Major Projects

An EIS is the most detailed type of environmental review. It thoroughly examines if the proposed project meets regional environmental standards and if it will cause immediate or cumulative impacts to areas such as water quality, forest health, scenic views, traffic, and more. The level of review reflects the agency’s and Barton’s commitment to a science-based, transparent process that protects Lake Tahoe’s environment and supports communities. Preparation of an EIS can take approximately a year to complete and includes the following steps:

1. Notice of Preparation and Scoping: May 14th TRPA Advisory Planning Commission.
   • • Notify the public and partner agencies that an EIS will be prepared, and request scoping comments from the public to define the issues to be analyzed in the EIS.
     • All scoping comments previously submitted during the EA process will be carried over and do not need to be re-submitted.
2. Prepare the Draft EIS document, including conceptual alternatives to analyze.
3. Circulate the Draft EIS to the public and partner agencies, and request comments.
4. Assemble and respond to public comments on the Draft EIS.
5. Prepare the Final EIS document.
6. Present the Final EIS and recommended action to decision makers.
   • • Douglas County Planning Commission
     • Douglas County Board of Commissioners
     • TRPA Advisory Planning Commission
     • TRPA Governing Board

Douglas County will hold public meetings on the proposed project and potential amendments to the South Shore Area Plan as well. TRPA will continue to post meeting dates and public input opportunities here. To receive updates on the review process, please email BartonProject@trpa.gov and ask to be added to the contact list.

TRPA standards for environmental documentation are set by the Code of Ordinances (Section 3.3). Except for exempt classes of projects and administrative matters, the agency must first use an Initial Environmental Checklist or an Environmental Assessment to determine if an Environmental Impact Statement is required to review a project or action.

Comments received during the initial scoping period, December 23, 2024 through February 7, 2025: Barton Project EA Scoping Comments

Other public comments, updated through May 9, 2025: Public Comments

Barton Hospital requested amendments to the South Shore Area Plan that would allow for a modern hospital with the services Barton wants to provide.Those area plan amendments include creation of a special subdistrict specific to a medical facility use and increased height limit within the proposed project area. Within a portion of the subdistrict, a maximum building height of 85 feet from natural grade could be allowed on a portion of the parcel. According to the applicant, building standards for hospitals require additional height for each floor to accommodate special equipment and other needs. The current allowable height on the parcel is 56 feet. The previous Lakeside Inn and Casino was approximately 60 feet from natural grade. The additional height would only apply to a portion of the project area and not to other areas within the South Shore Area Plan boundary.

The area plan amendments are being reviewed by TRPA in conjunction with the Barton project application and a single Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared for both applications. The process to review the area plan amendments includes multiple opportunities for advisory bodies and decision makers to gather public input:

1. June 13, 2024 – Douglas County Planning Division Townhall. 
2. June 26, 2024 – Informational presentation by Douglas County to the TRPA Governing Board Regional Planning Committee.
3. August 13, 2024 – Informational presentation by Barton to the Douglas County Planning Commission.

Additional TRPA and Douglas County meetings are to be scheduled. See Process and Schedule above.

Proposed Revisions to the Douglas County South Shore Area Plan

Proposed Revisions to the Douglas County Tahoe Area Plan Regulations

Proposed Draft Barton TRPA Code Amendment

Here are the general steps of the permit process:

1. Intake the application and determine if the application is complete.Application submitted December 20, 2024. Staff uploaded the application January 8, 2025.
2. Notify the applicant the application is complete or request additional information.The application is considered incomplete until the environmental analysis is complete.
3. Determine the scope of the environmental analysis.Environmental Impact Statement is underway.
4. Notify the public and partner agencies that an EIS will be prepared, and request scoping comments from the public to define the issues to be analyzed in the EIS.Public meeting May 14th TRPA Advisory Planning Commission.
5. Prepare the Draft EIS document, including conceptual alternatives to analyze.
6. Circulate the Draft EIS to the public and partner agencies, and request comments.
7. Assemble and respond to public comments on the draft EIS.
8. Prepare the Final EIS document.
9. Present the Final EIS and recommended action to decision makers.
   • • Douglas County Planning Commission
     • Douglas County Board of Commissioners
     • TRPA Advisory Planning Commission
     • TRPA Governing Board

February 1, 2025 Enforcement Letter

TRPA reviewed and approved applications for the existing structures to be removed and the site to be graded for a potential project in 2021 and 2024. You can view the permit documents on the TRPA Parcel Tracker file numbers ERSP2021-1943 and ERSP2024-0572.  The grading permits included Best Management Practices (BMPs) for stormwater and erosion control, a dewatering plan, filling in, and returning the site to natural grade. BMPs are required to be designed and maintained for however long it takes to get a permit for a project. Excavation was a necessary part of the demolition, grading, and site work which Barton applied for voluntarily.

