The Elko County Planning Commission has approved a conditional use permit for a private ski resort in the Ruby Mountains.
The nearly 2,300-acre area would be located off Pleasant Valley Road and borders the Spring Creek Association Campground along with previously zoned Open Space (OS) Districts and National Forest Lands.
Modern Land & Development, LLC wants to build a recreational lodge with a private home with a maximum of five guest rooms with future development of up to five nearby chairlifts in the Lamoille area.
Elko County says the majority of the land contains steep mountain slopes which contributes to the area "being well suited for recreational use combined with National Forest access."
A previous request to change the area's zoning from Open Space to recreational was denied by the planning commission last November.
In a prepared statement, the Elko County Fire Protection District said it does not oppose the Conditional Use Permit as long as the company maintains defensible space and emergency vehicle access is evaluated for wintry conditions. Some commissioners expressed concerns about minimizing any environmental impacts the native vegetation could endure, requesting that each individual lift pole require its own soil report and its own building permit with its own structural load calculations since it will vary from pole-to-pole.
One commissioner mentioned that a total of 43 comments were received, with 13 supporting the project, and 30 against, with some stating concerns about possible wildfire response.
