Diamond Peak Master Plan
Project Background
Diamond Peak/Ski Incline has been providing community-based winter recreation since 1966. The Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) has continued to upgrade the ski area facility and refine the winter operation to stay in the forefront of industry technological developments and modern guest service trends. By contrast, while there has been a significant evolution within the ski industry toward four-season operations, Diamond Peak’s summer business remains very limited, consisting primarily of infrequently scheduled special events.
Diamond Peak is currently updating its Master Plan to revisit the potential for the future development of Diamond Peak as a community recreational resource.
The last major push to update the Diamond Peak Master Plan took place back in 2014-2015. The plan developed at that time explored opportunities for maximizing the existing winter business and assessed the potential for introducing new summer activities that will generate additional revenue. View plan documents from that effort below:
- August 2015 Master Plan Document (PDF)
- July 2014 Master Plan Document (PDF)
- June 2015 Steering Committee Report (PDF)
Diamond Peak Master Plan Committee Presentation – July 15, 2015
Diamond Peak Snowflake Lodge Tour – March 30, 2015
About Our Consultant Team
The teams working with Diamond Peak and the IVGID Board of Trustees during the strategic planning process in 2014-25 included:
SE Group – With over 55 years of experience working with ski areas and mountain resorts, the SE Group brings broad experience in helping ski areas realize opportunities for sustainable multi-season operations while maintaining the qualities and character of the area that are important to the community.
RRC Associates is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm providing market research, strategic analysis, and community/land planning services. Principal areas of focus by RRC include the ski and snowboard industry in particular, and the travel, tourism, and recreation industries generally.
Public Input
An important part of the planning process is to gain an understanding of how well Diamond Peak is serving the community today, and how it could better reach its full potential in serving the Incline Village/Crystal Bay community. Please use the following questions to provide us a foundation for a greater discussion about the future for Diamond Peak:
- What is your relationship to Diamond Peak (Incline Village/Crystal Bay Resident, Diamond Peak skier, area of interest, etc.)?
- What aspects of Diamond Peak are meeting or exceeding guests’ expectations? What are the area’s strongest attributes?
- What opportunities do you see for Diamond Peak to enhance its current facilities and programs – winter and summer?
You can submit your responses and provide any other comments at info@diamondpeak.com.
Master Plan FAQ
What happens if the Diamond Peak Master Plan is accepted?
The Board will direct Staff to begin due diligence for Phase One to present to the community. The first steps for Staff would be to plan community workshops with IVGID and the various local and regional agencies, further refine Phase 1 with analysis vetted by the community and Board, and look at the feasibility of proposed summer activities. Community input will ensure that we are staying consistent with our community values and our regulatory agencies’ requirements. Acceptance does not assume that all of the features in the Plan will be constructed. This proposal is consistent with types of improvements made at the ski resort from the past decade.
What would happen if the Master Plan document isn’t accepted?
Diamond Peak would continue to work off of the 1986 Master Plan that is outdated and ineffective for planning purposes. Improvements would have to be done one at a time without the benefit of pre-planning.
Why implement summer operations?
Adding summer operations at Diamond Peak creates a great opportunity for the whole community; IVGID has the chance to contribute to employment stability, recognize and deal with the implications of climate change, and stay competitive in the local market. We feel it is our fiduciary responsibility to look at these options.
Why is Diamond Peak using the SE Group as the planning group for the Master Plan? What qualifications do they have?
The SE Group has over 60 years of experience and was the first in the country to help specifically with ski resort planning. It has worked with all major ski resorts in the country, including projects for Mt. Rose, Heavenly, and Palisades Tahoe Meadows and has developed environmental entitlement solutions for resorts like Breckenridge Ski Resort and Arapahoe Basin.
The SE Group specializes in the planning and design of resorts with a focus on environmentally fragile sites that are constrained by sensitive ecosystems, high elevations, steep slopes, and wetlands. These places are guarded by stakeholders with a passion for the place and an emotional investment in its future.
In 2013, the SE Group came out and did an evaluation of the potential at Diamond Peak for both winter and summer. After the evaluation, SE Group gave a presentation to the Board highlighting the need to update the resort’s 28-year Master Plan. The Board approved Staff to use the SE Group for the development of a new Plan.
The SE Group maintains offices in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and Vermont. For more information about the SE Group, visit www.segroup.com.
Can you tell me more about the process once the Plan is accepted?
SE Group (if hired) would take the lead on the approval process. Special NEPA and EIS studies will be needed to complete the approval process through the TRPA, US Forest Service, and Washoe County. Diamond Peak and IVGID have full control of the Plan; the SE Group helps with the details.
What is the difference between a canopy tour, zip lines, and their costs?
A canopy tour is a series of zip lines that goes through the treetops usually in a two- to three-hour guided tour. A zip line is typically just one “zip” (like Heavenly’s current zip line). It is important to note the difference when comparing rates for a zip line or canopy tour. See an example of a canopy tour here: Smugglers’ Notch Canopy Tour and Treetop Obstacle Course Videos.
I’m concerned about the traffic in the area. How is that going to be handled?
The summer operations will create a different traffic flow than in the winter; in addition, fewer people are expected, on average, each day of summer operation. During the winter, people tend to show up all at once in the morning and leave at the same time in the afternoon. Since the average stay is shorter in the summer, people will arrive on and off throughout the day without the big surges like we see in the winter. In addition, we average about 2.3 people per car in the winter, and in the summer we expect almost 4 people per car, due primarily to the diverse, family-friendly activities offered.