STATELINE, NEV. – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency reports hundreds attended their Governing Board meeting both online and in-person at the Stateline office on Wednesday, Jan. 22, where the agency approved Homewood Mountain Resort’s Master Plan amendments and gondola project.

It’s a final decision in the TRPA’s multi-rung process triggered by the amendment application submitted in May. The Governing Board’s decision ultimately allows partners, JMA Ventures, LLC, Discovery Land Company, and Mohari Hospitality, to continue reinvestment in the historic Lake Tahoe ski resort all while striving to ensure Homewood will continue to be open to the public.

After almost two hours of deliberation, the board approved four motions concerning Homewood Mountain Resort, but that wasn’t before the four hours of public comment.

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Citizens expressed both support and opposition to the amendments that lay at the board’s table with many of those comments involving a subject present since before the start of the amendment application and inspired an opposition group’s name—Keep Homewood Public.

Much of the doubt around public access stemmed from prior discussions the resort partners had in the past about going private. The reputation Discovery Land Company has had with its members-only resorts didn’t help the concern.

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While some were ready to support the amendments at the meeting, having gone through multiple rungs of review, others still didn’t feel public access had been enshrined, fearful of potential loopholes. In addition, second home-owners asked where they fit into the public access plan as well.

The board’s deliberation and decision incorporated these topics and raised others.

Two of the four motions involved amendments to the previously approved 2011 Homewood Mountain Resort Ski Area Master Plan, while the other two involved permitting the resort’s new gondola project.

The amendments reduce the residential unit density by 45%, as well as reduce building mass and scale, while enlarging scenic view corridors. The changes also shift the gondola project terminal location close to the base for improved skier access, and refines building architecture to what was proposed in the master plan before.

“What’s more important is what is not revised,” Ryan Porter of JMA Ventures said, who was representing Homewood at the meeting. He said they have not revised recreational access for the general public or any representations that were in the approved master plan, which states:

“A central goal of that plan is to restore Homewood as a key gathering center for Lake Tahoe’s West Shore and to maintain the heritage of a ski resort that can be enjoyed equally by local residents and visitors.”

However, he said they heard the public loud and clear at the TRPA’s Regional Planning Committee meeting in September where the public requested that their assurances for public access be captured further in writing and enforceable.

That’s how the Community Access Plan came about, which details public access and a discount programs for locals.

The TRPA’s Advisory Planning Committee reviewed this plan in December, and requested the addition of definitions and enforcement mechanisms. The Governing Board considered a redlined version with those changes at this Jan. 22 meeting.

“Our opponents will say, even with all of these improvements, there are still hypothetical loopholes remaining,” Porter said. “We cannot solve for all hypotheticals,” but he said they have created an inclusive framework and process that the TRPA can hold them accountable to.

The board, considering comments and hypotheticals of their own in deliberation, eventually agreed to certain changes before approving the amendments.

Rather than an annual report demonstrating public access, the board increased the frequency to monthly reporting during the winter months and one report during the summer months.

Although, the community access plan says ski products and packages will be available to anyone (including HOA members, visitors of HOA members, hotel guests, and visitors from the general public), board members resolved the uncertainty for second-homeowners by explicitly including them in that list.

They also required that Homewood install public access signs to facilitate access to federally owned property adjacent to resort property.

The board also incorporated the construction of a swimming pool to a phasing plan scheduled for 2028. On the topic of phasing, they met the public’s request to move up the demolition of the Tahoe Inn and required it within the first phase of projects.

The Tahoe Inn’s Tourist Accommodation Units are needed for the hotel/lodge planned at the Homewood site.

During the meeting, TRPA staff made it clear that a master plan (or its amendments) shall not be construed as project or development approval, and that development permits will come later for the different phases.

This was demonstrated with board’s separate approval of the gondola project permit at the meeting.

Construction of the gondola is anticipated to begin this spring and slated for completion for the 2025/2026 ski season.

During the meeting, JMA representatives voiced commitments to Tourism Business Improvement District and Transient Occupancy Tax funding mechanisms for ongoing housing programs that will help the workforce and the community.

Homewood will also continue its 250-acre forest fuel reduction project this year and is finalizing an agreement with the North Tahoe Fire Protection District to expand fire services and assist with emergency response and wildfire evacuation.

Residential units to the south of the resort’s north base (Lot 3) are currently under construction through previously approved permits and are expected to be completed this month, according to the staff report.

Upon Wednesday’s approval, Homewood made the following statement on Instagram:

“We want to take this moment to share our gratitude for everyone in the community that has put effort and care into sharing their feedback and envisioning the future of Homewood for everyone to enjoy. We are excited as this is a new beginning in rebuilding the heart of the west shore for our future generations.”

The opposition group, Keep Homewood Public made a statement of their own on social media as well, stating, “Keep Homewood Public is encouraged about today’s outcomes: HOMEWOOD IS PUBLIC AND THE GONDOLA WAS APPROVED. The most important accomplishment was Homewood’s clearly stated intention to protect our public access.”