FEIS - Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON THE DEIS
B o u l d e r B a y C o m m u n i t y E n h a n c e m e n t P r o g r a m P r o j e c t E I S
• Provide two bays for Transit buses and shuttles along SR 28 and an Alternative
Transportation Center for transit, bicycle and pedestrian travelers to be protected
from the elements (including a bicycle station with an air compressor and secured
parking);
• Onsite Alternative-fuel car share service (up to four vehicles) for Boulder Bay
guests and residents; and
• Onsite bicycle-share service for Boulder Bay guests and residents, including
some bicycles with “electric assist”.
These measures will likely reduce private auto use and increase Alternative modes
beyond the estimates made in the trip generation analysis (i.e. project trips could be
less than estimated).
Comment 338-h: Comment Summary - Require coordination with CalNeva, Crystal Bay Club and
Nugget for long-term cumulative impact. Communication should be required and
reflected in the EIR.
CalNeva, the Crystal Bay Club and the Nugget are all existing casino and lodging
operations. Because they are existing, they do not currently contribute to a
cumulative impact unless they propose future projects on their properties. A permit
issued by TRPA for the CalNeva recently expired, which will reduce potential
cumulative development identified in DEIS Chapter 5 for the NSCP area. Any future
projects are required to undergo environmental analysis, including a cumulative
impact assessment, before approval and construction can occur. Future projects may
be driven by market demand, funding, or other reasons and it is not required that a
business consult with its competitors to achieve approval of a project. In terms of
event coordination during operations, each business will advertise events
(entertainment, casino events, etc.) to attract patrons, but businesses are not required
to obtain approval from their competitors regarding the details of their entertainment
schedule. Each business should provide ample parking and safety for their guests, as
will occur at the Boulder Bay Resort, but again, that is individual to each business.
Comment 338-i: Comment Summary - Address impact if all Crystal Bay resorts expand commensurate
with the proposed expansion of Biltmore/Mariner by Boulder Bay.
An EIS is not required to analyze impacts of unforeseeable resort expansions, but to
analyze a project against existing conditions and foreseeable projects within the area
(cumulative projects). The cumulative project list includes resorts with pending
projects, such as the approved but not constructed CalNeva redevelopment project.
Expansion of resorts not included in the cumulative project table in Chapter 5 (Table
5.1-1) is speculative and not based on real data. In some cases, land coverage already
exceeds limits and the only option would be to expand height; however, the height
amendment proposed by this Project does not include properties outside the limits of
the Project boundary shown on Figure 4.5-17. It would be speculative to assume
other resorts would also seek a height amendment. One can only speculate the
language included in such an amendment. If other resorts choose to expand in the
future, they will be required to analyze their expansion project through environmental
documentation, which will include a cumulative analysis and an analysis of existing
conditions, which may include an operating Boulder Bay resort if it is approved
and/or developed.
Comment 338-j: Comment Summary - What new Public access to the lake is the project providing that
isn’t pre-existing?
SEPTEMBER 8 , 2010 HAUGE BRUECK ASSOCIATES PAGE 8- 157