Plans released for Squaw-Alpine gondola
Placer County this month released the application and a description of the gondola that would link Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.
While the cars, with a capacity to hold eight people, would not travel into Granite Chief Wilderness, they will come awfully close. That is one of the controversial aspects of the project.
Combining the terrain of the two resorts was talked about long before Squaw Valley Ski Holding came into being. KSL Capital Partners bought Squaw in November 2010. JMA Ventures bought Alpine in 2007. Squaw Valley Ski Holdings Inc. was created in September 2011 to operate both resorts.
In April it was announced that an agreement had been reached with Troy Caldwell who owns the private land known as White Wolf. This acreage sits between Squaw and Alpine. It won’t be open to skiing, but is needed to erect the gondola.
The application says there will be two base areas, plus two midpoint stations, as well as eight Gasex exploders for avalanche control. It would be 13,000 feet long, with 37 towers.
The plan is the gondola would only operate during the ski season.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Is there a public comment period, hearing dates, etc.?
17.58.130 Conditional use permits.
When a conditional use permit is required by Section 17.06.030 (Allowable uses and permit requirements) to authorize a proposed land use, the permit shall be processed as set forth in Sections 17.58.020 et seq., (Applications—Filing and initial processing), and as follows:
A. Planning Commission Hearing. The planning director shall schedule and the planning commission shall conduct a public hearing on the requested conditional use permit. The hearing shall be scheduled, provided public notice and conducted in accordance with Section 17.60.140 (Public hearings).
B. Final Action.
1. The planning commission shall consider information presented about the project proposed in the conditional use permit application in the staff report, in any accompanying environmental documents and comments received on such documents, in public testimony at the hearing, in any correspondence received at or before the hearing, and in any other information made a part of the record.
2. After the public hearing, and within the time limits specified by Section 17.58.160(A) (Time Limits for Action by County), the planning commission shall, as applicable, approve any proposed negative declaration pursuant to Section 18.16.040 of this code, certify or not certify a final environmental impact report pursuant to Sections 18.20.060 and 18.20.070, and shall approve, approve subject to conditions, or disapprove the conditional use permit.
3. Approval or conditional approval shall be granted only where the planning commission can make the findings required by Section 17.58.140(A) (Permit Issuance). The permit shall be denied where the findings cannot be made. The planning commission may approve a conditional use permit subject to conditions, as set forth in Section 17.58.140(B).
4. The decision of the planning commission shall be in writing, including all findings that were made as the basis for the decision.
C. Appeal. Decisions of the planning commission on conditional use permits may be appealed to the board of supervisors, in accordance with Section 17.60.110 (Appeals). (Ord. 5126-B, 2001)
The whole area is f&@”in destroyed anyway. Build it and they will scum.