Lake Tahoe ski resort to stay open to public following master plan approval
LAKE TAHOE — Placer County officials have announced that Homewood Mountain Resort on the west side of Lake Tahoe will remain open to the public.
The decision comes after years of discussions and speculation over whether the resort might be privatized.
This week, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) finalized a master plan amendment for Homewood Mountain Resort that ensures the resort stays open to the public.
The resort has always been privately owned but provided public access. In recent years, talks of transforming the ski area into a private resort sparked concern among residents.
Candice Wilmuth, with Keep Homewood Public, feared privatization would exclude residents and visitors and hurt local restaurants and businesses.
"That's really important because as a ski town, we don't just survive on full-time residents," Wilmuth said.
The recent agreement aligns closely with a master plan in the works for 14 years that had strong local support. While changes over the years caused frustration among residents, the TRPA worked with developers to revert to key elements of the original plan.
"We wanted to work closely with everyone that there were assurances in place through the master plan amendments that would guarantee homewood remain open to the public and would really be accessible to the community," TRPA spokesman Jeff Cowen said.
TRPA says the plan includes significant infrastructure upgrades, like a new gondola, while also prioritizing environmental concerns and fuel reduction projects.
"We just want to make sure those projects align with the master plan," Cowen said.
The resort was closed this season due to financial issues with its investors. However, the TRPA says they are optimistic that they could be open next season with some of its improvements.
