HomeMy Public PortalAboutInnovate Gateway Strategy - Complete DocumentINNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY
Adopted October 26, 2021 | Town Council Resolution No. 2021-60
Preface
Non-Regulatory Function of Strategy
The Town of Truckee conducted a process in 2020 through 2021 that studied new housing, economic
development strategies, and sustainable mobility opportunities within the Gateway Area. This planning effort
builds from the recent Envision DPR work and provided an opportunity for the community to discuss the look,
feel, character, and types of uses that are most desired and appropriate for the Gateway Area.
The Innovate Gateway Strategy that resulted from this process is not a regulatory plan and does not have a
legally binding effect on future actions or activities that the Town may take. It is a planning study/report that
is intended to assist the Town Council, Planning Commission, other Town review bodies, and Town staff in
identifying, analyzing, prioritizing, and implementing potential future actions within the Gateway Area.
2040 General Plan Update Takes Precedence
The Truckee 2040 General Plan Update is currently in-progress, including the evaluation of land use densities
and intensities within the Gateway Area. The language and proposed land use tables in this strategy reflect
the results of the Innovate Gateway public engagement process, such as a total floor area ratio of 1.25 inclusive
of 12-24 residential dwelling units per acre within the proposed Mixed-Use zoning district. Ultimately, the
densities and intensities within this strategy may be adjusted up or down when incorporated into the Truckee
Development Code based on the final land use outcomes adopted in the Truckee 2040 General Plan Update.
Truckee Town Council
Anna Klovstad, Mayor
Courtney Henderson, Vice Mayor
Dave Polivy, Council Member
Lindsay Romack, Council Member
Jan Zabriskie, Council Member
Truckee Planning Commission
Dave Gove, Chair
Suzie Tarnay, Vice Chair
Daniel Fraiman
Nikki Riley
Ruth Miller
Acknowledgments
Town Staff
Jennifer Callaway, Town Manager
Denyelle Nishimori, Community
Development Director
Jenna Gatto, Planning Manager
Jaime LaChance, Senior Planner
Yumie Dahn, Senior Planner
Scott Mathot, PE, Associate Engineer
Alfred Knotts, Transit Program Manager
Carissa Binkley, Administrative
Technician
Project Consultants
Chris Beynon, MIG
Dan Amsden, MIG
Phoenix Alfaro, MIG
Sasha Ragland, MIG
Ana Padilla, MIG
Edward Samson, MIG
Blaze Syka, MIG
Sou Garner, MIG
Aaron Nousaine, BAE Urban Economics
Matt Fairris, BAE Urban Economics
Gordon Shaw, LSC Transportation
Bill Suen, LSC Transportation
Sara Hawley, LSC Transportation
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY I
Chapter 1: Introduction ...............................1
Project Overview .............................................................................1
Study Area ..........................................................................................2
Purpose and Goals .......................................................................4
Schedule ..............................................................................................5
Community Process ....................................................................6
Document Overview ...................................................................8
Chapter 2: Existing Context ....................11
Introduction ......................................................................................11
Community History and Context ......................................12
Existing Uses ..................................................................................13
Existing Zoning and Development Standards .......16
Building Form ...............................................................................20
Streetscape Character .............................................................22
Economic Conditions ..............................................................28
Development Prototypes and Financial
Feasibility Analysis .....................................................................30
Moving Forward ...........................................................................37
Contents
Chapter 3: Vision Framework ...............39
Introduction ....................................................................................39
Vision Framework ......................................................................40
Vision Strategy Diagram .......................................................42
Streetscape Improvements Diagram ..........................44
Western Gateway Character Area ...................................46
Central Gateway Character Area ......................................52
Eastern Gateway Character Area .....................................54
Chapter 4: Corridor Strategies .............65
Introduction ....................................................................................65
Vision Element A: Unique .....................................................67
Vision Element B: Welcoming ...........................................84
Vision Element C: Supportive .............................................92
Vision Element D: Connected ..........................................104
Vision Element E: Healthy ....................................................114
Chapter 5: Implementation ..................123
Introduction ..................................................................................123
Policy and Regulatory Actions .........................................126
Partnerships...................................................................................131
Investments ..................................................................................134
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGYII
Chapter 6: Glossary .................................137
List of Figures
Figure 1. Innovate Gateway Study Area ..........................3
Figure 2. Current Zoning ........................................................19
Figure 3. Building and Parcel Sizes ..................................21
Figure 4. Bicycle, Pedestrian
and Transit Amenities ........................................................25
Figure 5. Driveways and Site Access...............................27
Figure 6. Vision Strategy Diagram ..................................43
Figure 7. Mobility and Streetscape
Improvements Diagram ...................................................45
Figure 8. Western Gateway Streetscape
Improvements .........................................................................49
Figure 9. Central Gateway Streetscape
Improvements ..........................................................................55
Figure 10. Eastern Gateway Streetscape
Improvements .......................................................................61
Figure 11. Proposed Gateway Area Overlay
District Zoning ........................................................................73
List of Tables
Table 1. Current Zoning and Development
Standards .....................................................................................18
Table 2. Proposed Gateway Area Land Uses ............42
Table 3. Proposed Gateway Area Overlay
District Zoning...........................................................................21
Table 4. Policy and Regulatory Actions ......................25
Table 5. Partnerships ................................................................131
Table 6. Investments ................................................................131
Attachments
A: Community Engagement Summaries
B: Existing Conditions Summary
C: Innovate Gateway Development
Feasibility Assessment
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY III
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In this chapter
Project Overview
Advisory Section
Study Area
Purpose and Goals
Schedule
Community Process
Document Overview
INTRODUCTION
Project Overview
The Gateway Area is a key community destination—providing a
range of uses and activities that are focused on supporting the needs
of residents, workers and visitors alike. This includes a variety of retail
and commercial services, professional offices, restaurants, four of
Truckee’s schools, the regional hospital and medical services, and
well-established residential neighborhoods. Unlike Downtown, the
Gateway Area has traditionally included businesses and housing that
serve the local community. Over time, the area has grown older and
its auto-oriented design has become outdated. There is a tremendous
opportunity for the community to frame a new vision for this area
that focuses on a greater mix of uses, more outdoor public spaces,
increased workforce and senior housing, and improved mobility.
In Fall 2020, the Town began a process to study new housing options,
economic growth strategies, sustainable mobility improvements,
and quality of life enhancements within the Gateway Area. This
effort, known as Innovate Gateway, provided an opportunity for the
community to discuss in detail the look, feel, character, and types of
uses that are most desired and appropriate for the area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 11
1: INTRODUCTION
Study Area
Donner Pass Road has a rich history as
a major gateway into the community
and the primary east-west road through
Truckee. The Innovate Gateway Study
Area (shown on Figure 1) covers a two-
mile stretch of Donner Pass Road from
Coldstream Road to the McIver Crossing
Roundabout. It contains approximately
220 acres of land, which includes a mix of
private, public, and quasi-public property.
The Truckee 2025 General Plan describes
the Gateway Area in detail, highlighting
that this corridor is predominantly auto-
oriented and has not experienced the
same level of reinvestment as other areas
of town, reflecting remnants of the time
when it was part of US Route 40. Despite
nearly two decades of land use attention
by the Town, major private development
improvements have not materialized due
in part to transportation-related issues
and a lack of incentives to reinvest or
redevelop. Additionally, the Town is in
great need of affordable and workforce
housing, mixed-use development, and
linkages between transit and more
intensive land uses in the Gateway Area.
However, there have been several
successful efforts in recent years to
improve the infrastructure and add
new private investment within the
Gateway Area. The Envision DPR process,
completed in 2019, led to improved
sidewalks, landscaping, bicycle lanes,
pedestrian bulbouts and mid-block
crossings, and other streetscape features
along the western portion of the Study
Area (from approximately Richards
Boulevard to Highway 89 South).
Similarly, there has been an increase in
private investment along Donner Pass
Road. Recent development projects
including Dickson Realty, High Altitude
Fitness, Grocery Outlet, and the Tahoe
Forest Hospital Cancer Center, have
created new building stock and a new
design approach that orients building
frontages toward the street to create a
more active pedestrian environment.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY2
1: INTRODUCTION
Figure 1
Innovate Gateway Study Area
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 3
1: INTRODUCTION
Purpose and Goals
The purpose of the Innovate Gateway
project is to renew focus and energy
in supporting workforce housing and
mixed-use development projects,
creating additional streetscape and
mobility improvements, and adding
more activity and open outdoor spaces
along the Donner Pass Road corridor.
This includes identifying strategies
to better integrate land use, urban
design, development economics,
and sustainable mobility concepts
throughout the area.
