STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), Barton Hospital, and the Douglas County Community Development Planning Division (Douglas County) are seeking public scoping comments on the scope of Barton Health (Barton) Environmental Assessment (EA) that will evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposal to amend the South Shore Area Plan (SSAP) and construct the Barton Stateline Hospital (Project). Located upon 6.67 acres at the former site of the Lakeside Inn & Casino, 168 US Highway 50, Stateline, Nevada, Barton proposes to construct a new, state of the art, full-service hospital.

The Project is located within the Kingsbury Town Center of the Douglas County South Shore Area Plan. The Project will enable Barton to defer demolition of the existing hospital located at 2170 South Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, California, (“CA Campus”) built in 1963 until the new hospital is operational, thereby avoiding a multi-year interruption of full-service healthcare to the South Shore and surrounding communities.

The Project is located across US Highway 50 from Barton’s existing Nevada campus located at 145-165 US Highway 50, which consists of approximately 20,000 square feet, providing primary care, urgent care, imaging, physical therapy, occupational therapy and laboratory services. In-patient hospital service will be relocated from the CA Campus to the Project. The new hospital will include:

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• 28 inpatient hospital patient rooms
• Surgery department with 7 operating rooms
• Obstetrics / Labor & Delivery with 5 rooms
• Intensive Care Unit with 5 beds
• Level 3 Trauma Center with 20 beds
• Imaging Center (MRI, CT, X-Ray, Mammo,
  Ultrasound, Dexa)
• Gastroenterology
• Oncology / Infusion Center
• 22 Skilled Nursing beds
• Laboratory
• Pharmacy
• Cafeteria and Café
• Central Utility Plant
• Receiving and Central Supply
• Administration

EXISTING CONDITION

The Project replaces the former Lakeside Inn & Casino, and three commercial buildings previously located on Kahle Drive (“Prior Uses”). The prior uses were built in the early 1960s and included two levels of basement facilities at excavation depths exceeding 15 feet below ground that intercepted, rerouted and discharged groundwater for over 60 years. The previously existing structures were set back from US Highway 50 between 26 and 50 feet, and contained approximately 400 surface parking spaces. The site has not obtained a TRPA Best Management Practices certificate. Prior uses building heights along the US Highway 50 travel route measured up to 63 feet. In summer 2024, the Prior uses structures, including surface structures, were demolished, asbestos was abated, and the site has been regraded pursuant to an interim TRPA Permit.

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PROPOSED CONDITION

On March 15, 2024, the State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services issued a Letter of Approval to Barton for a Hospital Replacement Project, a Certificate of Need (“CON”), consistent with the Project. Upon completion of the Project, the CA Barton campus facilities will be renovated to better serve the more than 90 percent of patient visits that are outpatient. Urgent care, primary care, specialty and ancillary services such as laboratory, imaging, and rehabilitation will continue without interruption, including operation of the Robert Maloff Center for Orthopedics and Wellness, as well as the Barton Community Health Center, providing comprehensive medical services to underserved populations (Medi-Cal and uninsured patients).

As part of the Project, Douglas County South Shore Area Plan Amendments are proposed to create a new healthcare subdistrict within the boundaries of the Kingsbury Commercial Town Center (the Tahoe-Mixed Use/Town Center [T-MU/TC] zoning district). Section 20.703.060 of the proposed Douglas County Code would be amended to include a new healthcare subdistrict (Tahoe – Healthcare [T-HC]) within the T-MU/TC zoning district. The existing Kingsbury Commercial Town Center is an area intended to provide a mix of commercial, public service, light industrial, office, and residential uses and is targeted for redevelopment in a manner that improves environmental conditions, creates a more sustainable and less auto-dependent development pattern, and provides economic opportunities. Public service land uses are already allowed within the T-MU/TC zoning district, which includes hospitals, with a TRPA- or county-issued special use permit. The new subdistrict would specify use of the area for existing and future healthcare uses and supporting services and would include hospitals as an allowed use in the subdistrict, eliminating the need for a special use determination.

The subdistrict would consist of the site of the former Lakeside Inn and Casino and other parcels located east of US 50 and north of State Route (SR) 207 that are currently owned by Barton. The proposed amendments (including amendments to TRPA Code Chapter 13) also include an increase to the maximum allowable building height up to 80 feet, limited to hospital uses in a portion of the overall healthcare subdistrict on the west side of US 50.

The Project consists of an approximately 230,000 square feet hospital building, at a maximum height of 80 feet for the central five story section, that includes one level of below grade parking. Four stories will be visible from US Highway 50. A total of 255 parking spaces consists of 170 surface parking spaces and 85 below grade parking spaces. The Project includes a pedestrian overpass across US Highway 50, connecting the existing Nevada Campus on the east side of US Highway 50 to the Project. Pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle access will occur via the US Highway 50 frontage, with emergency room walk in, ambulance ingress/egress and service vehicles via Kahle Drive. No access is proposed from Laura Drive.

The new hospital design features sloped roofs, natural stone, wood elements, a healing design maximizing natural light, generous public spaces, landscaped streetscapes and pedestrian circulation, resulting in a signature northern gateway to the urban core and Kingsbury Town Center. The Project will be compliant with IBC seismic requirements constructed of non-combustible materials.

Landscaped outdoor spaces surrounding the Project provide for public assembly, wellness, passive recreation, and pedestrian circulation. The landscaped walkways total approximately 2,760 linear feet, and 28,800 sq. ft. The Project will incorporate state of the art storm water treatment as well as low impact development technologies. After pre-treatment, storm water will be conveyed to the existing Kahle Drive regional storm water treatment system. A landscaped parkway consisting of approximately 52,000 sq. ft. will be constructed along Laura Drive, with building setbacks ranging from 28 to 75 feet. The Project will reduce existing land coverage by over 1 acre.

The Project will contain a Level 3 Trauma Center, in place of the Level 3 Trauma Center located at the California Campus. A helipad will be located at the northeast corner of the Project above the Emergency Room, at a height of approximately 43 feet. Care flight/lifesaving transport is anticipated to occur at the same frequency experienced at the California Campus, approximately six flights per month.

HOW TO COMMENT AND TIMEFRAME

TRPA, Douglas County, and Barton requests your comments on the scope and content of the TRPA EA to be prepared for the Barton Stateline Hospital Project and associated Regional Plan Amendments. A public scoping meeting will be held at TRPA on January 16, 2025, from 5 – 7 p.m.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency office is located at 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV 89449. During the meeting, Project exhibits will be available for review and agency and Barton staff will be available to answer questions and capture public input for use in the preparation of the EA.

Written comments shall be submitted no later than January 31, 2025, and directed to BartonProject@trpa.gov. Acceptable formats for electronic submissions include email message,
plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), Word (.doc or .docx) or portable document file (.pdf).