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HomeMy Public PortalAboutOpen Space Committee (10) Truckee General Plan Update Town Council and Planning Commission Workshop Workshop 2: Open Space and Conservation, Community Character 6:00 p.m. — 10:00 p.m., Thursday, November 13, 2003 AGENDA 6:00 Welcome -Mayor Ted Owens 6:10 Introduction -David Early, Design, Community &Environment 6:15 Presentation: Open Space and Community Character David Early, Design, Community &Environment 6:40 Breakout Session: Small Group Discussion of Open Space and Community Character Policy Questions 8:10 Reports Back from Small Groups David Early, Design, Community &Environment 8:30 Planning Commission and Town Council Discussion and Direction 9:45 Public Comment 9:55 Next Steps: Workshop 3 David Early, Design, Community & Environment 10:00 Meeting Close LIZAL PLAN UI'p I�� `sU:id IDS Truckee 2025 JOU5General Plan Update 2 0 2 5 General Plan Workshop November 13, 2003 Open Space, Conservation and Community Character The General Plan Workshop on November 13, 2003 will address two major topics: Open Space and Conservation, and Community Character. Issues surrounding the establishment and preservation of open space,including its attendant values of natural resource preservation,scenic value, and recreational opportunities were identified during Phase I of the General Plan Update process as being of critical concern to Truckee residents. Similarly, questions of community character — the aspects that make Truckee a unique and special place, including the quality and character of its neighborhoods and open space areas, and the connections between them, were expressed by many as lying at the heart of the sense of place and local community for Truckee's citizens. The November 13 workshop will focus on a set of key policy questions and issues for each topic area that will be the subject of discussion by the public and members of the Town Council and Planning Commission. Identification of these issues was a two-fold process which included review of the most important issues identified during the Phase I process as well an examination of the existing General Plan's Guiding Principles, Goals, and Policies, in order to focus on the specific areas where existing policies need to be strengthened or supplemented. The input and direction received at this workshop will provide important guidance as the Town moves forward to prepare the update to the Conservation and Open Space Element, and the new Community Character Element of the General Plan. A series of background papers has been prepared to provide background and supplemental information for the November 13 workshop, and to present the key questions that will be the focus of discussion at the workshop. Most of the papers consist of a background or discussion section, followed by the related question or questions to be addressed. While review of this material in advance of the workshop is invited and encouraged,please note that this information will also be distributed as a handout packet to all participants on the night of the workshop itself. . G '14El2AL PLAN U/'p? Te 1,1:11.®r Truckee 2025 (�I��1,)CI'�LC: General Plan Update sera e, , ,_— r;'D tens `d a "..r.ax.3 e�a,eee �' ,aeery 2 o 2 5 Types of Open Space Open Space, broadly defined, refers to places that are essentially free of built development. The term can encompass a wide range of open space types, each of which has different characteristics and functions,and in which different types of activities and uses are allowed. During the community visioning workshops held in Phase I of the General Plan Update process, open space preservation was identified as a key issue of concern to the public. Providing a clear definition of different types of open space was identified as an important starting point for prioritizing the types of open space that should be preserved and enhanced in Truckee. • The following list describes a variety of open space types, including many that are found in and around Truckee today. These types can be seen to represent a continuum ranging from the most undeveloped or wilderness type to the most "town-like" in character. While each open space type is presented as categorically distinct for the purposes of the definition, it is recognized that some open space areas might be seen as falling under more than one category, or will contain uses described under more than one open space type. Wilderness: Wilderness is the most "natural" or least developed .y„ ..."-% open space type. It consists of large tracts of land that are closed to use by motorized vehicles, with virtually no development apart , 17: ` r449; a a{R.. from minimally improved hiking trails. This land is generally tY �..t'. _ '^ r at cse- mac` under public ownership. Many of Truckee's important scenic and ;��'�+ ,.c''d^" ; i.h� visual resources, such as mountain peaks and ridgelines, and large 2 , Y -.err T :. ' r ^se ."