Bear Valley Proposes Major Makeover
Bear Valley, CA — A pedestrian-oriented village resort is how Bear Valley executives are billing a proposed development as they tour to garner support for the project.
The project has not yet been submitted to Apline County for approval. However, Partner Chuck Toeniskoetter says the company wants to share its ideas with the community and get feedback to potentially include in the planning.
During a public reception at Ironstone Vineyards Monday Toeniskoetter and partner Greg Finch shared their plans with close to 100 local leaders and business owners.
In 2005, Toeniskoetter´s company TBI, joined forces with Dundee Realty USA and a third partner to purchase the Bear Valley Ski Resort from the Bottomley family.
With the ski area and town now under the same ownership, Toeniskoetter says it´s time to move forward with improvements.
Moving forward is planned to happen in a couple of ways.
Improvements to the ski resort are currently underway. A new lift called the Polar Express is sitting in the parking lot awaiting installation. It replaces the old Hibernation lift and should be up and running by the upcoming ski season.
The proposed development includes a Village Express lift that will connect the town with the ski area.
Visitors will be able to pick up the lift at the proposed village center, which would feature 225 condominiums and more than 20,000 square feet of retail space in two to five story buildings. The current lodge would be torn down to make way for this development.
An additional access road would be brought into the village off of Highway 4 just east of the current entrance.
A second condominium project is proposed in the parking area south of the village center. It would consist of 125 units including parking for Bear Valley residents and visitors. Both condominium projects would be connected by a bridge.
Toeniskoetter says the feedback he´s received so far has been largely supportive of the proposed changes.
One more meeting is schedule Wednesday in the Bay Area where many of Bear Valley´s homeowners live.
Once these public meetings are complete, the application process is intended to start immediately.
Written by Vanessa Turner.
