Planning Commission recommends approval of Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake Tahoe, Mountain Chalets

Published Dec. 4, 2025

The Placer County Planning Commission today voted to recommend to the Board of Supervisors approval of the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake Tahoe, Mountain Chalets project, including an amendment to the Martis Valley Community Plan, a rezone of the project site and an addendum to the environmental impact report.

The project would modify an existing conditional-use permit to build a 38-unit condominium plan separated into 18 separate mountain chalets for sale in six on-site buildings. It also includes construction of an 184-space, partially-underground parking garage and elevated walkway to connect the project site to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Originally approved in 2005 as part of the Northstar Highlands project, the initial project included a master conditional use permit for construction of 41 condominium units for timeshare use or whole ownership. Units were not constructed prior to the economic recession in 2008 and thus delayed.

The 3.4-acre site was used as a construction staging area for development in the Northstar Highlands and in 2009, the site was approved for temporary overflow parking for hotel employees. In 2014, Placer County approved the temporary employee parking to remain until the project returned for review with the condition that the owner or developer of the property would be required to provide sufficient off-street parking for the proposed residential condominium project and the employee parking required by the hotel..

The revised project reduces construction to 38 condominium units separated into 18 separate mountain chalets spread across six buildings. These 18 chalets would be defined as condo-hotel units as defined in the county's short-term rental ordinance. Chalet owners would have the option to rent one or more units through the existing Ritz Voluntary Rental Program , which currently manages the 23 condo-hotel units available in the hotel. Each chalet includes a two-car garage for a total of 220 parking spaces.

The proposed project requires a rezoning from residential multi-family to resort with a planned development overlay and associated Martis Valley Community Plan amendment from medium density residential to tourist/resort commercial to allow operation as a "condo-hotel," since hotels are not an allowed use in the current zoning.

An addendum to the 2005 Northstar Highlands environmental impact report was deemed sufficient for CEQA compliance as the analysis found the project would not result in any new or substantially more severe environmental impacts than those previously identified in the 2005 EIR.

The project will be heard by the Placer County Board of Supervisors at an upcoming meeting anticipated early in 2026.

Learn more about the Planning Commission here: https://www.placer.ca.gov/2403/Planning-Commission .