•'i v ^ ',:'a•, areas of forested lands,are contained within these areas. Resource Open Space: This category includes land that is ""'-- ""'_ ,,.,-_.. _,—;. _ _�,)1 minimally developed and usually covers a wide area. Uses in thesepZ areas focus on the land's resource value, including such activities as y;k E ',. +`� yira w 1 : i cattle grazing, forestry, or mineral extraction. Recreational use of *e" C'$ `'"kr., e.r -., a„'•:.. "F this land, with minimal development of facilities such as trails and t r iu campgrounds are allowed where appropriate, although it is , -' - ”" ",j,.f''" ' °''r'%4 generally secondary to the resource uses that predominate. These areas may be under public or private ownership. Although important scenic resources can be found within these areas, some of the particular resource extraction activities, such as timber clear-cutting or large scale aggregate mining may create an undesirable visual character. Habitat Preservation Areas: Preservation of significant biological resources and habit is central to the definition of these open space areas which generally encompass relatively large areas where sensitive habitat areas are located, including important riparian, wetland or forest habitat. Important scenic areas and values are also e�-v'3i,f a=rg'�'f xtia• leu s y frequently associated with these minimally developed areas. While ,(,.Sts1" 'R i./sykir the degree of human access may vary depending on the nature and $Y sensitivity of those resources, any development allowed in these , n. t +, C` v a,,is areas is secondary to the goals of habitat preservation. Where to+� , allowed, development is limited to facilities for passive recreation •',+ :'..0.?..-5".:-.1,,,: and enjoyment of the lands, such as hiking or cross-country ski .. ' x-W' rj'_1. - %A''. trails, or interpretive facilities. In some cases, these open space areas will have a linear form, such as a river corridor or wildlife migration route. Non-vehicular paths may be sited along such open space corridors, forming important greenways and trail links between larger, non-contiguous open space areas, or between development areas. _: fi Limited Development Recreation: These open space areas are focused on `' .1, providing recreational opportunities that require less intensive improvement or development. In general, these areas are smaller than the three open space .,,,,w si'i types described above, and more likely to be adjacent to developed areas of the 3° {� Town. Uses in limited development recreation open space areas might include T.-':(1.1„...,t ;,•I'fi� _`�ti. . igolf courses, equestrian facilities, fly fishing, ski areas, developed snowmobile • and off-road vehicle areas, and campgrounds. These areas are most commonly . under private ownership, but may also include public facilities (e.g. a municipal golf course). Parks: This category encompasses a number of different types of publicly-owned, active open space areas, including the following: _- ---.77---- . Regional Park: This open space type is more intensely ` developed with facilities than the limited development F j' 1 � c LIC 4,-�,` '. 'es-e a recreation areas described above. A broad range of facilities, 'M ,Nl l i1.f Ili 1y 71... ...., i - u intended to serve the wider region, are provided in these areas. a° d� ,, ,}+ ) . These facilities will encompass a both active and passive uses; 6i;' ,.\ . g-s, . these might include picnic areas and informal playing fields, '"� _ .r` 3e `_ formal ball fields, playgrounds, amphitheater, rodeo grounds ,•(•'4,...,. . 4 and concessions. Typically encompassing a several-acre area, these parks may also have certain portions dedicated to habitat preservation and less-intensely developed passive recreation facilities. Community Park: This type of open space park is primarily dedicated to organized sports activities, oriented towards serving the entire town community. Facilities provided might include soccer fields, baseball diamonds,swimming pool,skate park, tennis courts or basketball courts. Neighborhood Park: As its name implies, neighborhood parks are small, public open space areas intended to serve as a neighborhood or community facility. Amenities provided might include some recreational sports facilities such as a basketball hoop or play field,as well as a playground or tot lot and picnic area. Community Gathering Place: These open space areas are the smallestk 14.157.7-7- l and most "town" oriented public open spaces intended as a focal point • } '" " for the entire community. Centrally located in the downtown or 4 si A r o 5 .42 another important community area, they are a place for community ;. ,- events and celebrations, a site for public concerts or a farmers market Examples of such spaces are a town square,mini-park or civic plaza. ''r Questions: • If public open space areas are established in Truckee, what type of open space should be prioritized? Where should they be located? • Does Truckee need additional parks or limited