A draft environmental impact report discussing the effects of changing the county general plan to accommodate a proposed project in Bear Valley in western Alpine County was released for public comment on Sept. 22.
Bear Valley is a town on the edge of the county that is nestled 7,000 feet up in a forested valley next to the ski resort of Bear Valley Mountain Resort off Highway 4. The town in its current form began in 1968 and today consists of 426 single family lots, with 271 homes, 160 condo units, and the Bear Valley Lodge, pool, and commercial center having been constructed. The master plan for the town, which was approved in 1978, allows up to 562 residential units and an undefined amount of commercial floor space. That master plan is part of the county general plan.
Bear Valley Villages I and II LLC, the project proponent, owns the ski resort and 14 acres in Bear Valley and intends to develop a village consisting of 15 separate buildings containing 64,000 square feet of retail and amenity space (day care, ski club, lockers, etc.); 486 residential units; and housing for 50 employees. The existing lodge, pool, and commercial center would be removed and replaced with new buildings and a new indoor pool. The street and snowmobile trail system would be modified as well as the parking arrangements. These features would be somewhat different than what the current master plan contemplates.
The project also includes a 1.5 mile long high speed chair lift to connect the village with the ski area plus some new ski runs back to the village. At the ski area, which is on U.S. Forest Service land, there would be some new or modified runs as well. The whole project would be done in phases, beginning in 2010.
The mode of living in Bear Valley in the winter is unusual to say the least. Snow at this elevation in the Sierra is extremely deep. It's not practical to remove the snow on streets where there are few full-time residents, so in the subdivision of single family homes as well as on most other roads, the snowmobile (Sarah Palin calls them snow machines) is the mode of travel.
Even so, there are parking lots kept open for the day skiers and other visitors. Designing a project for a town where snowmobiles are a principal means of travel is quite a challenge as is analyzing the effects of such an atypical development.
The proposed project cannot change the dependency on snowmobiles, but it would improve the circulation patterns and continue to provide for parking of snowmobiles. The new condo units would be served by plowed streets and parking under the structures. Parking of autos would still need to be provided for visitors, but a planned parking structure would replace some of the existing surface parking. The new lift connecting the village with the ski area would reduce car traffic between the two areas but could increase demand for in-town parking, however. A good parking management plan would be needed.
"OK," you say. "The connecting lift sounds neat and housing for employees is a great idea, but what's the effect on the environment? More building means more land impacts and more residential units means more people and traffic. What're the impacts?"
Good questions. That's what the draft environmental impact report is for, to answer those questions and many more and to describe what measures are needed to minimize or eliminate the impacts that would follow if the master plan is changed. Though some states, including Nevada, have no laws requiring evaluation and reporting on the whole range of possible environmental impacts of decisions by public agencies, including counties, California does. The law is called the California Environmental Quality Act. Before a public agency can approve a project or take other action with potential for creating environmental impacts, it must satisfy the requirements of the act. In many instances an EIR is required, meaning a report that describes the project or action, analyzes impacts, compares possible alternatives, and presents measures to mitigate impacts. The report is released in draft form by the agency chiefly responsible for making the decision to allow an action of some sort, such as approving a change in the master plan for Bear Valley.
The public and other government agencies are invited to review and make comments or ask questions regarding the document. After allowing a 45 day period for making comments, the agency reviews the comments, prepares responses, modifies or adds to the report and issues a final environmental impact report. The agency can then decide to approve, deny, or approve the action with conditions.
While the decision in this case is whether Alpine County should approve the change in the master plan, each subsequent project or phase would be subject to discretionary approvals by the county. It's the county's intent to rely on the impact report, to the extent appropriate and allowable under the law, for environmental review of such projects and phases. Other agencies are expected to have jurisdiction over some of the projects. Such agencies as the U.S. Forest Service, the Corps of Engineers, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, the California Division of Occupation and Health, the California Department of Fish and Game, and Caltrans have some jurisdiction.
The public review period for the Bear Valley Village master plan change closes Nov. 7. The impact report can be viewed at the Alpine County Library or at the Community Development Agency headquarters at 50 Diamond Valley Road near Woodfords, or can be downloaded from the county's Web site at www.alpinecountyca.gov. For further information, contact the Community Development Agency at (530) 694-2140.
