Homewood Mountain Resort Reveals Plans for Eight Year Revamp

Homewood Mountain Resort on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore lays out their eight year plan for an overhaul of the mountain’s infrastructure, housing, parking, new lifts, and more.

The mountain faced criticism in 2022 when the owners discussed making Homewood a private resort, similar to something like the Yellowstone Club in Montana.

However, they made it clear in a Wednesday night meeting that they have no intentions of making it private, much to the relief of locals and visitors.

It was reported by Brenna O’boyle of the Tahoe Daily Tribune that dozens of locals showed up in “Keep Homewood Public” shirts.

Ed Divita, Discovery Land Co. Partner, said in the meeting that, “There’s no plans or intention to privatize Homewood. This project is for residents and visitors alike.”

There is still some concern regarding the privatization of the resort in the future.

The Tahoe Daily Tribune spoke with Kathy Astromoff of Keep Homewood Public, and she expressed her concerns about what is stopping them from privatizing the resort once plans go through.

She is unconvinced of Discovery Land Co.’s intentions, and said that their primary business model is to enter a highly desirable tourism area with a local government in need of property tax revenue while scraping away public access.

That could look like a few different things at its inception, including paid parking or daily guest limits. Small things like this can slowly deteriorate the feeling of a local, family friendly resort.

They’re hoping in five years that they will have a village core which includes a gondola, increased housing, more parking, retail and commercial spaces, and possibly an ice skating rink.

The master plans of the future of the resort are to update aging infrastructure, sustaining Homewood’s family friendly charm, revitalize the area as a main attraction for Lake Tahoe, and minimize the traffic implications of the West Shore.

Over eight years they’re hoping to:

• Install an eight person gondola
• Improve snow making
• Adding 225 residences, a 75 room hotel, and 13 workforce housing units
• A new base mountain facility
• A three level parking garage
• A mid mountain lodge with a pool, store, and food and beverage service

While some are skeptical of these proposed changes and Discovery’s intentions, others are excited about the possibilities of a new and improved Homewood with the same core values.

Homewood plan (done in 8 years?)
by u/thesaltinsea in tahoe

Most people on this Reddit thread, including a stated six year employee of the resort, are excited about the prospect of change.

They commented, “While KHP (Keep Homewood Public) and other allies on the West Shore have some valid concerns, if there is no investment, Homewood will become an abandoned ski resort that rots into the ground. Change is a good thing and should be welcomed!”

It’s like that old quote; “The only constant in life is change,” and that can be applied to the ski world as well.

I think it is inevitable that things will change for this resort and Lake Tahoe as a whole, and it is beneficial to be skeptical and ask questions about such big changes.

There’s always going to be things to complain about with skiing.

The lift lines are getting longer, traffic is getting worse, everyone on the hill is a dick, etc. But at the end of the day, being able to ski avidly is a privilege (myself included), and there’s too much hostility for doing something so frivolous like sliding down snow on long sticks.

I’m culpable of this too, and I have to remind myself that I’m supposed to be having fun. It’s too easy to get wrapped up in the glitz, glam, and hostility that sometimes takes place in and around the mountain.