Following the demolition and land coverage removal, TRPA required the project area to be stabilized with temporary Best Management Practices for stormwater and erosion control, called temporary BMPs. Temporary BMPs protect water quality and reduce soil erosion and also winterize the site through the annual grading season closure from October 15 through May 1 for all open projects.

TRPA compliance inspectors have continued to monitor the site since the end of the 2024 grading season to ensure the temporary BMPs remain in working order and runoff is being infiltrated correctly on the property. Inspectors have requested additional work on a portion of the lower end of the parcel where standard methods have not been successful. TRPA is currently working with Barton project managers to create more infiltration onsite using a combination of temporary and more permanent-style BMPs, including new and improved retention basins, to maintain Lake Tahoe’s exceptional water quality standards.

April 2025 Update

Environmental Impact Statement to Begin

TRPA has raised the level of environmental review for the proposed Barton Hospital project from an Environmental Assessment to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Preliminary information gathered during the public scoping phase of the Environmental Assessment showed that a more detailed analysis is needed. Additional opportunities for public review and input will be scheduled over the coming year.

This level of review reflects the agency’s and Barton’s commitment to a science-based, transparent process that protects Lake Tahoe’s environment and supports communities. An EIS is the most detailed type of environmental review. It thoroughly examines if the proposed project meets regional environmental standards and if it will cause immediate or cumulative impacts to areas such as water quality, forest health, scenic views, traffic, and more.

Environmental Assessment

Note: TRPA raised the level of environmental analysis to an Environmental Impact Statement in April, 2025.

The agency held a public scoping period from December 23, 2024 to February 7, 2025 to allow the public, partner agencies, and other stakeholders to help identify specific areas that the environmental analysis should include, such as water quality, transportation, or scenic quality, and to identify project alternatives to analyze. TRPA compiled the comments to establish the range of issues and alternatives for the Environmental Assessment. Preliminary information showed that a more detailed analysis of the proposed hospital project and potential amendments to the South Shore Area Plan is needed. TRPA and the applicant raised the level of environmental review from an Environmental Assessment to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Additional detail on the EIS process is above.

Comments received December 23, 2024 through February 7, 2025:

Barton Project EA Scoping Comments

February 2025

TRPA, Douglas County, and Barton Health opened the public scoping period for an Environmental Assessment of the proposed Barton hospital on December 23, 2024. TRPA held a public workshop January 16, 2025 to answer questions about the review process for the project and possible amendments to the Douglas County South Shore Area Plan. The scoping period for the Environmental Assessment for the proposed Barton hospital project was extended to February 7 to give the public and partner organizations additional time to provide comments on the scope of the environmental analysis.

TRPA staff is waiting for the completion of the Environmental Assessment before the application is considered complete.

1. 1. Scoping Notice and Project Description
   2. Attachment 1 Project Location and Conceptual Site Plan
   3. Attachment 2 Draft EA Table of Contents

January 21, 2025

The agency held a well-attended public scoping meeting on January 16 at the TRPA offices in Stateline, Nev. Barton Health and Douglas County staff joined TRPA to go over the proposed project and application process and to answer questions and gain perspective on the scope of the environmental assessment.

Barton’s application materials and documents can be reviewed on the Parcel Tracker at LakeTahoeInfo.org. TRPA staff is waiting for completion of the Environmental Assessment before the application is considered complete.

January 9, 2025

A public scoping meeting will be held on January 16, 2025 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the TRPA offices, 128 Market Street, Stateline, Nev. Additional background on the application process and potential amendments to the South Shore Area Plan are detailed below. Send comments to BartonProject@trpa.gov.

December 20, 2024

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Barton Hospital, and the Douglas County Community Development Planning Division are seeking public comments on the scope of an Environmental Assessment underway for Barton’s proposed hospital project in Stateline, Nev. The EA will evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposal to amend the South Shore Area Plan and construct the Barton Stateline Hospital. Please send comments on the scope of the environmental assessment to BartonProject@trpa.gov by January 31, 2025.

On January 16, 2025 from 5-7 p.m., an optional public scoping meeting for the environment assessment (EA) scoping meeting will be held at TRPA offices, 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV. The public is invited and encouraged to provide input and comments. For more details, please review the Scoping Notice and Project Description.

Attachment 1 Project Location and Conceptual Site PlanAttachment 2 Draft EA Table of Contents

Archived Project Information

At its April 2011 meeting, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board voted to approve the Boulder Bay Community Enhancement Project. Four years in the planning, the project will replace the aging Tahoe Biltmore Casino in Crystal Bay, NV with an eco-friendly, mixed-use resort that will significantly reduce stormwater pollution and vehicle emissions associated with the site.Environmental redevelopment projects like Boulder Bay are an important part of the public-private effort to restore Lake Tahoe while remaining within the growth caps of the region.