The Innovate Gateway Strategy is guided
by four overarching project goals (shown
to the right). As the vision and strategies
are implemented, they should be
measured and monitored in how they
achieve these goals. While each strategy
included in this document does not
respond to every goal equally, they all
work together to establish a common
vision and direction for the future of the
Gateway Area. GOAL D
Enhance the quality of life for
existing and future residents,
workers and visitors.
GOAL C
Improve multi-modal transportation
to reduce traffic and improve safe and
convenient mobility for all users.
GOAL B
Inspire economic development
and reinvestment through incentives
and compelling design concepts.
GOAL A
Consider higher density and more
affordable housing opportunities near job
centers, transit and community services.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY4
1: INTRODUCTION
Project Schedule
Focus
Groups #1
SEPT
2020
OCT
2020
NOV
2020
DEC
2020
JAN
2021
FEB
2021
MAR
2021
APR
2021
MAY
2021
JUN
2021
Existing
Conditions
Summary and
Mapping
JUL
2021
AUG
2021
SEPT
2021
OCT
2021
VISIONING
Community
Workshop #1 and
Online Survey
LAND USE AND
DESIGN OPTIONS
Community Workshop
#2 and Online Survey
PREFERRED
CORRIDOR STRATEGY
Community Open
House
Land Use and
Corridor Design
Options
Design Prototypes,
Preferred Corridor
Concept, and
Emerging Policy
Changes
INNOVATE GATEWAY
STRATEGY
Integrated Land Use, Urban
Design and Transportation
Strategies
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
ANALYSIS, STRATEGIES AND DELIVERABLES
Focus
Groups #2
Schedule
The Innovate Gateway Strategy was
conducted over approximately one year
between September 2020 and October
2021. The project included an initial
existing conditions analysis that was
used to help inform a robust community
engagement process. Given the timing
of the project, nearly all community
engagement was conducted digitally
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This
was achieved through interactive online
workshops, detailed online surveys,
and stakeholder discussions which are
summarized on the next page.
While the Innovate Gateway Strategy
is focused specifically on the Gateway
Area, the Town is also working on several
concurrent planning efforts. These
include the recently completed Envision
DPR streetscape project, the Truckee
2040 General Plan Update in progress,
and the SB2 Housing Study.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 5
1: INTRODUCTION
Online Survey #1
In November 2020, the Project Team
created an online survey that included
questions about the Gateway Area’s
current assets, challenges and
opportunities. Participants also provided
ideas regarding a future vision for the
area. The survey was prepared in both
English and Spanish versions and was
completed by 170 people. Community
ideas and input from the survey were
used to help inform initial visioning ideas
used during Community Workshop #1.
Community Workshop #1
The Town hosted the first community
workshop on December 3, 2020, in an
interactive online Zoom format. The
goals of this workshop were to introduce
the Innovate Gateway project to the
community, present some existing
conditions findings and context, and
solicit ideas on a future vision for the
Gateway Area. A total of 63 people
attended the online workshop and
provided a wealth of detailed ideas
and feedback. These ideas were used
to develop the initial draft of the Vision
Framework.
Community Process
The Innovate Gateway project was
designed to include a robust community
engagement and discussion process.
The Project Team (which included
Town staff and consultants) developed
and launched an extensive outreach
and engagement process that
included multiple opportunities for
the community to review and provide
feedback on draft ideas and design
concepts. The following is a summary
of the major components of this
engagement effort. A comprehensive
summary of all community ideas and
comments is included as Attachment A.
Project Flyers and Website
The Project Team produced several flyers
that were handed out to property and
business owners along Donner Pass
Road. They were also sent out digitally via
email and social media to help publicize
the project and solicit community input.
The Town also developed a webpage
that included all project materials and
meeting information, available at:
townoftruckee.com/innovategateway.
Community Workshop #2
The Town then hosted Community Workshop
#2 on March 11, 2021,to present the Emerging
Vision Framework and initial conceptual project
prototypes. A total of 48 people attended the
online workshop and provided a wealth of ideas
and feedback. Community Survey #2
The Town then prepared an
online survey that mirrored
the content of Community
Workshop #2. Over 70
people took the online
survey, and participants
provided over 800
individual comments on
the various Draft Vision
Elements and Project
Concepts.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY6
1: INTRODUCTION
Community Workshop #2
The Town hosted a second online
community workshop on March 11,
2021, to present the Emerging Vision
Framework and initial conceptual project
prototypes. A total of 48 people attended
the workshop and provided a range of
ideas and feedback recorded on digital
white boards.
Community Survey #2
Following the second community
workshop, the Project Team created an
online survey in English and Spanish
that mirrored the content of the session.
More than 70 people participated in the
online survey, and participants provided
over 800 individual comments on the
various Draft Vision Elements and Project
Concepts.
Community Workshop #3
The Town hosted Community Workshop
#3 on June 17, 2021, in an online Zoom
format. The goals of this workshop were
to provide project updates, present
the refined Vision Framework, discuss
segment-specific improvements for
the three Character Areas, and discuss
potential regulatory and policy changes
for the Gateway Area. A total of 35 people
attended the online workshop.
Spanish Language Pop-Up Event
The Project Team held an in-person
pop-up event on June 26, 2021, near
La Bamba Mexican Restaurant in the
Gateway Area, to help reach the local
Spanish-speaking community. The event
garnered discussions from 13 residents
and provided an opportunity to further
discuss the proposed strategies for
the Gateway Area with the local Latinx
community.
Stakeholder Discussions
The Project Team also conducted several
rounds of property owner, developer, and
stakeholder discussions throughout the
process. These conversations became
a valuable opportunity to discuss
challenges facing the Gateway Area, and
to also discuss potential design, policy,
and regulatory changes that will help the
Town and community achieve the goals
of the project.
CONCEPTOS DE ZONA OESTE CONCEPTOS DE ZONA CENTRAL CONCEPTOS DE ZONA ESTEPara obtener más información sobre el proyecto de
“Innovate Gateway” y recibir actualizaciones, visite:
www.townoftruckee.com/innovategateway
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 7
1: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 2
Existing Context
This chapter provides a summary of
the existing conditions present in the
Gateway Area, including current land
uses, urban form, streetscape conditions,
public spaces, and placemaking features.
This is followed by a summary of the
current economic conditions in Truckee,
and an overview of the development
prototypes and economic pro formas
that were prepared to evaluate new
types of mixed-use and multifamily
projects in the Gateway Area.
CHAPTER 3
Vision Framework
This chapter establishes the high-level
community vision for the Gateway Area’s
future. It introduces five Vision Elements,
which are supported by specific Corridor
Strategies and Actions. It also includes
a comprehensive Vision Framework
Strategy Diagram, which highlights
important physical improvement
opportunities in the Gateway Area.
Document Overview
The Innovate Gateway Strategy is a
strategic, action-oriented document
that presents a clear vision followed
by specific strategies and actions
necessary to achieve positive change in
the coming years. It provides a range of
implementation actions with the goal of
being carried out by the Town of Truckee,
private property owners, business
owners, public agency partners, and
the broader community. Each specific
action reflects the community’s vision, is
intended to be realistic and achievable,
and is based on sound policy for future
decision-making.
Together, the chapters help tell the story
of the Gateway Area and how it can
evolve into the community’s vision in the
years ahead. Each chapter builds upon
the content from the prior section. The
following is a summary of the contents
and structure of the Innovate Gateway
Strategy.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY8
1: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 6
Glossary
This chapter includes definitions for
terms and phrases used in the document
that are technical in nature and may not
reflect common usage.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The document includes several
attachments that provide more
information, analysis, and detailed
community comments:
»Attachment A: Community
Engagement Summaries
»Attachment B: Existing
Conditions Summary
»Attachment C: Innovate Gateway
Development Feasibility Assessment
CHAPTER 4
Corridor Strategies
This chapter expands upon the Vision
Elements and includes 21 specific
Strategies that are key to implementing
the community’s vision. Each Strategy
includes a goal statement and summary
of why it is important, followed by
specific policies, development standards,
and actions for achieving the goal.
This includes technical information
and numerous graphics and photos to
illustrate and articulate each idea and
concept.
CHAPTER 5
Implementation
This chapter outlines the major
actions and ongoing commitments
recommended to help implement
the Innovate Gateway Strategy. This
includes recommendations for policies
and programs to be included in the
2040 General Plan, potential changes
to the Development Code and Town
Master Plans, strategic partnerships, and
funding opportunities.
6x
4
2
TITLE
Introduction
At the beginning of the planning process, the Project Team prepared
an Existing Conditions Summary (see Attachment B) that included
a detailed inventory of the social, physical and economic conditions
present in the Gateway Area. This inventory and analysis was an
important starting point for understanding the unique issues
and opportunities facing the Study Area, including current
market conditions, land use and urban design issues and assets,
mobility assessments, sustainability factors, branding and identity
considerations, and regulatory conditions. This information was used to
inform the strategies and actions that will foster future changes and
improvements in the neighborhood. The following is a summary of the
key findings and opportunities identified in the summary, broken down
by the topics listed to the left of this page.
