – downhill.
As someone who has spent years in community activities, specifically city government and its’ supportive commissions and agencies, I know full well the potential that government can wield in such extreme situations. You can place conditions on any activity that is damaging to the County’s interests. In this case, tax paying homeowner’s have as much at stake, if not more in a relative and personal sense, than a tax paying corporation such as Vail that has shown themselves to be poor neighbors and shoddy caretakers of the very place we all share. Worse, it would appear that the County has not provided the expected and needed oversight.
We simply ask for conditions to be placed on Vail that require them to properly abide by Placer County ordinances and decisions. Until they have shown good faith effort and success in correcting PAST problems committed by their indifference, any decisions by the County for their FUTURE activities should be placed on hold. The County obviously does have a role in all of this as it is their ordinances that everyone is expected to follow. This step is the only way to gain the attention of Vail to making an honest effort to settlement. It is the one fair way the County can show a vigorous and decent effort to support common taxpayers.