Media Release – TRPA Board Approves Boulder Bay Project, April 2011

Final Environmental Impact Statement

Notice of Availability of Final EIS

• • FEIS Cover 2.91 MB
  • FEIS Contents
  • FEIS 3.75 MB
  • Appendix Cover 2.91 MB
  • Appendix Contents
  • Appendix Divider Sheets
  • Appendix Z- DEIS Comment Letters Received on the DEIS 15.8 MB
  • Appendix AA- Boulder Bay Alternative Baseline Existing Conditions Traffic Volumes
  • Appendix AB- Hydrology and Water Quality Supplemental Information 12.9 MB
  • Appendix AC- Proposed Special Height Amendment (Revised)
  • Appendix AD- Land Capability and Coverage Data by Parcel
  • Appendix AE- Boulder Bay Alternative C Shadow Study 4.70 MB
  • Appendix AE- Boulder Bay Alternative C Shadow Study 2 4.79 MB
  • Appendix AF- Stillwater Cove (SWC) Project Mitigation Agreement 1.73 MB
  • Appendix AG- CEP Resolution Compliance Matrix
  • Appendix AH- Boulder Bay Alternative C Building Elevations 12.6 MB

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Click here to view a presentation shown at the TRPA Governing Board meeting November 18, 2009.

Project Summary

• 1. Introduction and Background
• 2. Description of Proposed Project and Alternatives
• 3. Relationship to Existing Land Use Plans and Policies
• 4. Environmental Analysis
  • 4.1 Land Use
  • 4.2 Geology and Earth Resources
  • 4.3 Hydrology and Water Quality
  • 4.4 Biological Resources
  • 4.5 Scenic Resources
  • 4.6 Recreation
  • 4.7 Cultural and Historical Resources
  • 4.8 Transportation, Parking and Circulation
  • 4.9 Air Quality
  • 4.10 Noise
  • 4.11 Socioeconomics, Population and Housing
  • 4.12 Public Services and Utilities
• 5. Mandatory Environmental Analysis
• 6. Mitigation and Monitoring
• 7. Agency Contacts and Preparers

APPENDICES

• Appendix A – Notice of Preparation (NOP)
• Appendix B – NOP Comment Summary and Letters
• Appendix C – Boulder Bay Public Meeting List
• Appendix D – TRPA Land Capability, Coverage, and other Commodity Verification Files
• Appendix E – Circulation Plans for Alternatives C, D and E
• Appendix F – Alternative Transportation Plan – Alternatives C and D
• Appendix G – Stormwater Management Plan
• Appendix H – Approval Letter from the NTRPA for Structure Housing Gaming Relocation
• Appendix I – Soils/Hydrologic Scoping Report, TRPA Soil Hydrologic Approval Letter
• Appendix J – Arborist Report
• Appendix K – Tree Protection Measure
• Appendix L – Blank
• Appendix M – Memorandum Regarding Sierra Park Parcels – Settlement Agreements
• Appendix N – Geotechnical Investigation for Boulder Bay
• Appendix O – Landscaping Plan
• Appendix P –Existing Conditions for Stormwater Water Quality
• Appendix Q – Lake Tahoe TMDL Pollutant Reduction Opportunity Report Executive Summary
• Appendix R – TMDL Pollutant Load Reduction Plan
• Appendix S – Species Lists (CNDDB, USFWS, NNHP)
• Appendix T – Biological Resources Survey Reports
• Appendix U – Proposed Special Height District Amendment
• Appendix V – Cultural Resources Study and Evaluations
• Appendix W – Traffic and Parking Calculations
• Appendix X – Air Quality Calculations (URBEMIS 2007 Summary Reports)
• Appendix Y – Noise Model Inputs and Monitoring Results

Environmental Documents: Public Draft – Full Document

Cover Page

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Introduction

Project Description

Environmental Impacts

Recreation

Scenic

Cultural

Terrestrial Biology

Aquatic Biology

Hydrology and Water Quality

Geology and Soils

Air Quality

Climate Change and Energy

Public Safety and Hazards

Noise

Transportation

Land Use

Other Sections

Report Preparers

References

Appendix A Resource Protection Measures

Appendix B Special Status Species

Appendix C Air Quality Data

Appendix D Noise Data

Appendix E Traffic Data

Notice of Availability

Scoping Comments

Meeks Bay- How to Submit Comments

Please submit comments on the EIS/EIS/EIR through the Forest Service project website