Truckee Town Council:
Mayor Richard Anderson
Vice Mayor Barbara Green
Councilmembers Josh Susman, Carolyn Dee, and
Mark Brown
~ February 15, 2007 meeting
No More Non-Retail Uses on Commercial Row
Council unanimously adopted an ordinance prohibiting ground floor non-retail related uses on Commercial Row in Downtown Truckee.
In case you missed it, Town Council adopted an interim 45-day ordinance on October 26, 2006. It was then extended until October 2007. The interim ordinance did not affect existing non-retail related uses, such as the East West Timilick office and Intero Realty. From November to December 2006, a public outreach process solicited public opinion. In January 2007, the Planning Commission reviewed and recommended adoption of a permanent ordinance barring additional non-retail uses in Commercial Row’s ground floor. Now, in March 2007, the permanent ordinance takes effect.
Truckee Planning Staff asserts the ordinance will help maintain a vibrant downtown, eliminate a potential decrease in pedestrians, contribute to Truckee’s community character, and be consistent with adopted Town policies. Associate Planner Jenna Endres cited ‘broad public support’ for the ordinance’s adoption.
For questions, contact Duane Hall, 582-2918, or dhall@townoftruckee.com.
Mousehole Redesign Update
Although the Mousehole directly affects Truckee and Lake Tahoe residents, CalTrans technically owns the road and is responsible for the structure. A Mousehole redesign is in the pipeline, but is still in the conceptual stages, with five options being considered (see sidebar). Since Truckee is viewed as a major stakeholder, the Town is working closely with CalTrans, the lead agency on the redesign project.
In order to provide a clear message to Caltrans, the Town Council discussed the current options on the table and decided to eliminate consideration of Alternatives Two and Three of the Mousehole redesign, determining that these Alternatives did not address public concerns for pedestrian and cyclist traffic and safety. Public Works Staff was directed to pursue Alternatives One, Four, and Five, with the latter two being named most popular, but also the most expensive.
From Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP) perspective, ‘there are no problems at that intersection,’ said Wilkins. As long as changes don’t affect train traffic, UP is happy.
Council discussed the fact that since construction in 1928, the road north and south of the Mousehole – but not the Mousehole itself – has been improved over the last 80 years, attesting to the political, financial, and logistical difficulty of improving the structure. Council recommends looking at possible redesigns from the perspective of what the Mousehole will need to accommodate in 2107. The 2025 Truckee General Plan anticipates 100 percent growth in Truckee and a 30 percent increase in traffic through the Mousehole.
Responding to the oft-heard question of who is responsible for lag in improving Truckee’s favorite tunnel, Wilkins named CalTrans. But he acknowledged CalTrans’ competing construction and redesign priorities throughout the state. Consider the Hwy 49 corridor, he said, where 11 people died in 2003. ‘CalTrans and funding agencies are saying ‘where are the worst safety problems right now?’’ Wilkins said. ‘At day’s end CalTrans decides.’
For detailed specifications of each Mousehole redesign, visit townoftruckee.com/mousehole.html. Contact Dan Wilkins at 582-2902.
Corporation Yard Relocation
Town Council authorized staff to finalize documents necessary to acquire 19.46 acres property from the U.S. Forest Service for the relocation of the Town Corporation Yard and Animal Control Facilities, currently located on Riverview Drive. The new Corp. Yard would occupy the whole of the land north of Glenshire Dr., east of Donner Pass Road, south of Hwy 80, and west of Hwy. 267.
At the upcoming March 15 meeting, staff will request that the Town Council approve the sales contract, hopefully putting the property in escrow.
The land costs ‘about $4 million’ and Public Works Director Dan Wilkins figures about $1.5 million will be needed for utilities installation and infrastructure construction. Neighboring property owners, who own land next to the Truckee cemetery and are planning to build a hotel, have expressed interest in a roundabout that would enable access to both their property and the new Corp. Yard.
Three acres of the 19.46 acres will be sold to the Truckee Fire District, leaving 16.45 acres for Corp Yard.
Wilkins explained preliminary plans for the new maintenance building for all town equipment and offices for public works staff. A vehicle wash rack, fueling facility, enclosed containment for painting vehicles, equipment storage buildings and sand barn are all being considered, as is a new animal shelter and storage facilities for Truckee Police Department equipment and a workshop for facilities maintenance equipment. ‘Ideally,’ said Wilkins, ‘everything will be covered – that’s a longer term goal.’
Green designs and building approaches will certainly be considered along the way, added Wilkins. ‘Much of Truckee’s General Plan encourages this,’ he said.
Contact Town Engineer Dan Wilkins at 582-2902 or Justin Anderson, Planning Technician, at 582-2929.
~ Contact Ronnie Colby at writetheworld@sbcglobal.net.
