The SNOW Museum Foundation will operate the museum and intends to establish a hall of fame to honor winter sports athletes and leaders of the California and Nevada winter sports industry. Photo courtesy of Placer County

KINGS BEACH, CA (MPG) – The Sierra Nevada Olympic Winter Museum and Community Cultural Center project will move forward following the Placer County Board of Supervisors' approval in North Lake Tahoe.

The board unanimously approved six items related to the project, including adoption of two resolutions: one to certify the environmental impact report and the second to amend the Olympic Valley General Plan and land use ordinance to establish the “cultural amenities” land use designation. The board also adopted an ordinance to rezone the project site from forest recreation to cultural amenities.

The proposed SNOW Museum project, located at 101 Olympic Valley Road, calls for a 20,000-square-foot museum and community cultural center at 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.

The SNOW Museum Foundation will operate the museum and intends to establish a hall of fame to honor winter sports athletes and leaders of the California and Nevada winter sports industry. The non-profit organization also intends to submit an application to become designated as a U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. 

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

The proposed development would be located within Olympic Valley Park, a 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 prevents future uses of the property from including private development of a commercial, residential or industrial nature. Through continued discussions, the Forest Service has indicated that its review of the proposed project has not identified any obvious violations of the property's deed restriction, thereby allowing the county to proceed with the project.

Included in Tuesday's board approval is a ten-year conditional land use permit to allow the SNOW Museum Foundation more time to begin a significant fundraising campaign to help construct the project. 

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