In this chapter
Introduction
Community History
and Context
Existing Uses
Existing Zoning and
Development Standards
Building Form
Streetscape Character
Economic Conditions
Development Prototypes
and Financial Feasibility
Analysis
Moving Forward
EXISTING CONTEXT
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 11
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Community History and Context
Originally named Coburn Station,
Truckee grew in the 1860s as a key
railroad yard and station associated with
the Transcontinental Railroad. Donner
Pass Road was one of the first Sierra
Nevada crossings and has a rich history
as part of the original Lincoln Highway,
one of the earliest transcontinental
highway routes in the United States.
The creation of Interstate 80 in the early
1960s bifurcated Truckee, while also
allowing Donner Pass Road to become
effectively a “main street” for the town.
Donner Pass Road remains not only
the main east-west roadway through
Truckee but also a popular secondary
route over Donner Pass.
Truckee’s location in the Sierra Nevada,
proximity to Lake Tahoe and Reno,
access to world-class skiing and outdoor
recreation, and location along Interstate
80 makes it an attractive year-round
tourist destination.
Truckee’s extensive recreational
resources and outdoor lifestyle are
further complemented by the town’s
easy pace of life, historic downtown,
and a variety of entertainment, dining,
and cultural establishments. Combined,
these locational attributes make Truckee
a highly-desirable area for residents,
businesses, and visitors.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY12
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Existing Uses
The Gateway Area boasts a wide
range of existing buildings and uses.
Development in this neighborhood
has historically been focused on auto-
centric retail and commercial uses
dating back to its days as the historic
Lincoln Highway. These more intense
uses located along Donner Pass Road
are supported by older, well-established
residential neighborhoods on the north
and south sides.
The following is a summary of the
existing land uses present in the Gateway
Area to provide context on the diverse
range of uses in the neighborhood.
This is followed by a summary of the
Town’s current zoning designations and
development standards for existing and
new development projects.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 13
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Residential Uses
The Gateway Area includes single-family
residential neighborhoods between
Tahoe Forest Hospital and Highway 89
South. There are several other areas
with multi-family housing located along
Donner Pass Road. This includes a
mobile home park that provides a source
of affordable housing within the Study
Area. These residential uses account for
10 percent (22.1 acres) of the land in the
area.
Public Education Uses
The Tahoe Truckee Unified School
District encompasses a large percentage
of land within the Gateway Area. This
property is home to the School District
offices, Truckee Elementary School,
Truckee High School, Sierra Continuation
High School, and Sierra Expeditionary
Learning School (a K-8 independent
charter school). The Truckee High School
site includes sports fields and other
educational and recreational resources
that serve the local community,
including a children’s museum and
activity center. Public schools and
education uses account for 26 percent
(57.9 acres) of the land in the area.
Commercial and Office Uses
The Gateway Area contains a range
of commercial uses, including retail,
services, and restaurants. These
businesses form the economic base for
the Gateway Area and support the needs
of local and visitor shoppers. Office uses
are located on several properties along
the corridor. These include general
services office buildings, real estate
and professional services, non-profits,
and other similar uses. There are also
a handful of mixed-use commercial
buildings with residential units above
within the Study Area. Commercial and
office uses account for 31 percent (68.5
acres) of the land in the area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY14
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Medical Uses
Tahoe Forest Hospital is a large, regional-
serving facility situated in a sprawling
complex within the Gateway Area. The
hospital provides emergency medical
and urgent care services, and a variety of
other medical services including a newly-
constructed cancer center. The core
hospital uses are further supported by a
range of medical offices. Public Hospital
and associated office uses account for
9 percent (19.3 acres) of the land in the
area.
Public Parks and Recreational Uses
The most prominent open space
resource within the Gateway Area is
the site of the historic McIver Dairy
Farm. While the sloped topography has
historically drawn visitors to use the
hillside as a sledding slope, the Town
recently initiated a wetland restoration
and protection project on the western
half of the property led by the Truckee
Watershed Council. Additionally, the
Study Area contains Bill Rose Park, a
small 1/4-acre park and playground
located behind the hospital. Parks and
recreational uses account for 4 percent
(9.7 acres) of the land in the area.
Street Right-of-Way
In addition to the public and private
property, the Gateway Area also contains
a substantial amount of public right-of-
way. This includes public roadways and
on-street parking areas. Public street
right-of-way accounts for 20 percent
(42.5 acres) of the land in the area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 15
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Zoning and Development Standards
Property within the Gateway Area
currently fall into one of the following
seven zoning districts, as shown below
in Table 1 and on Figure 2. Each of
these districts establishes development
standards that regulate the number
of residential units (density) and size
(maximum square feet and/or floor area
ratio) for existing and new development.
The following summarizes the intent and
purpose of each zoning district applied
in the Gateway Area:
»RS – Single Family Residential:
Applies to parcels with existing
single family residential uses or
appropriate for new development.
Suffixes attached to this designation
denominate the maximum allowed
density (units per acre). The “X”
suffix establishes that parcels under
this zoning may not be further
subdivided.
»RM – Residential Multi-Family:
Applies to parcels suitable for multi-
family development and uses.
Suffixes attached to this designation
denominate the maximum allowed
density (units per acre).
»CN – Neighborhood Commercial:
Accommodates retail sales, office, and
service uses to support daily needs
of the community. Development
standards for this district are aimed
to cultivate a pedestrian-oriented
environment. The district also allows
residential uses in the form of multi-
family residential (through a Use
Permit) and mixed-use projects at 12
du/ac and 4 du/ac, respectively.
»CG – General Commercial: Allows for
a range of commercial and retail uses,
including restaurants, offices, retail,
and other services. CG also supports
multi-family residential and mixed-
use developments at 12 du/ac and 4
du/ac. Multi-family residential projects
are permitted conditionally (through
a Use Permit).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY16
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
»PF – Public Facilities: Accommodates
public, institutional, and auxiliary uses
to serve the town’s needs regarding
recreation, health and safety, cultural,
education, and government services.
»RC – Resource Conservation: Applies
to parcels suited for the protection
of open space and natural resource/
recreational assets. RC Districts
are like OS (Open Space) Districts
within the town, with the distinction
being that Resource Conservation
parcels are intended to have a limited
amount of clustered development
that is also integrated into the natural
environment. This use supports open
space, passive recreational uses, and
single-family residential (through
Conditional and Minor Use permit
approval).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 17
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Table 1: Current Zoning and Development Standards
Zoning Designation Density Range*Floor Area Ratio /
Site Coverage
Setbacks /
Stepbacks Height Limits
RS-0.50
Single Family Residential
0.5 dwelling units/acre
One single-family residence
per lot + one secondary
dwelling unit
Site Coverage: 40% maximum,
or 50% maximum on parcels that
are less than 10,000 square feet
Front: 20 feet
Side: 10 feet, or 30 feet for
parcels 3 acres in area or more
Street Side: 15 feet, or 30 feet
for parcels 3 acres in area or
more
Rear: 20 feet, or 30 feet for
parcels 3 acres in area or more
35 feet or 3.5
stories, whichever
is less
RS-X
Single Family Residential
One single-family residence
per lot + One secondary
dwelling unit
Site Coverage: 40% maximum,
or 50% maximum on parcels that
are less than 10,000 square feet
RM-15
Residential Multi-Family 15 dwelling units/acre**FAR: not applicable
Site Coverage: 50% maximum
CN
Neighborhood Commercial Multi-Family Residential:
18 dwelling units/acre
Mixed-Use: 4 dwelling units/
acre
FAR: 0.2 (increased to 0.35 by
Review Authority if certain
criteria are met)
Site Coverage: 70% maximum
None, unless required by
land use permit conditions of
approval related to screening,
landscaping, design guidelines,
etc.
50 feet or 3.5
stories, whichever
is lessCG
General Commercial
PF
Public Facilities
Residential Not Permitted Determined through the Land
Use Permit Process
Front: 20 feet, or 30 feet for
parcels 3 acres in area or more
Other Setbacks: Determined
through Land Use Permit
Process
35 feet or 3.5
stories, whichever
is less
RC
Resource Conservation
One single-family residence
per lot + one secondary
dwelling unit (required
Conditional and Minor Use
Permits)
Site Coverage: 20% maximum
Minimum Lot Size: 80 acres
Front: 30 feet
Side: 30 feet, or 10 feet for
parcels less than 43 acres
Street Side: 30 feet
Rear: 30 feet, or 20 feet for
parcels less than 43 acres
35 feet or 3.5
stories, whichever
is less
* May be increased through specific development incentives (e.g., density bonus).
