Environmental Impact Report for Squaw’s Proposed Village Expansion:

The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Squaw Valley’s proposed village expansion was just released.  The EIR is several hundred pages long but can be summarized in these words from the report itself:

“Significant or potentially significant effects associated with population, employment, and housing; biological resources; cultural resources; visual resources; traffic and circulation; air quality; noise; soils, geology, and seismicity; hydrology and water quality; public services and utilities; hazardous materials and hazards; air quality; and greenhouse gases and climate change.”

“Even with the application of feasible mitigation measures, some impacts would be significant and unavoidable.” – Squaw Valley Village Expansion EIR

This village expansion project is forecast to take 25 years and could begin as early as Spring 2016.

The EIR list major concerns about the building of the new village:

• Traffic and transportation problems
• Potentially significant operational greenhouse gas emission after 2020
• Construction noise impacts
• Negative effects of construction on Squaw’s scenic vistas

The “Squaw Valley Specific Plan” wants to build a 94-acre village expansion that includes:

• 90,000-square-foot Mountain Adventure Camp that holds an indoor/outdoor pool, waterslides, and other water recreation
• 1,493 bedrooms in 850 hotel, condo, and timeshare units
• 300,000-square-feet of commercial space including retail shops, restaurants, common space, more
• 91,522 square feet of existing commercial space would be removed

The Squaw Village EIR also lists “major areas of controversy” as expressed by public comments received for the village expansion project:

• Water supply availability
• Effects on Squaw Creek
• Visual effects of tall buildings on existing views
• Changes in the character of Olympic Valley
• Traffic impacts along Squaw Valley Road and Highway 89

The Squaw Village EIR’s 60-day public review began yesterday, May 18th.  The deadline for commenting on this EIR is 5pm, July 17th, 2015.

Comments should be emailed here:  cdraecs@placer.ca.gov

Faxed here:  530-745-3080

or Mailed here:  Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, Environmental Coordination Services, 3091 County Center Drive, Suite 190, Auburn, CA 95603, Attention: Maywan Krach

Download an electronic copy of the EIR here:

Squaw Village EIR