The few residents living in and around both Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are exploring options for incorporation in order to exert some control over KSL's proposed expansion of the Squaw base village. While the two valleys combined count only 859 full-time residents, the contribution from the occupancy and property taxes of the pair sits just over $13 million, and it is this financial clout that residents think gives them the opportunity for some say into how KSL executes their 100-acre project.
While the county commissioners maintain that this act won't stop KSL's plans since they already pass under current rules, this isn't the first time residents have incorporated and successfully blocked a development project in California. In 2002, a newly incorporated city of Goleta in Santa Barbara County refused to give approval for a condominium project after the county had approved it, with the city's stance ultimately passing muster in the state Supreme Court. It could take the proposed city of "SquawPine" to incorporate, which resident Peter Schweitzer says is "plenty of time to impact the village expansion project, especially if it gets tied up in court."
· Welcome to SquawPine [Moonshine, Inc.]
· Sierra Club Calls For Stop On Squaw Valley Base Village Development [Curbed Ski]