Development in the Sierras: Is Royal Gorge Building A House Of Cards On Donner Summit?

Mr. Swann also presented the alternative of pumping water up from springs at Rainbow Lodge, springs which would feed the South Yuba River if they weren't sold off as bulk water to Nestle-Perrier or the like, to water the proposed development at the Summit. Most of those in attendance at SLCWD's meeting were probably not aware that Royal Gorge had indeed been selling water without Placer County permits since 1988, nor were they aware that in Placer County wrists aren't even slapped for this (Placer County has awarded a mitigated negative declaration). Everyone was aware, however, that this didn't pass the silly test- pumping water up 1000 feet in elevation- it would be cheaper to bottle it first, truck it up, and then pour it into everyone's toilets. Seriously, when you add up ripping up old HWY 40 to lay pipes for the water, the pump stations necessary to keep the water going uphill, and the chutzpah to take water away from the South Yuba, and all the little cabins down at Rainbow/Hampshire Rocks- you're looking at 10 million dollars or more. And is a Mello-Roos bond really going to pay for this, or is Royal Gorge LLC going to try to stick SLCWD with the bill?

Mr. Swann's presentation kept the audience busy with questions, for example, how could CDM claim that a 3,000 square foot town home would use the same amount of water as a hotel room, especially since the studies they'd cited didn't support that claim? There were many other questions of the same nature, very few answered to the satisfaction of the people asking the questions.

A presentation to Donner Summit Public Utilities District came close on the heels of CDM's presentation to SLCWD. The general feeling of those attending was that Carollo Engineers, the consultants, were well prepared, and very frank regarding the challenges of disposing of sewage for 1000 brand new units on Donner Summit. There was talk of using modern types of leach fields to handle the new development's sewage, but it was also admitted that the efficacy of those could be problematic in the hard granite of the Summit. Additional problems would be presented by the necessity of keeping people away from the leach fields. Complications of disposing of treated effluent were discussed. It must be noted here that downstream users of water from the South Yuba River are becoming increasingly sensitive to what is being put into the river from the Summit. Very sensitive.

And then there was the new ice age, a problem Royal Gorge LLC either doesn't yet comprehend the magnitude of, or, more likely, presents a problem they want to push under the rug, in hopes some really hot weather, say, in December, will make go away. An ice fishing employee of SLCWD mentioned the thickness of the ice on Serene Lakes, which, incidentally used to be called Ice Lakes- Ice Lakes as in an ice harvesting business was carried on many, many years ago. The district took note, as there was an indication that at least in the early part of the year, the channel between the two lakes was frozen solid. The district is now conducting an ongoing study, and so far the data shows that for many months of the year, water is bound up in ice, and not usable. In the second week of March 2008, the ice over the district's intake pipe was 5 feet thick, which meant that there was very little water available for use. This has not been a problem in the past, but add in Royal Gorge LLC's 700-1000 units, all demanding water, and by February we could all be singing, "how dry I am."

All of the foregoing, while presenting serious problems, pale in the light of Sugar Bowl's announcement this week that they have withdrawn from an agreement to support a downhill ski link with Royal Gorge LLC's proposed "Ski Camp." It is presumed that they are likewise no longer committed to supporting the lifts and runs Royal Gorge LLC was going to carve out of Razorback Ridge. Royal Gorge LLC had crowed to investors about this link with Sugar Bowl, which was going to make them the largest cross country/downhill resort in the country. Now Sugar Bowl, a company truly concerned with being a "green" ski resort, and wary of the global warming freight train barreling down the tracks, has had the courage to take a harder look at what's best for Donner Summit, and has decided to not only "talk the talk" of green resorts, but also to take the hard first steps of "walking the walk."

Royal Gorge LLC, especially if they've been keeping an eye on Dyer Mountain, a proposed development that has recently sought the protection of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to postpone their (inevitable?) date on the courthouse steps, must be having some hard looks at their development model. Their first response has been to downplay alpine skiing, saying they're emphasizing nordic skiing.

However, Royal Gorge LLC's supposed emphasis on nordic skiing still involves covering the cross country resort with sprawl, something no one wants to ski through. Also, it seems they haven't dealt with another pressing issue- the high voltage PG&E main trunk lines running through their proposed development. If the towers aren't moved, they'll run directly through their "West Lake" and Lodge- hardly an amenity.

Undergrounding of these lines is complex. They can't be put under roads with all the other utilities, as an errant bulldozer could take out Sacramento's or San Francisco's power. Whether undergrounding is practical, and whether PG&E would even consent to moving the lines requires study; a study of which, according to a PG&E representative last week, Royal Gorge LLC has not signed on to. A ballpark figure for undergrounding, not necessarily factoring in digging into granite, is three thousand dollars a foot! As a mile to a mile and a half is involved, that's a very large sum of money. And, if the lines are merely moved, and not undergrounded, cross country skiers might be looking forward to skiing on trails under power lines- the Tower of Power trail, maybe?

How can Royal Gorge LLC turn what looks like an "annus horribilis" into, say, an "annus mirabilis," at least preventing greater disasters? Maybe now is a good time to genuinely look at what's good for the cross country resort, and what's good for Donner Summit. Instead of doubling down their bets, maybe they should listen to the majority on the Summit who aren't opposed to growth, but who want to see growth that will not kill the golden goose. Will Royal Gorge LLC come to understand that their "Pave to Save" plan for the cross country resort has been a lead balloon from day 1?

Royal Gorge used to have a fabled lodge, which, sadly, burnt down. Perhaps Royal Gorge LLC should think about rebuilding that lodge or building a concentrated lodge and condo development, near the current Summit Lodge. Such a development would save most of the resort from the indignities of suburban sprawl, and would use a reasonable amount of water, which would reassure homeowners in Serene Lakes that Royal Gorge LLC won't drain the lakes to fill their pockets.

Perhaps it's time for Royal Gorge LLC to leave off building their house of cards, which won't withstand the realities of Donner Summit's climate, and instead, build a small development that preserves the integrity and heritage of the Summit.

Kathryn Gray is a graduate of the School of Social Ecology, University of California at Irvine, and Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley. She and her husband, Joseph Gray, founded a specialized semiconductor company in 1989. Now retired, they spend their time on environmental causes, including monitoring the large development proposed on Donner Summit. More information on this development may be found at www.saveoursummit.org.