CRYSTAL BAY, Nev. — The project manager for the Tahoe Biltmore redevelopment project on the North Shore of the lake has announced plans for another reduction in overall size.

In a Tuesday press release, Brian Helm, project manager for Boulder Bay, announced the total number of hotel rooms for the final preferred project will reduce from 300 to 275. Furthermore, the project's overall scale for dining and retail space will reduce 10 percent, to 18,715 square feet (down from 20,715), thanks to diminished retail space.

The changes also include the elimination of an entire floor from two of the project's eight buildings, representing a 20 percent decrease in mass and size to those two buildings. The two building are G and H, which front State Route 28.

The adjustments come after sweeping reductions were made in May 2009, which included the elimination of 42 hotel units, the reduction of total retail square footage by 25 percent, reduction of the total floor area by 20 percent and the removal of an entire floor from seven of the eight buildings. The original Boulder Bay plan in 2007 called for 381 total units and 27,620 sq. ft. of retail and dining space.

The reductions have been made, Helm said, in an attempt to heed suggestions and feedback from the public.

“Over the last three years, the Boulder Bay team has met with hundreds of local community members and stakeholders,” Helm said. “These meetings have contributed a lot of great input and ideas.”

With the changes, the redevelopment project's preferred option now is to erect a 275-room hotel with a 10,000 square-foot casino, 59 whole-ownership units, 14 on-site affordable housing units, 10 off-site affordable housing units, a spa and other amenities, while also addressing outdated environmental concerns at the Tahoe Biltmore site.

Summary of project development changes: Original Proposal; May 2009; January 2011 Total Units: 381; 359; 334 Hotel Units: 200; 300; 275 Timeshares: 160 ; 0; 0 Condos: 21; 59; 59 On-site affordable units 34; 14 (38 bedrooms); 14 (28 bedrooms) Renovated bedrooms: 0; 0; 10 (off-site) Retail and Dining: 27,620 sq. ft.; 20,715; 18,715

Other changes

According to Tuesday's announcement, Boulder Bay will commit to providing the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency with evidence of adequate construction financing that demonstrates it must be able to complete the entire project prior to breaking ground, Helm said.

Boulder Bay will form a community communication and advisory council to provide “maximum transparency during construction,” he said.

Finally, Boulder Bay will adopt a program suggested by the League to Save Lake Tahoe, which makes use of pre-existing housing in proximity to the project, which will be renovated and deed restricted as affordable housing, Helm said.

“We could've just responded to the technical questions and comments raised by stakeholders during the various DEIS and FEIS portions of the project process, but we took the extra step to adjust the project where we thought appropriate,” he said. “The meaningful changes mean the project is better and the environmental improvements are better and we are just looking forward to March.”

The project will be subject to review and approval by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency beginning March 9, when the Advisory Planning Commission will discuss it. The TRPA Governing Board, which has final say over project approval, will review it on March 23 at the Chateau in Incline Village, should the APC see no problems with it.

Boulder Bay management made two consecutive requests to be removed from the TRPA agenda — in November and December respectively — in order to make final changes to the project.

“Thank you for your patience over the past few months as the project has moved on and off the TRPA agendas,” Helm said.