development recreation areas? If additional parks are needed in Truckee, what types and where should they be developed? f. tAL PLAN Upp Gt� �ffF .1,)170 19= Truckee 2025 • l • ��' J General Plan Update 4tergeer e•44eee 1/4 pccr➢ere 2 o 2 5 Open Space Establishment and Maintenance Creating additional public open space has been identified as a priority for many Truckee residents; as the framework for development and conservation in Truckee, the General Plan can help define the role that the Town and others might play in achieving this goal. Some of the mechanisms that could be employed would involve little or no cost to the Town, others, such as direct purchase of land, would require funding. Maintenance of newly established open space areas would also involve direct costs to the Town, funding for which would need to be identified. The Town has recently established an Open Space Committee, which is exploring the viability of a future bond measure that might pay for open space acquisition and maintenance in Truckee. The following list represents a range of strategies that could be used CO establish open space areas in the Town: Transfer of Development Rights (TDR): The General Plan and Development Code can permit subdivisions that allow transfers of residential development rights from one parcel to another, so that development that would otherwise be allowed on one parcel (sending site) is transferred to a different, more appropriate location (receiving site). In this way, desired open space in an area can be preserved. Eligibility criteria for the sending site (including desirability for open space preservation) and different criteria for the receiving site would be established. If the transfer is approved, the Town is granted a conservation easement in perpetuity on the sending site(s). A major objective of the TDR is open space preservation. Purchase of Fee Interest In Land: The simple purchase of land, where acquiring the "fee interest" means obtaining full ownership. Purchase of Land Without Development Rights: The Town can buy property in such a way that the seller retains the residential development rights for later transfer, or sale and transfer, to another property where the development can occur. The purchase price of the land is then much less than it would be if the development rights remained attached to the land. The Town may take ownership in a TDR sending site, after the TDR development is platted on the receiving site, when public ownership of the land rather than just a conservation easement would be advantageous. Purchase of a Conservation Easement (also called the purchase of development rights): Where - public ownership of the land itself is not essential to the public interest, the Town may acquire an interest through a deed of conservation easement in gross. Conservation easements usually serve two primary purposes: to reduce the amount of development that can occur on the property and/or to assure that the property and its environmental, cultural and/or open space values are preserved and managed to meet a public policy objective. A conservation easement is tailored to the specific property to be covered, runs with the land in perpetuity unless otherwise provided in the deed of easement, leaves the land in private ownership,and usually does not permit public access. Conservation easements are especially well-suited to preserving prime agricultural land. • Bargain Sale: This is a purchase in which a landowner sells property to the Town at a price below the fair market value. The purchase can be either fee interest or a conservation easement. Usually the landowner can take a tax deduction (treated like a charitable contribution) for the difference between the fair market value, as determined by a certified appraisal,and the sale price. Purchase of Land With Leaseback: As part of the land purchase contract the Town agrees to lease the land back to the seller for a specified time for continuation of agriculture, grazing or other ongoing use that would retain the open space values of the property. Donation of Fee Interest or Conservation Easement: In this case the landowner donates land or deeds a conservation easement to the Town and uses the value of the donation as a tax deduction. Intergovernmental Transfers (lease or patent): The Town may lease open space acreage from special districts, local, state or federal government agencies. An example of a site in Truckee that might be appropriate for such a transfer is the Department of Fish and Game property along the Truckee River west of South River Street. Intergovernmental Cooperation The Town may work cooperatively with the Nevada or Placer Counties on open space preservation near the town limits. These efforts may result in joint purchase of open space by the town and the County or Counties. Additionally, the Town may work with the counties to develop intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) for master plans of future