HomeMy Public PortalAboutCanyon Springs DEIR Public Comment #42 (Wertheim)FU J 11%6 (0m r'M&-f#-
Laura Dabe
Subject: FW: Canyon Springs Development
From: Brian Wertheim [brian_wertheim @yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 10:17 AM
To: Denyelle Nishimori
Subject: Canyon Springs Development
To Whom It May Concern:
I tried to read the 600 pages plus of the environmental review but because the document is so large it would not entirely
load into my computer. Therefore I only read parts of the document. From the parts that I was able to see, it appears
obvious the construction of a large new subdivision in the Glenshire area of Truckee will create more vehicle trips to and
from downtown and also out to 1 -80 via Hirshdale's road.
The document has some vehicle statistics collected by someone who evidently won't take a little extra time to do their
job. For instance, there was a traffic survey made where data was collected on a specific Wednesday sometime
between 3:30pm and 5:30 pm (forgive me if I have the times wrong as I don't have a printout of that page from which to
retrieve the exact information). I think the data collector reported something like 240 cars drove by during that time
and concluded that intersection would be a safe one for increase traffic. What about the people who go home through
that intersection between 5:30pm and 6:30pm? or 5:30pm and 7:30pm? The out of the area firm which created the
environmental analysis did not take the necessary time and energy to collect information for a four hour period let alone
for a seven day period. Based on that laziness alone, I would recommend the Town reject whatever wonderful
conclusions the researcher extrapolated to be a "safe" level of traffic.
The Town of Truckee is not properly maintaining Glenshire Drive for the volume of traffic that has been using it regularly
for the past ten years. The road surface is rutted from studded tires and chains (probably from the Town's own snow
removal operations). The Town has done little maintenance wise other than pay a contractor to apply useless slurry seal
to try to "preserve" the already worn out road. In fact, I hired the same slurry seal contractor to perform work for some
of my clients in Alpine Meadows and my clients and I have concluded the slurry is a waste of money. Cracks reappeared
in all the driveways within six weeks of the application. (And these are driveways, not even roads!) All asphalt paving in
the Tahoe - Truckee area should be considered to have a ten year maximum life. The Town should plan for regular
complete repaving jobs in their budget.
Once the Town has shown it's property owners and citizens that the Town is regularly willing to and proud to maintain
Glenshire Drive in a good, safe driving condition, then one might consider allowing more development in the Glenshire
area.
Furthermore, the size of the proposed Canyon Springs development in such an extreme fire hazard area is another
oversight. No one wants to lose a home to a wildfire. The Truckee Fire Assistant Chief told me a number of years ago
that, "It is not a question of if that part of Truckee will burn, it is simply a matter of when." So the Town Fire
Department already knows parts of Truckee are doomed to be burned catastrophically yet the Town Council and regular
staff pretend wildfire is a minor issue. If your Town staff approves Canyon Springs in a location as remote as Glenshire,
can the Town assure the resident's lives and property will never be placed at risk due to poor planning and bad
access /escape routes?
What about in winter? Is Glenshire Drive a road you "feel" safe driving when it is icy and it is "rush" hour? The Canyon
Springs document says there are fewer accidents on the road and it's intersections during periods of bad weather, so it
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MUST be safer to drive on ice than on bare dry pavement. I'm afraid of the road icy or dry as my vehicle pitches
unpredictably because of the ruts in the paving.
I think first fix Glenshire Drive, regularly, and focus more staff attention on improving Downtown Truckee's traffic,
parking, snow storage and state of dilapidation. Most of the building Downtown do not meet current building safety
and engineering regulations. Focus on making the existing roads and buildings safe to occupy. Only afterwards will we
then consider hearing even a peep about a new subdivision in Glenshire.
Yours truly,
Brian Wertheim, Property Owner
Truckee, California
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