Last week, Curbed Ski broke down the nitty gritty details on the battle in Squaw Valley over whether or not to incorporate a new town, called Olympic Valley. Head over here to read why locals want to incorporate Olympic Valley and why Squaw Vally's CEO Andy Wirth has come out against incorporation. But let's get to the results...
Based on our straw poll, a majority of Curbed Ski readers (62%) think that incorporating Olympic Valley is a good idea. You can find a quick break down of the proposed sides below. But first, let's take a look at the latest developments for Squaw Valley:
Water: Last week, the Squaw Valley Public Utilities District issued a draft report that concluded "there is sufficient water supply" for the proposed new development at the base village in Squaw Valley (head over here for more info on development plans). But the conversation group Sierra Watch believes that the most recent report counters existing research and official studies that claim the local aquifer does not provide enough water. The most recent water supply assessment only reviewed data through 2011, but last winter marked the third winter with well below normal snowfall. The conclusion? Questions surrounding water still remain.
Money: It looks like Andy Wirth and Squaw Valley Ski Holdings are prepared to spend a lot of money to stop incorporation. The money, about $183,000, is all going to an organization called Save Olympic Valley. Head this way for more info.
We'll stay on top of any new developments and head over here for our comprehensive coverage on everything Squaw Valley. Here's a quick break down of the two sides:
Incorporate Olympic Valley (IOV):
The organization Incorporate Olympic Valley (IOV) aims for increased autonomy from Placer County in order to have greater say in Squaw Valley's future. They recently launched a crowdfunding campaign and have plenty of local support. Representatives of IOV say they aren't anti-development. Instead, their goal is smart development with greater local participation and self-determination.
In a letter from April 7th, Squaw CEO Andy Wirth detailed what he saw as the negative impacts of creating a new town, arguing that Olympic Valley would not have enough tax revenue to sustain itself without raising local taxes. Since Wirth's letter, the ski resort has gone on the offensive against IOV, taking out full-page ads in local papers questioning the non-profit's proposal. Squaw Valley Ski Resort is also bankrolling the efforts to stop incorporation, giving Save Olympic Valley a reported $121,163. Finally, Squaw Valley ski area has said that if there was a newly incorporated town, they would want to be excluded from the town's boundaries. But IOV organizers need the ski area for incorporation. IOV has said that excluding Squaw Valley would be illogical and disastrous to the new town's finances.
· How Much Money Is Squaw Valley Willing To Spend To Stop The Incorporation Of Olympic Valley? [Unofficial Alpine]
· Incorporate Olympic Valley [Official Site]
· Save Olympic Valley [Official Site]
· Squaw Valley CEO Comes Out Against Olympic Valley [Curbed Ski]
· All Coverage of the Fight Over Olympic Valley [Curbed Ski Archives]
· All Squaw Valley Base Village Coverage [Curbed Ski Archives]