HomeMy Public PortalAboutPublic Comment #15 (Penfield)
To whom it may concern
Oct 28, 2013
Comments on
PUBLIC DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
FOR TH E Joerger Ranch Specific Plan (PC---3)
SCH# 2012052073
The EIR suggests a REDUCED INTENTISTY ALTERNATIVE with a 50%
reduction to the currently proposed PC3 Plan. I support this alternative and
hope that even further reductions will be required limiting the size and types of
uses, as the current plan does not seem to comply with the established Town of
Truckee 2025 General Plan. Auto dealerships and large commercial buildings
with a total of over 400,000 sq.ft of coverage is not what the community has
approved. The section Community Character Element specifically in 3.3 states
the following:
“Maintain Truckee’s unique qualities and sense of place to preserve
the town’s established historic and scenic mountain town
character.
Conserve and protect the natural beauty, scenic landscapes and
open space resources of the Town, including the Truckee
river, Donner Lake, ridges and hillsides, scenic corridors and
vistas, and views of the night sky.
Emphasize and enhance the visual and physical connection
between the town‘s natural environment and the community’s
quality of life.
Enhance Truckee’s important corridors and community gateways.”
“Policy 14.3: Ensure that the design quality and character of the PC---3 development
Is compatible with the gateway qualities of the south end of Brockway Road”
The project will not do any of the above. The first thing people will see when
they enter Truckee via hwy 267 from Hwy 80 or Lake Tahoe, probably the second
biggest “community gateway in Truckee” is what they see everyday in
the cities they are trying to escape from - a continuous mass of commercial
buildings
covering all four corners with about 400,000 sq ft of commercial buildings of one
type or
another. There is already many commercial buildings in the Airport area, which
is at
least set back from the hwy not built out to the edge of the road as the PC3
development is currently designed. The Airport area isn’t even fully utilized
currently so why add another large section which will take years to be fully
occupied, while scaring the land for ever.
The Truckee General Plan requires the following
“Policy 4.1: Recognize and preserve views of the night sky as an important natural and scenic
Resource in Truckee.
Policy 4.2: Require light fixtures to be designed and sited so as to minimize light pollution,
glare, and light trespass into adjoining properties”
“Light pollution refers to all forms of unwanted light in the night sky around
and above us, including glare, light trespass, sky glow and over-lighting.
Views of the night sky are an important part of the natural environment, particularly
for a mountain community like Truckee. Excessive light and glare can also be visually disruptive to humans
and nocturnal animal species, and often reflects an unnecessarily high level of energy consumption. Light
pollution has the potential to become an issue of increasing concern as new development contributes
additional outdoor lighting installed for safety and other reasons. Truckee is threatened not only by light
pollution from development within the town’s own borders, but also suffers from sky glow associated
with the intensive and sprawling development of the Reno/Sparks metropolis”
Currently in the area of the proposed project there are no large developments
which add significant light to the nightscape except for the light in the Airport area.
The PC3 project will increase the potential for a huge impact on the night light.
The lights will make one feel like they are in a big city with the density planned
currently planned for the site. Currently we have a lovely view of the Mts to the
East which would be compromised if the area is lit up at night.
The EIR also covers Biological Resources as follows :
“As described in Section 3.2---Biological Resources,
Construction on the Plan Area has the potential to result in impacts to special ---status species
On the project site. There are documented occurrences of Plumas ivesia within five miles of
The project site. Field surveys revealed the presence of approximately 60 individual plants on
The project site. Development of the proposed project would require disturbance to these
Special status plants. Mitigation Measure 3.2 --- 2 requires the excavation and replanting of all
Plumas ivesia from The Plan Area prior to any site disturbance, which would reduce impacts to this
species to a
Less than cumulatively considerable level. “
“Additionally, there are documented occurrences of Sierra Nevada red fox within five miles
Of the project site. Field surveys performed by Foothill Associates on August 21 and 22, 2006,
Quad Knopf on September 7, 2006, and by De Novo Planning Group on July 13, 2011, did not
Reveal the presence of this species, or any essential habitat for this species on the project
site. There is no evidence of existing or past denning on the project site. Implementation
Of the proposed project is not anticipated To have a direct impact on this species. Therefore, this is a
less than cumulatively Considerable impact.”
Both of these statements show that the area is very special and while maybe each may not have
a Cumulative Considerable impact according to the EIR, it does show us what a special place this
is, and we can’t allow it to become like another strip commercial district,
like many in the intensive and sprawling development of the Reno/Sparks metropolis. I live
within 5 miles of PC3 and have a wonderful video take at least 6 years ago of two Red Foxes
nesting in the woods next to my home. I have spotted the Plumas Ivesia in Truckee in Martis
Valley and in the high Sierras along the PCT, it is a special plant and we are lucky to live where
it grows. I hope that somehow we can keep development at a minimum so that what we all
moved here to enjoy will remain for our children to also enjoy!!
We also live in an area that was important to the Indians in the area, and I have not seen
mention of an Archelogical review being done for this area. Many sites have been found in
The Martis Valley, so it is likely that there are some here near the Truckee River.
For the above reasons I believe that the proposed PC-3 plan should be aligned more closely to
the goals established in the Truckee General Plan, which was developed and
designed by the community, will not be met with the current PC3 Plan. Please step
back and
Lets look at the big picture and reduced the current PC3 Plan by 50% or hopefully more.
Sincerely,
Ann Penfield
30 year Truckee Resident
11269 Skyline Ct.
Truckee, Ca 96161