** Units in RM Districts may be counted at different rates depending on the number of bedrooms in each unit (studio= .5 units / 1 bdr= .67 units / 2 bdr = .8 units / 3 bdr+ = 1 unit).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY18
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Figure 2
Current Zoning
Zoning DesignationDensity Range*Floor Area Ratio /
Site Coverage
Setbacks /
StepbacksHeight Limits
RS-0.50
Single Family Residential
0.5 dwelling units/acre
One single-family residence
per lot + one secondary
dwelling unit
Site Coverage: 40% maximum,
or 50% maximum on parcels that
are less than 10,000 square feet
Front: 20 feet
Side: 10 feet, or 30 feet for
parcels 3 acres in area or more
Street Side: 15 feet, or 30 feet
for parcels 3 acres in area or
more
Rear: 20 feet, or 30 feet for
parcels 3 acres in area or more
35 feet or 3.5
stories, whichever
is less
RS-X
Single Family Residential
One single-family residence
per lot + One secondary
dwelling unit
Site Coverage: 40% maximum,
or 50% maximum on parcels that
are less than 10,000 square feet
RM-15
Residential Multi-Family15 dwelling units/acre**FAR: not applicable
Site Coverage: 50% maximum
CN
Neighborhood CommercialMulti-Family Residential:
18 dwelling units/acre
Mixed-Use: 4 dwelling units/
acre
FAR: 0.2 (increased to 0.35 by
Review Authority if certain
criteria are met)
Site Coverage: 70% maximum
None, unless required by
land use permit conditions of
approval related to screening,
landscaping, design guidelines,
etc.
50 feet or 3.5
stories, whichever
is lessCG
General Commercial
PF
Public Facilities
Residential Not PermittedDetermined through the Land
Use Permit Process
Front: 20 feet, or 30 feet for
parcels 3 acres in area or more
Other Setbacks: Determined
through Land Use Permit
Process
35 feet or 3.5
stories, whichever
is less
RC
Resource Conservation
One single-family residence
per lot + one secondary
dwelling unit (required
Conditional and Minor Use
Permits)
Site Coverage: 20% maximum
Minimum Lot Size: 80 acres
Front: 30 feet
Side: 30 feet, or 10 feet for
parcels less than 43 acres
Street Side: 30 feet
Rear: 30 feet, or 20 feet for
parcels less than 43 acres
35 feet or 3.5
stories, whichever
is less
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 19
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
calculated to be 3,644 square feet.
When compared to total parcel area in
the Study Area, this equates to a total
building lot coverage of approximately 16
percent.
Parcel and Site Depths
Measuring from the Donner Pass Road
frontage, the deepest parcel in the
Study Area is the Truckee High School
site at 912 feet. This is followed by the
Tahoe Forest Hospital site (775 feet), the
Gateway Shopping Center site (680 feet)
and the Truckee Elementary School site
(662 feet).
As shown on Figure 3, most commercial
frontages have a width between 100
and 300 feet. Parcel sizes are important
because smaller parcels are often
difficult to redevelop. Deeper parcels
allow larger projects to reduce the
feeling of “bulk” by having higher
buildings located in the center of the
parcel.
Building Form
Buildings in the Gateway Area reflect
a variety of architectural styles that tell
a story of how development patterns,
design approaches, and aesthetics have
evolved over time. Several buildings
demonstrate traditional alpine designs
with steep-pitched gable roofs, dormers,
and exposed rafters combined with
natural materials. Other buildings
reflect more simplistic styles, featuring
hip and gable roofs with lower pitches
and flat roofs. Most buildings in the
neighborhood are one-story in height
with a few two- and three-story buildings
distributed along the corridor.
Building Size and Lot Coverage
Buildings in the Gateway Area vary
greatly in size. The largest structures
are located within the Truckee High
School, Gateway Shopping Center, and
Tahoe Forest Hospital sites. Each of these
sites have buildings that are larger than
100,000 square feet. There are a total of
335 structures in the Study Area, with
the average (mean) building footprint
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY20
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Figure 3
Building and Parcel Sizes
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 21
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Streetscape Character
The streetscape character along Donner
Pass Road can be characterized as auto-
oriented. It features wide vehicle travel
lanes, a center turn lane, and pedestrian
and bike amenities that are available,
but inconsistent in design and quality
and often lacking connectivity between
properties.
Streetscape conditions and safety
were recently improved with the
implementation of some Envision DPR
project components. This included
wider sidewalks, landscaped medians,
crosswalks, and bicycle lanes on the
western part of the corridor. Even with
these changes, there are numerous
wide driveways and limited and narrow
sidewalks – indications that streetscape
is tailored primarily for vehicle use.
Aesthetically, the Donner Pass Road
corridor offers views to surrounding
mountains and open spaces. There are
some recent landscaping improvements
(tied to early phases of Envision DPR) and
only a few existing community gathering
areas not associated with a school or
business.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY22
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Existing Typical Right-of-Way: Eastern Side (Highway 89 South to the McIver Crossing)
Existing Typical Right-of-Way: Western Side (Cold Stream Road to Highway 89 South)
Existing Right-of-Way: Western Side
The existing right-of-way on the western
side of Donner Pass Road (between Cold
Stream Road and Highway 89 South)
is typically 80 feet wide. It includes two
travel lanes, a center turn lane, striped
(Class II) bicycle lanes, and on-street
parking on the north side of the street.
Wider sidewalks and pedestrian mid-
block crossings were recently installed as
part of the Envision DPR project.
Existing Right-of-Way: Eastern Side
The existing right-of-way on the eastern
side of Donner Pass Road (between
Highway 89 South to the McIver
Crossing) is typically 80 feet wide. It
includes two travel lanes, a center turn
lane, striped (Class II) bicycle lanes,
and intermittent on-street parking
on both sides of the street. Sidewalks
are inconsistent along this part of the
corridor; however, some recent mid-
block pedestrian crossings were recently
constructed that were tied to new
development projects and the hospital.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 23
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Bicycle, Pedestrian
and Transit Amenities
The Gateway Area is an ideal location
for bicycling most of the year and is
often used by recreation and commuter
cyclists. As shown on Figure 4, there are
currently Class II bicycle lanes along the
entire two-mile length of Donner Pass
Road within the Study Area (e.g., painted
and signed bicycle lanes between
the vehicle travel lane and parking).
While these lanes help support cycling
throughout the Study Area, there are
very few businesses and properties that
offer secure bicycle storage and parking.
Pedestrian facilities in the Gateway Area
vary in quality and consistency. As shown
on Figure 4, some parts of Donner Pass
Road have limited to no pedestrian
amenities (including sidewalks),
while others have recently upgraded
amenities. Additionally, there are many
rolling curbs that act as vehicular access
drives to commercial businesses. All of
this can make it difficult for pedestrians
to safely navigate the corridor.
Several new mid-block pedestrian
crossings have been installed to help
create safer access across Donner Pass
Road. They vary in design, with some
being simple striping and signage, and
others including flashing crosswalk
signals and landscaped medians.
The Gateway Area is also served
exclusively by the Tahoe Truckee Area
Regional Transportation (TART) bus
transit service through several routes.
The TART Highway 89 Route connects to
Downtown Truckee and includes three
stops on the east side of the Study Area.
The Truckee Local line runs the length
of the entire corridor with a terminus at
Donner Lake, a loop around Downtown
Truckee, and access to other areas of
Truckee and North Tahoe.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY24
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Figure 4
Bicycle, Pedestrian
and Transit Amenities
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 25
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Driveways, Site Access
and On-Site Parking
As shown on Figure 5, driveways that
enter directly onto Donner Pass Road
vary in width. Older developments
typically have larger access driveways
and/or frontages that include parking
(some with curb cuts that run up to
150 feet in length). These large access
areas diminish pedestrian facilities and
decrease overall walkability. Newer
developments, in turn, typically have
narrower driveways that access side
or rear parking areas. This improves
walkability and the pedestrian
environment along the corridor.
On-site parking is available at most (if not
all) commercial and public destinations
within the Study Area. As shown on
Figure 5, larger developments, such as
the Tahoe Forest Hospital and Gateway
Shopping Center, have large amounts of
on-site parking available.
One challenge within the Study Area
is the consistency and clarity of on-site
parking. Many commercial projects have
surface parking lots that do not have
clear markings (due to weathering) or
clarity between access through parcels.
Additionally, many of the parking areas
do not delineate pedestrian areas and
most businesses do not provide secure
bicycle parking.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY26
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Figure 5
Driveways and Site Access
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 27
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Economic Conditions
The Gateway Area includes a variety of
existing retail, dining, and commercial
uses that serve both residents and
visitors alike. These businesses are an
important economic resource for the
town, as they provide jobs, services, and
tax revenue for the entire community.
