Facility Enhancements at the IVGID Beaches

On February 24, 2016, the Incline Village General Improvement District’s Board of Trustees approved, via unanimous vote, the IVGID Beaches Recreation Enhancement Opportunities Plan. The approval of this document, which can be viewed here, was the culmination of two years of work to develop comprehensive recommendations to guide future capital investment made by the District at Burnt Cedar, Incline, Ski, and Hermit Beaches. The development of the Enhancement Plan included two publically held meetings (one to discuss site analysis findings and one to discuss survey results and site improvement opportunities), dozens of hours of operations and site use observations, numerous interviews with operations staff and concessionaires, and extensive surveying that included an intercept survey of beach users (with 267 responses) and a mailed and on-line community survey (with 2,149 responses). 

Based on this comprehensive effort, the Enhancement Plan identifies numerous potential improvements to the facilities at the Beaches and their estimated costs. These include: 

  • Improvement of entries and pedestrian access at all Beach properties to expedite the check-in process and enhance pedestrian safety. 
  • Replacement of the restroom/concession building at Incline Beach to create a beachfront hospitality zone. 
  • Replacement of the restroom building at Burnt Cedar Beach to improve use, increase the number of available fixtures, and replace aging infrastructure. 
  • Enhancement of the Burnt Cedar Pool House for improved concession operations. 
  • Enhancement of the Burnt Cedar Pool mechanical equipment for improved and more reliable operations. 
  • Enhancement of the group and individual picnic/BBQ areas at all Beach properties with additional focus on the individual sites on the western side of Burnt Cedar Beach to improve customer experience and enhance use. 
  • Enhancement of beachfront access and pedestrian connectivity at all Beach properties with additional focus on connectivity between the western site amenities and the eastern beachfront areas at Burnt Cedar Beach to improve customer experience and enhance use. 
  • Provision of non-motorized watercraft storage and a formal launching area on the western side of Burnt Cedar Beach, similar to operations at Hermit Beach, to reduce the waiting list presently in place for storage at Hermit Beach. 
  • Development of a consistent design aesthetic for all architectural and site finishes across all Beach properties including buildings, shelters, signage (including fonts and colors), landscape/retaining walls, curbs, and walkways. 

The recommendations in the Enhancement Plan are simply recommendations and the purpose of the document is to guide the major capital improvements that could be completed at the Beach Properties over the next 10 to 15 years. Ultimately, the projects selected for implementation and the pace at which those projects are completed must be decided by the District’s Board of Trustees based on input from the residents of Incline Village. 

Of the improvements identified in the Enhancement Plan, the project overwhelmingly identified by the community surveys as the top priority is the replacement of the restroom/concession building at Incline Beach. Funds to complete design of this work were included in the District’s FY 2015/2016 budget as well as the proposed FY 2016/2017 budget. A comprehensive Request for Qualifications process to select a design team was completed this spring. The goal of the project is to replace the over capacity and aging 1970s structure with a robust and modern facility that meets the capacity needs of today’s operations at Incline Beach and the expectations of Incline Village residents. A new facility will enhance food and beverage operations and customer service by incorporating current industry best practices for food and beverage concessions and commercial kitchen design. Additionally, a new facility will enhance the quality, size, and number of restrooms available at Incline Beach and will also provide restrooms capable of use during the winter to allow the elimination of the temporary portable toilets during the cold weather months. Finally, a new facility will enhance the customer experience at Incline Beach by including a shaded outdoor seating area, outdoor showers, and improved customer flow from the drop-off area and parking lots to the beachfront. 

Once a design contract is approved by the District’s Board of Trustees, design work will begin aggressively over the summer, fall, and winter of 2016. Construction schedule of the new facility will be dictated by the scope of work developed during design and future budget approvals by the Board of Trustees but would begin no sooner than the fall of 2017. The design process will include extensive community outreach and information sessions as well as opportunities for public comment and feedback. Stay tuned this summer for more information on this exciting District project! 

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