The proposed two-story building would provide a range of indoor and outdoor spaces designed to serve both residents and visitors. Photo courtesy of Placer County

TAHOE CITY, CA (MPG) – The community is invited to learn more about the proposed Sierra Nevada Olympic Winter Museum and Community Cultural Center project with Placer County staff during a virtual community meeting Wednesday, Oct. 7, starting at 6 p.m.

Click here to join the virtual meeting via Zoom: https://placer-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/91333472516?pwd=aAji5uDcusMsBxhMzeGPYVem4Cga8V.1 

The proposed SNOW Museum project, located at 101 Olympic Valley Road, would bring an approximately 20,000-square-foot museum and community cultural center to Olympic Valley Park. The project is envisioned to celebrate the legacy of the 1960 Winter Olympics and the history of winter sports in the Sierra Nevada.

The proposed two-story building would provide a range of indoor and outdoor spaces designed to serve both residents and visitors. Planned uses include a museum focused on Olympic and Sierra Nevada ski history, a cultural community center, event space, a cafe and museum gift shop and potentially a visitor center.

Outdoor improvements would include gathering areas designed to complement the building and provide opportunities for community events and activities. A plaza deck is proposed south of the building, along with a V-shaped garden to the east.

The proposed development would be located within Olympic Valley Park, an approximately 26.8-acre year-round community park consisting of two parcels owned and operated by Placer County. The project represents an opportunity to add a cultural and educational destination within the existing park while maintaining the park's broader role as a community gathering place.  

The 1960 Winter Olympics, held in what is now Olympic Valley, helped establish the region as an internationally recognized winter sports destination. More than six decades later, the proposed center would provide an opportunity to preserve that legacy, share the history of winter sports in the Sierra Nevada and create a new community gathering space for Olympic Valley.

Olympic Valley Park is subject to a deed restriction associated with Placer County's 1999 purchase of the park parcels from the U.S. Forest Service. The restriction limits future uses of the property for private development of a commercial, residential or industrial nature. Through continued discussions, the Forest Service has indicated that the proposed project does not appear to violate the property's deed restriction, thereby allowing the county to proceed with project discussions.

County staff will also be available to answer questions and discuss the proposed project at the Discover and Discuss Community meeting Oct. 15 in Kings Beach. Learn more about that at https://www.placer.ca.gov/calendar.aspx?EID=56509 

The project has been recommended for approval to the Board of Supervisors by the county Planning Commission. The board is anticipated to consider the project's requested land-use entitlements at the Oct. 20 meeting.

Find more information about the proposed project at https://www.placer.ca.gov/7884/SNOW-Sports-Museum-and-Community-Cultura.