The neighborhood also includes two of
Truckee’s largest employers, the Tahoe
Forest Health System and Tahoe Truckee
Unified School District (TTUSD), both of
which employ approximately 520 people
(1,040 combined jobs). The following
is a summary of the major economic
conditions in the Gateway Area.
Real Estate Conditions
While the Gateway Area has long been
a location for larger commercial and
employment uses, redeveloping existing
buildings or creating new buildings has
historically been a challenge in this area.
There are several important factors that
influence real estate in both Truckee and
the Gateway Area:
»Most properties in the Gateway Area
have existing revenue generating
uses that pose challenges when
trying to redevelop these properties
into new projects (e.g., there is less
economic incentive).
»There is a gap between current
workforce wages and the high cost of
new construction.
»On-site parking and snow storage
requirements increase the overall
construction costs for projects.
»Local construction labor and
materials costs continue to rise in the
region.
»More recently, there has been rapid
demographic change during the
COVID-19 Pandemic that has resulted
in a sharp rise in housing costs, both
for-sale and rental housing. It is not
clear if these impacts will subside
post-pandemic, but growth in higher
end and affordable housing has left a
void of new middle-income/workforce
housing.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY28
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Retail and Dining
The retail and dining industries have
seen significant changes in the past
decade. Truckee, as a major tourist
destination, has traditionally seen an
uptick in retail and dining sales during
peak tourist seasons when more people
are in town. However, during the
COVID-19 Pandemic, there has been a
sharp increase in year-round residents
in Truckee and the region. This shift has
changed the dynamic of local businesses
both in a sense of staffing and the types
of services they provide. In addition,
there has also been a pivot to temporary
outdoor dining and retail spaces needed
for social-distancing requirements. These
spaces allow for ongoing operations
during mild weather but are challenging
to operate during colder winter months.
Housing Availability
The housing market in Truckee has
dramatically changed in the past 18
months. The COVID-19 Pandemic
upended traditional work, commute,
and housing models. As more industries
and companies adapted to further
embracing the “work-from-home”
model, housing markets in desirable
natural and recreational areas, such as
Truckee, have seen a dramatic uptick in
new residents. This has resulted in an
increase in homes sales and values in
2020 and the early part of 2021. Though
the long-term impact on residential
property values is unclear, the region saw
median housing values increase by 66.7
percent between April 2020 and April
2021.
Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic,
approximately 55 percent of all housing
units in Truckee were held vacant
for seasonal or occasional use. This
high vacancy rate corresponded to
a progressive reduction in housing
availability for full-time residents and the
local workforce. A key challenge moving
forward is to identify strategies to ensure
the local housing market includes for-
sale and rental units that are affordable
and available to the local workforce.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 29
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Development Prototypes and Financial Feasibility Analysis
A major goal of the Innovate Gateway
process was to analyze the potential
for more mixed-use and workforce
housing development in the Study Area.
Housing is typically categorized as either
affordable or market rate. Affordable
housing generally indicates a subsidy
that allows a housing authority or
affordable housing developer to provide
home ownership or housing rentals at
a cost that is below market. Market rate
housing usually indicates that housing
projects are developed at a cost that the
market will bear for buyers and renters.
Workforce housing is different and often
falls through the gap where working
households cannot qualify for publicly
subsidized housing and cannot afford
market rate housing.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY30
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
To fully analyze the current development
conditions in Truckee, the Project
Team created a series of conceptual
“prototypical” development projects
for new mixed-use and multi-family
workforce housing. These prototypes
were based on community and
stakeholder ideas and included a range
of townhome, mixed-use and multi-
family concepts at different densities and
intensities.
The Project Team also interviewed local
developers and builders to determine
current development assumptions,
construction and labor costs, and
other factors that were used to create
pro forma analysis on each prototype
(e.g., financial summary of actual
development costs). The following is a
summary of the prototypical projects
and the results from the financial
feasibility analysis (the full analysis is
included as Attachment C).
Development Prototypes
The Project Team created five
development prototypes that generally
reflect the types of development the
Town and community would like to
see in the Gateway Area. Combined,
the five prototypes represent a range
of development types (mixed-use,
townhome, multi-family), intensities
(residential density, floor area ratio,
height), and layout based on typical site
characteristics along the corridor (parcel
size, depth and width).
The draft prototypes were presented to
the community and discussed during
Workshop #2. Based on community
feedback, the highest intensity multi-
family residential prototype was removed
from the analysis, which consisted
of 5-story buildings at approximately
40 dwelling units per acre. The four
remaining prototypes are shown on the
following page. As noted, none of the
prototypes are feasible based on current
market and regulatory conditions.
However, each prototype helped to
inform changes and new strategies that
are included in this document.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 31
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Prototype Concept #1
Medium Density Townhomes
This prototype is a medium density townhome project
that could be well suited for deep and narrow lots
located on Donner Pass Road. Each townhome would
be 2.5 stories and approximately 1,240 square feet. This
would result in a density of roughly 18 units per acre.
This concept is not financially feasible under current
market rate conditions. A developer would need to
take one or more of the following actions to achieve
financial feasibility:
»Decrease the total hard cost by five percent.
»Reduce soft cost from 22 to 18 percent of hard cost.
»Reduce profit from 12 to 10 percent of total cost.
»Increase sale price of each unit by four percent.
»Locate the project on public land.
Prototype #2
Higher Density Multi-family
This prototype is a higher density multi-family project
that includes 72 rental housing units in four, four-story
buildings, with unit sizes ranging from 620 to 1,100
square feet. It would include a mix of one-, two-, and
three-bedroom units.
This concept is not financially feasible under current
market rate conditions. A developer would need to
take one or more of the following actions to achieve
financial feasibility:
»Reduce developer profit from 12 to 10 percent.
»Increase rents by 15 percent.
»Locate the project on public land.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY32
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Prototype #3
Infill Mixed-Use
This prototype is a mixed-use development that
incorporates housing and additional commercial
space by leveraging underutilized surface parking. The
project site is one acre in size with a density of roughly
12 units per acre. The development includes 23,000
gross square feet of commercial space on the ground
floor(s), along with 11 residential units on upper floors.
Neither the commercial or residential component are
independently profitable. A developer would need to
take one or more of the following actions to achieve
financial feasibility:
»Reduce land costs by 50 percent.
»Reduce hard costs by 10 percent.
»Reduce soft cost from 22 to 18 percent of hard cost.
»Decrease profit from 12 to 10 percent.
Prototype #4
Infill Mixed-Use
This prototype is a mixed-use development with a
residential focus. The project includes 4,080 gross
square feet of commercial space, with a total of 40
residential units. The site is 1.4 acres with a density of 29
units per acre.
This prototypes is not financially feasible under current
market rate conditions. A developer would need to
take one or more of the following actions to achieve
financial feasibility:
»Reduce hard cost by 10 percent.
»Reduce soft cost from 22 to 18 percent.
»Reduce profit from 12 to 10 percent.
»Increase residential rent by 10 percent and
commercial rent by 20 percent.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 33
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
In general, mixed-use development faces
challenges to feasibility compared to
100 percent residential projects. While
the Town may be able, in some cases,
to leverage the profitability of high-
end residential development, such
development is most closely oriented
towards the high-value second home
market and would do little to advance
the workforce housing goals for the
Gateway Area.
Similarly, opportunities may exist to
leverage publicly owned land along
the corridor to provide opportunities
for below market rate or dedicated
workforce housing, the resulting increase
in cost associated with accommodating
prevailing wage labor create additional
hurdles to development feasibility.
Financial Feasibility Analysis
The Project Team analyzed the
development characteristics of the
four prototypes though a detailed pro
forma analysis. A pro forma is a method
of calculating financial results using
certain projections or presumptions. This
included interviewing several developers
in the region to ascertain development
costs and revenue assumptions for
similar and recent projects.
The analysis showed that new
construction in the Gateway Area is
difficult to accomplish from a financial
feasibility perspective under current
market conditions. High land costs in
the Gateway Area are the greatest factor
contributing to the overall feasibility of
new development projects.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY34
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
The following are key takeaways from
this analysis and approaches the Town
can pursue to make new development
projects in the Gateway Area more
feasible:
A. Reduce the Impact of Land
Cost on Feasibility
The particularly high cost of land along
the Donner Pass Road corridor is a key
factor contributing to the infeasibility of
the development prototypes. Interviews
with representatives from the local
development and real estate industries
indicate that the price of land in the area
is generally determined based on the
perceived current and anticipated future
value associated with development of
visitor serving uses, such as high-end
townhomes, condominiums, hotels and
associated retail uses.