land uses in areas of the county near the town. An IGA may have an open space preservation component, or it may simply identify where annexation and urban development may occur during the term of the agreement. - Question: • How should the Town establish and maintain permanently protected open space? AL PLAN Upp4�c° tiolya or Truckee -2025 llha.J*I'i_I: ,I': General Plan Update je.e/➢ 2 o 2 5 Open Space Requirement for New Development Under the 1996 General Plan, new development in the Open Space Recreation (OSR), Residential Cluster (RC-5 and RC-10),Residential,and Planned Community (PC) designations is either required or strongly encouraged to include the preservation of significant amounts of land in open space uses. The existing General Plan defines open space as "land that may be under public or private ownership, is essentially unimproved, and is devoted to any of the uses defined in the Conservation and Open Space Element." These open space uses include natural resource preservation, managed resource production (e.g. mineral extraction), areas for public safety (such as steep slopes or wildfire areas),scenic preservation,and recreational uses, including developed public recreational amenities such as parks, and private facilities such as golf courses. At workshops held during Phase I of the General Plan Update process, many community members expressed the opinion that Truckee has allowed too many golf courses to be developed in recent years. In particular, allowing golf courses to fulfill the open space requirement is seen by many as having favored private golf course development over other open space types of greater environmental and community value, including those offering publicly-accessible recreation, scenic resources, and diverse wildlife habitat. Truckee currently has three private golf ; courses: Tahoe Donner, Coyote Moon and - Ponderosa; two more are planned a's part of eseit development at Old Greenwood and Grays 1 � , Via, t � ;C:`. -�4 yr Crossing (PC-2). Beyond the existing and ( ' + •fit - ..`;` sir ' , planned development, opportunities for at z ery additional golf courses in Truckee are limited. K An 18-hole championship golf course can '�g P P ,ren , s� .. require up to 200 acres of relatively flat land, : r " and there are no such sites available in the OSR or remaining Planned Community areas. A development application recently submitted for the 280-acre area just east of Glenshire, the only location that could have accommodated a new golf course, includes 172 acres of open space, and no golf course. Questions: ♦ What types of open space should count towards the open space requirement for new development? ♦ Should new golf courses be allowed under the new General Plan? If so, under what conditions? Gt� tZAL PLAN Up0�fle 1„17"1 OD/ • Truckee 2025 �w- 41* •:r r ,o•s General Plan Update z o z 5 Clustered Development Clustered Development is a term that traditionally refers to the practice of grouping a particular development's structures on a portion of total available developable land, reserving a significant amount of the site's total acreage as protected open space. This definition has most often been applied to development in rural or semi-rural areas, in association with development strategies designed to permit a certain level of development while preserving as much area in open space as possible for agriculture, recreation or wildlife habitat. The 1996 General Plan contains a series of Goals and Policies that promote clustered development within the Town limits. Most large development is required to include clustering, in order to ensure that it creates permanently protected open space areas that connect the built portions of the Town together. Although clustering is a requirement, the General Plan provides little direction on which types of clustering are most appropriate or desirable. The typical pattern of clustered development that exist in Truckee today, described below as the Rural Suburban or Linear Rural Suburban Clustering types, continues to be reflected in plans for new development. This pattern consists of "pods" of housing distributed across a majority of the buildable portion of a project site, interspersed with open space areas and greenways. While this approach has successfully preserved some large open space within the Town limits, it has been suggested that a more refined definition of clustering be included in the General Plan Update. In particular, the type of rural residential development that the current clustering concept has promoted has been criticized by some as contributing to a form of "rural sprawl," with low-density rural residential development spread out across a landscape of fragmented and discontinuous open space and habitat areas. Clustered Development Types A range of clustered development types which might be appropriate for different areas of Truckee is described below. Included among them are both the "typical" clustered development