The League to Save Lake Tahoe and Sierra Watch filed a lawsuit on Dec. 5, 2024, challenging Placer County’s approval of the Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan. The proposed development includes up to 850 hotel, condo-hotel, and fractional ownership units, totaling nearly 1,500 bedrooms, along with 297,000 square feet of commercial space for dining, retail, and skier services. Over 2,000 parking spaces are planned, potentially adding 3,300 daily car trips on peak days, with 1,353 entering the Tahoe Basin. (More details)
The development also promises key community benefits, including a new fire station, employee housing for 386 workers, public transit improvements, and enhanced trail access with restrooms at Granite Chief and Shirley Canyon trailheads. Environmental restoration projects, such as repairing Washeshu Creek and upgrading sewer systems at Olympic Valley Park, are also part of the plan.
Despite these features, environmental reports raise concerns about worsening air pollution, water quality degradation, and traffic congestion.
“We support modernization but can’t ignore the environmental costs. Despite repeated efforts to collaborate, developers rejected alternatives that would protect Tahoe.” ~Dr. Darcie Goodman Collins, CEO of the League to Save Lake Tahoe
The lawsuit follows a decade-long battle that previously led to a court ruling requiring further environmental review. Advocates argue that the revised plan still falls short.
Learn more about the Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan here and read the full press release here.