Among the immediate options for
reducing the impact of land cost on
development feasibility is increasing
the allowed density, which helps to
spread the gross land cost across a
larger number of units. Other similar
actions include increasing allowable
site coverage and reducing parking
requirements to allow a developer to
build comparatively more units. Another
related approach is to allow developers
to build smaller units, which aligns
with assumptions from the recently
completed MHC workforce housing
needs assessment, which identified
there is significant demand for studio,
one-, and two-bedroom rental units
among Truckee workforce households.
Another approach is to adjust land
use policies, through processes like
the ongoing General Plan Update, and
related development standards to better
align with the community’s vision for
the corridor. The Town can also look to
partner with public landowners, such
as the Tahoe Truckee Unified School
District and the Truckee Donner Public
Utility District, to explore opportunities
for leveraging publicly owned land
for the construction of higher density
townhomes and multi-family rental
housing to house their resident
workforce.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 35
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
B. Improve Attractiveness
to Developers
While affordability is a topic of particular
concern, both within the residential and
commercial markets, another important
strategy for facilitating feasibility is to
make improvements that contribute
to the desirability of the broader
Gateway Area. This includes public
realm improvements like additional
bicycle infrastructure; larger sidewalks;
expanded and improved plazas, parks
and outdoor dining areas; upgraded
utilities and broadband; and increase
transit services and rider amenities.
Projects like these improve the livability
of the area, both for residents and
visitors, and make it a more pleasant
place to do business.
C. Provide Incentives
The analysis also found that current
Town permitting and impact fees,
including the inclusionary and workforce
housing in-lieu fee, are not among the
top contributors to overall project cost.
Nonetheless, as one of the few aspects
of the development process that the
Town has direct influence over, the
Town could offer incentives, such as the
Town paying or deferring a portion of
the land use application fees, building
permit fees, development impact fees,
etc., for certain types of development
that are desired in the Gateway Area. Fee
waivers are typically best suited for infill
developments in instances where the
project is unlikely to generate significant
impacts and in categories where the fees
are not needed to offset the immediate
cost of service provision.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY36
2: EXISTING CONTEXT
Moving Forward
The existing conditions analysis
summarized in this chapter, including
the detailed development prototypes
and financial feasibility analysis, were
used to help inform and refine the
strategies included in this document;
but, they were certainly not the only
considerations. The wealth of community
ideas, feedback and input received
during the workshops, online surveys,
pop-up events, focus groups, and
stakeholder interviews were also used
to define the community vision for the
Gateway Area and ensure all strategies
work together to implement that vision.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 37
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TITLEVISION FRAMEWORK
Introduction
The Vision Framework establishes a blueprint for how the Gateway
Area will evolve over the next decade and beyond. It provides answers
to questions such as: what are our goals as a community? How do
those goals translate to a commonly held vision for the future? What
should the physical and natural character of the Gateway Area look
and feel like? And, how should the area function so that it is a vibrant,
attractive, safe, sustainable and uniquely Truckee place that
supports the housing, commercial, office, medical, and diverse needs
of local residents, visitors, and workers?
These questions and objectives have helped to generate a Vision
Framework that reflects the community’s goals and aspirations for
the future of the Gateway Area. In addition to the community’s input
collected throughout the planning and design process, previous plans
and concurrent projects have helped to inform this strategy.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 39
In this chapter
Introduction
Vision Framework
Vision Strategy Diagram
Streetscape
Improvements Diagram
Western Gateway
Character Area
Central Gateway
Character Area
Eastern Gateway
Character Area
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Vision Framework
The Vision Framework Diagram is a
one-stop “plan on a page” that illustrates
the key building blocks of the Innovate
Gateway Strategy. The diagram (shown
on the next page) includes three major
components that will bolster the
Gateway Area as a unique, welcoming,
supportive, connected and healthy
neighborhood and bring about tangible,
positive change.
Guided by this framework, the
remainder of the Innovate Gateway
Strategy articulates a range of creative
and realistic strategies and concepts.
This includes specific goals, policies,
projects and actions necessary to
achieve the desired vision, and direct
future development and investment
decisions within the Study Area.
This Vision Framework is organized
into three distinct parts:
Vision Elements
The five Vision Elements—Unique,
Welcoming, Supportive, Connected and
Healthy—build on the existing character
of the Gateway Area while setting a
course for a dynamic, interconnected
mosaic of people, places and activities.
Strategies
An array of strategies, ranging from
short-term “quick win” improvements
to mid- and long-term investments,
is outlined in the categories under
each Vision Element. Combined, these
strategies include the range of ideas
and changes desired by the community
for the Gateway Area, while also being
grounded based on realistic design and
economic considerations.
Character Areas
The Gateway Area includes a range
of different lot sizes and existing
uses, and the character of the area
changes as people move along the
corridor. This requires context-sensitive
recommendations that respond to these
different characteristics. To implement
the Vision Framework while also
considering these differences, the Study
Area is divided into three Character Areas
(see Figure 6):
• Western Gateway: This includes
the areas from Interstate 80 to
approximately the Truckee High
School sports complex entrance.
• Central Gateway: This includes the
area from approximately the Truckee
High School sports complex entrance
to Sierra Avenue.
• Eastern Gateway: This includes
the area from Sierra Avenue to
approximately Interstate 80 near the
McIver Dairy property.
Each Character Area has a unique
approach to land use and multimodal
improvements that are consistent with
the Vision Framework and will enhance
the vitality of the Gateway Area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY40
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
VISION
ELEMENTS
B.
Welcoming
A thriving destination
for residents,
students, workers,
and visitors
D.
Connected
A pedestrian and
bicycle friendly,
interlinked, and multi-
modal corridor
E.
Healthy
A place that fosters
community health
and interactions
A.
Unique
A place that
celebrates its historic
Truckee character
C.
Supportive
A place that contains
housing, businesses,
and services for the
Truckee community
CHARACTER
AREAS
B.1 Enhance Local
Shopping, Dining,
and Entertainment
B.2 Promote Education
and Recreation for
all Ages
B.3 Improve Signage
and Wayfinding
B.4 Install Art that
Highlights Truckee’s
History, Character, and
Local Artists
D.1 Create a Pedestrian and
Bicycle Friendly Corridor
D.2 Improve Connectivity
and Mobility for All Users
D.3 Manage Parking Areas
D.4 Enhance Transit Service
and Rider Amenities
D.5 Improve Corridor
Lighting and Nighttime
Safety
D.6 Promote “Smart”
Transportation
Technologies
E.1 Provide a Variety of
Active and Passive
Community Gathering
Spaces
E.2 Create a "Green
Gateway" Corridor
E.3 Enhance Medical and
Hospital Services and
Amenities
E.4 Promote Sustainable
Building and Site
Design
A.1 Maintain the Gateway
Area’s Unique Identity
while Supporting New
Uses
A.2 Create a Sense of Place
and Community
A.3 Ensure Buildings have
an Appropriate Size,
Articulation and
Placement
A.4 Protect Views to
Mountains and Nature
C.1 Create Workforce
and Senior Housing
Opportunities
C.2 Support Local and
Small Businesses
C.3 Include a Mix of
Resident-Serving
Businesses and Uses
C.4 Ensure Businesses Can
Operate Year Round
Western Gateway
STRATEGIES
Vision Framework
Central Gateway Eastern Gateway
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 41
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Table 2: Proposed Gateway
Area Land Uses
Residential
Description: Large lot single-family homes.
Development Standard: 0.5-1 dwelling units
per acre
Education
Description: Public facilities, government
offices, educational facilities, and student
and workforce housing.
Development Standard: 1.0 max FAR;
including 12-24 dwelling units per acre
Health Care Hub
Description: Medical and hospital facilities,
supporting retail, and workforce housing.
Development Standard: 1.25 max FAR;
including 12-18 dwelling units per acre
Mixed-Use
Description: Multi-family residential, retail,
office, and service commercial.
Development Standard: 1.25 maximum FAR;
including 12-24 dwelling units per acre
Recreation
Description: Public recreation uses and
community facilities.
Development Standard: 0.2 max FAR (non-
open space land)
Vision Strategy Diagram
The Vision Strategy Diagram (Figure 6)
illustrates the physical concepts, policies
and strategies that will propel the
Gateway Area’s evolution. The concepts
illustrated on the diagram build upon
the existing assets in the Study Area to
create a fully interconnected, vibrant,
healthy, sustainable and well-designed
urban fabric with multiple opportunities
for community enhancement and
investment.
Key elements of the Vision Strategy
Diagram include:
Land Uses
Updated land use designations are
considered to plan for new mixed-use
and multifamily housing projects that
support local businesses, encourage
new workforce and senior housing, and
create a more active street environment
along Donner Pass Road (see Table 2).