common in Truckee and many other rural residential and mountain communities, as well as other types that emphasize centralized, clustered mixed-use neighborhoods, clustered infill development, and the preservation of large, contiguous blocks of open space to the degree possible. Rural Clusters: This type of clusteringconsists of small clusters of two to six dwellings, each situated on a large lot, with the primary dwelling on each parcel located in proximity to the dwellings on the other parcels. The majority of the remaining portion of each parcel is left undeveloped,and transitions into wider open space areas beyond. This type of clustering is most appropriate in areas where a - predominately rural character is to be maintained. rte=''° "47�` I .- _.... ";t"r""x ` w� 'Pe1w.} `>• 1".•-e --4....,4, Rural Suburban Clusters: This type of clustering is characterized by larger"pods" of 10-30 dwellings organized around a cul-de-sac or loop road. Each pod is linked by connector streets, but separated from , other clusters by undeveloped open space. Trails and greenways may link the pods across these open space areas. Within each pod, houses are sited so that the non-built area of each parcel is adjacent to the greatest degree possible. r s-1 5 ..',. t yf. i t .- / Y-^` J/ t - 4, .y woe s Y ca:.. ��.. a1.� y'''-i. fri-e� '..$ ? X .+,517'1' e s i5-s-e r`t 'e tett! "' 'o E,.+ ` �� t% r 'vias-- � - a. `cam^' ita - Linear Rural Suburban Clusters: This type of clustering is similar to the Rural Suburban Clusters described above, but with larger and more elongated "pods", and intervening open space arranged in a linear pattern. This is typical of the development pattern seen in Glenshire and Tahoe Donner. v t i. 1"...C..••, M1 '4/ 0.-6. t1.+�tT•. • ` t 1R'IT' REr� llt� xt 1 i 'Rs X eak W w. rz ; l '= PF e ms' ::-..7k,,,-.7., -. r! ar `xy \ Rsx • M p►' �t E ` . PP c RsSx ,:., i '1`AvH SF 4 E P3% PEC ' l ...r.n T. � - Medium Density Residential Cluster: This type of clustering is focused on a smaller single site, developed primarily with housing, although it may also contain a civic element such as a common open space courtyard or a community center. All development is constrained to a small portion of the project site with the remainder in common open space. Housing may be attached, as a townhouse block or blocks, series of duplex or triplex units, or detached as single family homes on small lots. The cluster site may or may not be sited in proximity to essential services. 1 - t r 4 1,rysa.' a ;'r. �., r ft r.. ra '�'9 q`� �'#.. . ,'9'J ( • ■a, ' •i , nn L hiax, �J e . � 7-' ''s 1 {1` n V p,l i� �0 F Ari ('1 A�r�t7"iS i> a i "�ati f ;j 1 '�Z{ is `�pw- ,41- {rn s +^+jd'a°s>raa"E."r'�t• t a" -i'Ff NNo- _ 'i r t '''.:ti.". cc . + i W.£ Neighborhood Cluster: This type of clustering consists of an integrated mix of residential and commercial uses, developed at a density sufficient to keep as much of the potentially developable land in large, contiguous blocks of open space as possible. The neighborhood area is oriented towards other nearby neighborhood areas, and/or major transportation and transit links, so as to optimize connections between them. Ni\� s nit a r r u. -:.'r . f of \-� rt'.. 1. t r 1 ic•� . c. c.:\/ .v J • s• YhZ '• p -, `l 1 Jt .1 P ;_ -;;;1/2-4, p Wa• " v r * d � em,- c~ 7S � _�t + C � A''" . rit\ .4i L ._ . • %. -Y� .r r!' iir, 7r4 .4- - ) -;1 . > • i4p1" Questions: • Where in Truckee is new development consisting of clustering interlaced with open space appropriate? • Where in Truckee is development focused around centralized, neo-traditional neighborhoods appropriate? Public Parks in Truckee ç%\ �R t le. Lib. P � .,� 71.1iq�;l peel( 41 L • ✓ `~ 4415A;Y 'huh at ,}sti r`„rtigor icf I ��l•'"�' f� � 411 !“/ a ' }°1pY' Sl Ft`' '(y��i i��''l' ��rr�__E°il lis 1 t� 4 to V *r h t+J' ■ .�� Fr"St,911 4 Sara mo i, -®:� . O „4 16.1F.0#' ' ' '�ili l`®] EMIL ' y � / bonnet Lake a& Ifd� ' .yr}'r'+' "� p. `it_ J,... -W . • O — 1111; ��1 4.9 L.r illat tiht bb N su `h. Mil ti tkb4A z ) I.Activity Center Ji j iiiilklaM 2. Billy Rose Park �,a i Truckee Neighborhoods and Centers \-- '-'' ) \ /14.-_-Hri-ti,, N-i. H------„‘"), L am. .L' f „anIe.l' I• A ) F tt"PlaosierI f✓. ; Meadows . . �///L S 8 r lL kerl wl - 7 ,,,t .� �. I ane ti' • Pannonia _ • piI .^ t e ) Manes z ri 'R echo / � �i s. •I .- a �ee ' Tahoe Donner �� , z G Y e I '—t • O Glemhlre j ' Statlen ' , . � � PC7 i X11 + Devonshire s. , III I I � i�, x S k, z c III S �7� /rr' e:?.ola aAlk - �. ':lull ` Vtiii _�' f.."a r -, i . .. .1 D -cre.�,,,00d'rip- © 1 IOW Ea I�� ��, tr — 1rr{ ae } i �t D it ..e':'� .Ic Hei is lei II♦ ` `,I`�'�, Ilan ._ ��:1e� P r Atoms an I'.+s. G ewaY I' 7111011111�� , �tis. 1 1 1 I1-0''' _ '-._ ■h !: O.. g 6� i -\ III■i. Donner lake a _ r f .Sierra PC-3/ 1,111 , E' 0 Existing Neighborhood Center ` I' l{� Proposed New Centers Pl to•�•. HX 4J�.k_IIII _ r VlIIM __ pr•i Tn l4+`e' " Potential Future Center Expanz on i I i t 1 C ::r:;y f