On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan, representing a significant step in our community’s efforts to meet essential needs, environmental goals, improve community character and encourage smart redevelopment in Olympic Valley.

I’m quite sure that this statement will not resolve all of the concerns that many have brought forward, but I wanted you to know that I came to my decision in good faith, weighing all the consequences carefully, and with the community that I have lived in and loved for more than 42 years, foremost in mind. I have, and always will be, committed to finding balance between the interests and ensuring the maximum community benefit.

This specific plan has had significant public interest and concern from throughout the community and region. I have spent many hours meeting with supporters and opponents, Sierra Watch, the League to Save Lake Tahoe, Town of Truckee, residents in Olympic Valley, business owners in and out of the Valley, residents from across the region, and in some cases across the County, hearing their concerns and working with staff and the applicant to address the issues.

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My support for the plan was determined by a number of key areas of significant community and project benefits. At a high level, the plan will provide additional lodging opportunities close to ski facilities, shops and services. This is key to reducing daily automobile trips in and out of the Valley – a very significant issue for the region. The Board of Supervisors has committed to reducing active short-term rentals as these units are added so that there is no net increase in our region.

In addition, as the plan is built out, it will produce millions of dollars in annualrevenue that is dedicated to transportation and expanding our existing housing programs such as Lease to Locals, Workforce Housing Preservation Program (helping local workers purchase homes), and Launchpad (efforts to build additional small housing projects and accessory dwelling units).

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The following seven community benefits are crucial as we work to address our challenges and improve our region:

Plan Phasing and Benchmarks Regulate the Development
   ➢ The plan calls for a phased development, with each phase about 
        20% of the buildout. No phase will move forward unless the previous
        phase(s) are completed as specified, and prove compliance with
        the environmental document, the specific plan standards, and all of
        the mitigations required.

Workforce Housing
   ➢ Construction of 386 new and replacement workforce housing units,
        with a total investment exceeding $50 million.
   ➢ The workforce housing must be built in the first phase. (The number of
        workforce housing units is by far the highest requirement of any
        project anywhere in Placer County and the surrounding region.)
   ➢ A $500,000 payment allocated to Regional Housing Initiatives.
   ➢ Additional on-going revenues from dedicated lodging tax for
        regional housing efforts.

Transportation Improvements
   ➢ A comprehensive traffic management and parking plan which will
        be reviewed annually, and a full analysis required every 5 years
        throughout the lifetime of the project.
   ➢ Establishment of a Transportation Technical Advisory Committee
        comprised of Alterra, Placer County, TRPA, Town of Truckee, Olympic
        Valley-Alpine Meadows TBID, North Lake Tahoe TBID, and the
        League to Save Lake Tahoe.
   ➢ A new 4,000 square foot transit center located proximate to
        recreation access.
   ➢ Over $1.5 million in ongoing funding to support transit initiatives,
        including TART buses, free TART fares for employees and guests, 3rd
        lane and neighborhood traffic management, funding contributions
        for the Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit Systems Plan, and in
        valley shuttles.
   ➢ $2 million allocated for Lake Tahoe Basin mobility improvements.

Environmental Enhancements
   ➢ $800,000 for environmental restoration and open space acquisition.
   ➢ Comprehensive restoration of Washeshu Creek through the property,
        resulting in improved flow and function, plant and fish habitat and
        reduced sediment loading.
   ➢ A 50% increase, over 16 acres, of designated wetland and
        conservation

Public Safety and Infrastructure
   ➢ New operational west-end valley fire station, new response vehicles,
        and additional full-time firefighters

Parks and Recreation
   ➢ Development of 8.84 acres of active parkland and 8.84 acres of
        passive recreation, and 1.8 miles of recreational trails, with a $3.4
        million investment into the County Park and Recreation Fund.
   ➢ Public restroom enhancements at Olympic Valley Community Park to
        connect to sewer service and replace pit toilets with flush restrooms.
   ➢ New flush toilets at the Shirley Canyon Trail Head and funding for the
        United States Forest Service to maintain the trail.
   ➢ The Mountain Adventure Camp will offer 15% discount and non-peak
        access privileges for full-time residents of Eastern Placer County
        (extreme water park features have been removed).

Lodging Fee Initiatives
   ➢ A 2.5% fee on short-term lodging stays, projected to generate over
        $2.3 million annually to fund vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction
        projects and regional housing programs.

County Commitments
In addition to the above, I asked and received support from the rest of the Board for a commitment to the following actions in response to feedback I received:
   ➢ The County will reduce the number of “active” STR permits
        equivalent to the number of new lodging units developed.
   ➢ The County will create a Parks Sub-Committee of community
        members to provide input on the park expenditures and operations.
   ➢ The County will create a dedicated Specific Plan Website to assure
        transparency and accountability to the public regarding upcoming
        meetings, applications, timing, mitigations, and monitoring. This will
        ensure that the public has input into each phase before it moves
        forward.

I can assure you that throughout this process, I have taken every bit of community input seriously and incorporated it into all my efforts and consideration. This plan reflects my commitment to fight for improvements and policies that benefit the community to the greatest level we have ever had from a project in our area.

As I stated at the meeting, our communities need significant funding to address the issues we face. Doing nothing will not solve our problems. The only way forward on housing, transportation, and environmental improvements is through collaboration, new investment, and sustained funding. Tuesday’s actions are far from the end, but the beginning of a new process. All of us working together is how we achieve a better future for our region. Please join us in this critically important effort.