At the same time, strategies will be in
place to protect existing single-family
neighborhoods and support the various
public institutions and medical uses in
the Gateway Area (see Chapter 4).
Character Areas
Unique areas are created with different
design and policy approaches that
will allow a range of new projects to
be developed, tailored to meet the
community’s vision for these areas. This
includes the Western Gateway, Central
Gateway and Eastern Gateway areas
(described in detail later in this chapter).
Green Corridor
A central “Green Corridor” is envisioned
that will become a series of plazas, parks
and open spaces that are interconnected
by a safe and active bicycle and
pedestrian network.
Donner Pass Road Improvements
The full extent of Donner Pass Road
through the Gateway Area is envisioned
to have welcoming and safe pedestrian
and bicycle facilities, enhanced transit
opportunities and more placemaking
elements.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY42
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Figure 6
Vision Strategy Diagram
Western Gateway Central Gateway Eastern Gateway
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 43
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Streetscape Improvements Diagram
A key component of the Innovate Gateway
Strategy is to build on the recent Envision
DPR streetscape improvements completed
along the Western Gateway segment and
expand those concepts into the Central and
Eastern Gateway. While taking into account
the potential development of new mixed-
use and multi-family residential projects
that will be located closer to the street
with more active ground floor uses. This
will create a more pedestrian environment
along the entire corridor, necessitating the
need for a range of streetscape and public
realm improvements.
The Streetscape Improvements Diagram
(see Figure 7) identifies the approximate
locations for major new improvements
along the corridor. These improvements
are tied to the Vision Framework and
discussed in detail in the following
sections and in Chapter 4. The various
streetscape improvements will work in
tandem to improve mobility, improve
safety, and provide a dynamic and
engaging public realm that serves
residents and local businesses alike.
During the Envision DPR Corridor study
process from 2015-2018, a total of ten
new roundabouts were proposed within
the Gateway Area to help facilitate
traffic circulation throughout the 2-mile
corridor. As part of the public outreach
process for the Envision DPR study, a
concept was also proposed to create full-
length medians to reduce the number of
vehicular turning movement conflicts.
With the implementation of full-
length medians, a need for additional
locations for vehicles to turn around
would arise. This concept would likely
require incorporating several smaller
roundabouts at minor intersections to
facilitate vehicle U-turn movements
to access adjacent properties with the
median-created right-in and right-out
only movements. Although expansion of
the Town right-of-way may be necessary
to accommodate the roundabouts,
this concept would create safer vehicle
movements within the corridor, improve
the multi-modal experience, and
enhance traffic-calming measures. It
would also afford the opportunity to
reallocate a portion of the existing
15-foot-wide center turn-lane space in
certain areas to be incorporated into the
bicycle and/or pedestrian facilities, plazas,
parklets, transit facilities, etc.
Similar to the other streetscape
alternatives outlined in this strategy,
additional public engagement, adjacent
property/business owner coordination,
and engineering analysis would occur
prior to implementation, including
consideration for emergency services
and evacuation needs, potential
pedestrian/bike conflicts with vehicles,
and general public interest.
In summary, as part of future
development/streetscape improvements,
extended center medians and minor
intersection roundabouts may be
considered to reduce vehicle turning
movement conflicts and to improve
circulation from Donner Pass Road
to adjacent land uses. The final
determination of streetscape design
details would be approved by the Town
during future land use approvals or as
part of a Town Capital Improvement
Project.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY44
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Figure 7
Mobility and Streetscape
Improvements Diagram
Western Gateway Central Gateway Eastern Gateway
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 45
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Western Gateway Character Area
The Western Gateway segment of
Donner Pass Road extends from
approximately Interstate 80 to the
Truckee High School sports complex
entrance. This part of the Gateway Area
has traditionally included lower-scale
commercial development on the north
side of Donner Pass Road and near
Interstate 80. A significant amount of
property is dedicated to public schools
on the south side of Donner Pass Road.
Vision
The Western Gateway Area is envisioned
to become a mixed-use and multi-family
residential neighborhood that includes a
combination of small-scale retail, dining,
office and similar commercial uses while
continuing to accommodate the schools.
Ground floor residential is encouraged
in the middle of larger blocks to
replace auto-oriented uses and provide
needed workforce and senior housing.
Commercial, retail and office uses should
be located on intermittent corners and
other viable locations.
Land Use Character and Form
Two- to three-story buildings that include
upper floor stepbacks are encouraged
in this area. New buildings will be
located closer to Donner Pass Road
to allow more pedestrian interaction
with businesses and restaurants with
parking screened behind buildings.
New vertical and horizontal mixed-use
buildings will support local businesses
while also allowing needed opportunities
for workforce and senior housing.
Larger parcels, or collections of multiple
adjacent parcels, will allow opportunities
to create larger and more integrated
developments that may help reduce
development costs.
The south side of Donner Pass Road will
remain an education, arts, sports and
community service hub. New teacher
and administrator housing is possible
on excess School District property
that fronts Donner Pass Road. This is a
strategic opportunity to create needed
workforce housing near the schools and
within walking distance to a range of
retail and commercial uses.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY46
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Conceptual rendering of the future Western Gateway character area
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 47
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Streetscape Concepts
The Donner Pass Road streetscape
was recently improved in the Western
Gateway as part of the Envision DPR
process. Additional improvements will
be made to further support mobility and
local businesses, as shown on Figure 8.
This includes creating a roundabout at
the intersection of Donner Pass Road
and Northwoods Boulevard and further
enhancing the streetscape with more
trees for shading and additional green
infrastructure (e.g., bioswales, detention
basins).
This area is also envisioned to include
more plaza and outdoor spaces,
linking the multi-modal corridor
to local businesses and mixed-use
developments. One key concept for
this area is to allow the re-purposing
of some on-street parking spaces on
the north side of the street to outdoor
plazas. This strategy will be tied to new
development projects that remove or
reconfigure driveways, which allow more
space for these features to be created.
The following pages provide conceptual
designs for streetscape improvements in
the Western Gateway character area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY48
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Figure 8
Western Gateway
Streetscape Improvements
Western Gateway
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 49
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
8’
Sidewalk
8’
Parking
5’
Bike
Lane
11’
Travel Lane
15’
Center Turn
Lane/ Median
11’
Travel Lane
5’
Bike
Lane
11’
Sidewalk
6’
Land-
scaping
80’
ROWN S
SECTION 1 (existing condition)
Class II Bicycle Lane
The Western Gateway area recently
received upgrades through the
Envision DPR process that included
streetscape beautification, new and
upgraded pedestrian and bicycle
facilities, improved traffic flow and traffic
calming, and underground utilities.
These improvements maintained two
travel lanes and a center turn lane, while
adding mid-block pedestrian crosswalks
with bulbouts and better defined Class
II bicycle lanes to enhance mobility
and safety. New sidewalks were also
constructed and on-street parking was
added largely to the north side of the
street (to provide parking to commercial
and residential uses).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY50
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
8’
Sidewalk
8’
Parking
5’
Bike
Lane
11’
Travel Lane
15’
Center Turn
Lane/ Median
11’
Travel Lane
5’
Bike
Lane
11’
Sidewalk
6’
Land-
scaping
80’
ROWN S
SECTION 1B IMPROVEMENTS
Class II Bicycle Lane with Expanded
Outdoor Plaza Space
With the recent implementation of
Envision DPR, additional improvements
in this segment are focused on strategic
enhancements rather than complete
redesigns. Parking spots, for instance,
can be converted into parklets to create
additional space in the public realm
for plazas, outdoor dining and other
active uses. Additional medians can be
constructed to help calm traffic and
provide more greenery/stormwater
capture. Additionally, more street trees
can be planted in empty landscaping
areas along sidewalks to provide shade
for pedestrians, capture stormwater
runoff, enhance aesthetics, and reduce
the heat-island effect.
All of these enhancements would be
site specific and need to take into
account driveway realignments (where
applicable) and turning movements to/
from side streets.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 51
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Central Gateway Character Area
The Central Gateway extends from
approximately the Truckee High School
sports complex entrance to Sierra
Avenue. This part of the Gateway Area
has traditionally contained the largest
retail uses and shopping centers in the
Study Area, and is centered on the main
intersection (Donner Pass Road and
Highway 89 South). This area also has
the largest parcel sizes in the Study Area,
creating an opportunity for larger mixed-
use and multi-family residential projects
in the core “node” at the center of the
Gateway Area.
Vision
The Central Gateway is envisioned
to become a commercial mixed‐use
area that builds on existing local
stores, restaurants, services and other
destinations. New mixed‐use projects
are encouraged with commercial and
retail on the ground floor and residential
above and/or towards the center and rear
of the parcel. There will be an active and
engaging street experience with many
plazas and green spaces.
