HomeMy Public PortalAboutPublic Comment #5 (Doler)1
Laura Dabe
Subject:FW: Tahoe Donner Revised Marina Development Plans 2/15/13
From: Kathleen Doler [mailto:kathleendoler@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 9:47 AM
To: Jenna Endres
Subject: Tahoe Donner Revised Marina Development Plans 2/15/13
Town of Truckee Planning Commission:
I am writing to you about Tahoe Donner Association’s revised plans for the development of the TD Marina. I understand
that the commission will be reviewing these plans at its April 16 meeting. I am opposed to this plan, as are quite a
number of other Tahoe Donner homeowners, as well as environmental groups and Donner Lake and Truckee residents.
Here is a list of some of the proposed changes:
• Installation of new exterior lighting, including pole-mounted light fixtures
• Removal of 20 Jeffrey Pine trees greater than 6 inches diameter at breast height
• Planting of 20 new Jeffrey Pine trees as part of overall landscape plan
• Installation of 2, 4-6’ tall rockery retaining walls adjacent to the beach on the western side of the property
• Outdoor dining in new patio area
• 600 cubic yards of cut and 250 cubic yards of fill
• Total of 350 cubic yards of soil exported off site
Lighting: Why does the Marina need exterior lighting when it currently operates during daylight hours? It doesn’t, unless
TD Management is intending to operate after‐dark events at the Marina. In TD documents, the association’s
management has discussed doing events (weddings and parties) at the Marina. Yet at previous meetings with the
commission TD denied it was intending to host Marina events. Please understand that many TD members, myself
included, are vehemently opposed to TD Management expanding its commercial/public operations. TD is supposed to
be an HOA and its amenities are supposed to be for members. Also, I believe the site is zoned as a “private residential
recreational facility” and as “non‐commercial recreation” thus commercial events would not be in compliance with that
zoning. With each commercial expansion, TD Management is degrading the membership experience for the TD
members, the very folks who pay for these amenities with their homeowners’ dues. Many TD members are currently
discussing this very problem with TD Management with regard to TD Management plans to re‐develop its cross country
ski lodge (a 2014 project). Nonetheless, TD Management continues its empire building.
Lack of TD Member Notice and Project Fast‐Track: When TD Management tried to slam this project through the
Truckee planning process last fall this came as a complete surprise to TD homeowners. A small Marina Expansion project
was in our TD General Plan, designated for the 2016‐2017 timeframe. Then all the sudden management decided to
dramatically increase the scope of this plan and tried to push it through for 2012. Now they’re trying to push it through
for 2013. We have many other capital projects in development and planning at TD that members have given a much
higher priority than this one. We do NOT need to redevelop a site that’s in good shape and adequately meets the needs
of current usage, which is constrained by the site size and parking considerations (see “Parking” section below). And we
certainly haven’t green‐lighted commercial usage at this site for weddings and events. This has never been discussed
and vetted with the TD membership.
Tree removal and replanting/new expanded patio areas: Why remove mature trees and then replace them with
immature ones? Town of Truckee policies prioritize the preservation of trees, yet this supposedly revised plan still calls
for the removal of a huge number of mature trees, and it basically ignores previous Planning Commission
recommendations on the preservation of trees. And all this for a patio area and hardscape that damages the natural
environment and pushes the boundaries of what this narrow site can support. Our membership has voted repeatedly for
the preservation of the natural environment – we fought with TD Management recently on its proposed plan to place a
maintenance building in our open space, and we prevailed. Please help us to let TD Management know that
environmental concerns come first.
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Further, I’m a heavy user of the Marina – I paddle the lake on my paddleboard two to three times a week, launching
from the Marina. Not only does this plan not improve my experience as an HOA member and user, it actually degrades
it. That’s because the plan calls for removing much of the lawn area to expand the deck. The lawn area is heavily used by
boaters of all varieties, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, wind surfers, etc., as a staging area for equipment. TD
Management did agree to preserve some of the lawn in its revised plan, but many users would prefer to see the existing
larger lawn remain intact.
Parking: Additionally, expanding the usage areas of the Marina does not make sense, given the constraints of the Marina
parking. The Marina parking is at and beyond capacity every single weekend day and many, many weekdays during the
summer. Marina users also often fill every available space outside the dedicated parking area along Donner Pass Road,
and this congestion already impacts the traffic moving along this very busy roadway. It also impacts Truckee residents’
ability to access the lake via the walk‐in path alongside the TD Marina parking lot. So expanding the site for daylight
usage makes absolutely no sense and is either suspicious or misleading.
Please deny this plan, which harms our natural environment, destroys mature trees, increases congestion in an already
busy area and doesn’t even benefit the TD homeowners who are being made to pay for it.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Doler
TD Homeowner and Truckee Resident
Kathleen Doler
Freelance writer, editor and photojournalist
kathleendoler@sbcglobal.net
www.kathleendoler.com