BY KAREN LAFARGE-UNREIN | Truckee
Residents who live within the confines of the Canyon Springs project need to send a strong message to the Truckee Town Council and the planning commission that we are still intent on addressing our concerns. This project may be built in ways that negatively affect you, your home, kids, neighborhood, and, most importantly, the environment and wildlife. If we do not comment now, then we forgo any recourse to comment in the future.
The location of this project is NOT within the town core, as stipulated in the draft EIR. It is approximately 8 to 10 miles to the east of Glenshire. This is meaningful as this could change the cluster design currently proposed under the town’s general plan.
This project should not be approved due to the significant inadequacies of the current draft EIR and inconsistencies with the general plan (i.e. sprawl and biological impacts). The draft EIR proposes Edinburgh Drive as an emergency gate. It did NOT make known that the “Town can decide to move the gate and allow access via Edinburgh Drive in the future.” Only those who attended an informational meeting on the project would have known this. Erroneously, the current study for the draft EIR shows a decrease in daily traffic with this project. This flawed study did not factor in Martis Peak average daily traffic if Edinburgh Drive is used due to proximity of downtown Truckee.
Loss of 28 acres of Jeffrey Pine and 26 snags would further diminish existing bird and bat habitat. The draft proposes to eliminate existing nesting sites in the off season to allow building. Conclusions of a three-year deer study needs to be included and recirculated for analysis and public comment.
Please contact Denyelle Nishimori, Town of Truckee senior planner, (530) 582-2934, dnishimori@townoftruckee.com about this project.