Land Use Character and Form
Two- to three-story buildings that include
upper floor stepbacks will be encouraged
in this area. New buildings will be
located closer to Donner Pass Road to
allow more pedestrian interaction with
businesses and restaurants. New vertical
mixed-use buildings will support local
businesses while also allowing needed
opportunities for workforce and senior
housing. Larger parcels, or collections
of multiple adjacent parcels, will allow
opportunities to create larger and more
integrated developments that may help
reduce development costs.
There is flexibility in how this area grows
and transitions in the future. It may be
challenging to redevelop some of the
largest parcels because they have highly
valuable commercial uses. However,
there is a strategic opportunity to
create smaller buildings on the edges
of parking areas that front Donner Pass
Road. These buildings will add additional
uses and residences to the area, while
also helping to create a more pedestrian
environment.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY52
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Conceptual rendering of the future Central Gateway character area
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 53
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Streetscape Concepts
The Donner Pass Road streetscape was
recently improved in portions of the
Central Gateway as part of the Envision
DPR process. Additional improvements
will be made to further support mobility
and local businesses, as shown on Figure
9. This includes creating a roundabout
at the intersection of Donner Pass Road
and Highway 89 South and further
enhancing the streetscape with more
trees for shading and additional green
infrastructure (e.g., bioswales, detention
basins).
This area is also envisioned to incorporate
more plaza and larger outdoor event
spaces, linking the multi-modal corridor
to local businesses and mixed-use
developments. These spaces will be tied
to new or substantially remodeled multi-
family and mixed-use projects at the
largest scale and intensity in the Gateway
Area. The following pages provide
conceptual designs for streetscape
improvements in the Central Gateway
character area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY54
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Figure 9
Central Gateway
Streetscape Improvements
Central Gateway
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 55
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
80’
ROW
11’
Travel Lane
12’
Center Turn
Lane/ Median
11’
Travel Lane
5’
Bike
Lane
7’
Parking
11’
Parking
5’
Bike
Lane
5’
Side-
walk
8’
Sidewalk
N S
80’
ROW
5-8’
Side
walk
5’ - 6’
Bike
Path
11’
Travel Lane
12’
Center Turn
Lane/ Median
11’
Travel Lane
5’ - 6’
Bike
Path
5-8’
Side
walk
4’
Land-
scaping
4’
Land-
scaping
9’
Parking
9’
Parking
N S
Existing Condition
The Western Gateway area recently
received upgrades through the Envision
DPR project between the school
entrance and Highway 89 South. East of
Highway 89 South, the street includes
two travel lanes and a center turn lane
with no medians. There are Class II
bicycle lanes and parking on both sides
of the street, with narrow sidewalks.
SECTION 2 IMPROVEMENTS
Class II Bicycle Lane with Parallel Parking
This concept maintains the two
travel lanes and center turn lane and
adds midblock crossings to enhance
pedestrian safety. This design also
establishes Class II Bike Lanes that are
targeted to be six feet wide to provide
more safety for bicyclists. Additional
landscaping and trees are added along
sidewalks and plazas and within medians
to create a truly pedestrian environment,
capture stormwater and reduce the
heat-island effect. Where possible,
trees and landscaping may be placed
along the curb-edge of the sidewalks
and adjacent to pedestrian crossing
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY56
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
5-8’
Side
walk
6’
Bike
Path
11’
Travel Lane
12’
Center Turn
Lane/ Median
11’
Travel Lane
6’
Bike
Lane
20’
Parking
5-8’
Side
walk
9’
Parking
4’
Land-
scaping
4’
Land-
scaping
80’
ROWN S
diagonal parking and the sidewalk
would be located on the private property
frontage, similar to the existing head-
in diagonal parking configuration. A
Class II Bike Lane that is targeted to be
six feet wide and parallel parking with
landscaping and streetscape amenities
would remain on the north side, in
accordance with Section 2 above.
bulb-outs; however, coordination with
the Fire District to assess emergency
vehicle access to frontage buildings/
uses, long-term snow removal and
maintenance, line-of-sight and safety for
pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles, and
the functionality in relation to adjacent
existing and proposed uses will be
considered for site-specific placement of
any landscaping.
SECTION 3 IMPROVEMENTS
Class II Bicycle Lane with Back-in
Angled Parking
This concept shows opportunities
to enhance on-street parking at key
locations with back-in angled parking
as an option or interim solution that
supports local businesses. In this
design, the south side of Donner Pass
Road could have a Class II Bicycle
Lane, targeted to be six feet wide, with
back-in angled parking adjacent to the
sidewalk. To accommodate this design
for increased parking, a portion of the
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 57
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Land Use Character and Form
Two- to three-story buildings that
include upper floor stepbacks will be
encouraged in this area. New buildings
will be located closer to Donner
Pass Road to allow more pedestrian
interaction with businesses and
restaurants. New vertical and horizontal
mixed-use buildings will support local
businesses while also allowing needed
opportunities for workforce and senior
housing. Larger parcels, or collections
of multiple adjacent parcels, will allow
opportunities to create larger and more
integrated developments that may help
reduce development costs.
The Tahoe Forest Hospital District will
expand into a larger facility on both sides
of Donner Pass Road. This expanded
“Health Care Hub” will become a local
and regional asset and will necessitate
a range of mobility, parking and
streetscape improvements to ensure
convenient mobility and safety for all
modes of travel.
Eastern Gateway Character Area
The Eastern Gateway extends from
approximately Sierra Avenue to
Interstate 80 near the McIver Dairy
property. This part of the Gateway Area
has traditionally included lower-scale
commercial developments and the
major medical uses associated with
Tahoe Forest Hospital. It also includes the
largest single recreational and outdoor
space in the Gateway Area, which is the
McIver Dairy and meadow.
Vision
The Eastern Gateway is envisioned to
become a commercial mixed‐use and
hospital campus area that builds on
the existing mix of retail, office and
medical uses. New mixed‐use projects
are encouraged with active ground floor
uses and residential above or to the
center/back of the parcel. Larger and
more intensive uses, like the hospital
facility, should be stepped down and
transition in scale when they are close to
existing residential neighborhoods.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY58
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Conceptual rendering of the future Eastern Gateway character area
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 59
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Streetscape Concepts
Some recent streetscape improvements
have been made in the Eastern
Gateway character area, largely tied
to the development of new Tahoe
Forest Hospital buildings. Additional
improvements will be made to further
support mobility, local businesses and
the Heath Care Hub as shown on Figure
10. This includes creating a roundabout
at a new intersection of Donner Pass
Road between Lake Avenue and Pine
Avenue.
This area is also envisioned to integrate
more plaza and outdoor event spaces,
linking the multi-modal corridor to local
businesses, mixed-use developments
and medical uses. These spaces will be
tied to new or substantially remodeled
multi-family and mixed-use projects, and
the expansion of the hospital campus.
The following pages provide conceptual
designs for streetscape improvements in
the Eastern Gateway character area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY60
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
Figure 10
Eastern Gateway
Streetscape Improvements
Eastern Gateway
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 61
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
80’
ROW
5-8’
Side
walk
5’ - 6’
Bike
Path
11’
Travel Lane
12’
Center Turn
Lane/ Median
11’
Travel Lane
5’ - 6’
Bike
Path
5-8’
Side
walk
4’
Land-
scaping
4’
Land-
scaping
9’
Parking
9’
Parking
80’
ROW
11.5’
Travel Lane
12’
Center Turn
Lane/ Median
11.5’
Travel Lane
5’
Bike
Lane
9.5’
Parking
5’
Side-
walk
6’
Sidewalk
9.5’
Parking
N S
N S
5’
Bike
Lane
6’
Land-
scaping
Existing Condition
The Eastern Gateway area has a similar
existing condition as the eastern part of
the Central Gateway area with two travel
lanes, a center turn lane and parking
on both sides of the street. There are
currently Class II bicycle lanes on both
sides of the street. It should be noted
that with the recent expansion of the
Hospital complex in this segment, some
street improvements such as mid-block
crossings, landscaping, and widened
sidewalks have been created.
SECTION 2 IMPROVEMENTS
Class II Bicycle Lane with Parallel Parking
This concept maintains the two
travel lanes and center turn lane and
adds midblock crossings to enhance
pedestrian safety. This design also
establishes Class II Bike Lanes that are
targeted to be six feet wide to provide
more safety for bicyclists. Additional
landscaping and trees are added along
sidewalks and plazas and within medians
to create a truly pedestrian environment,
capture stormwater and reduce the
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY62
3: VISION FRAMEWORK
for increased parking, a portion of the
diagonal parking and the sidewalk
would be located on the private property
frontage, similar to the existing head-
in diagonal parking configuration. A
Class II Bike Lane that is targeted to be
six feet wide and parallel parking with
landscaping and streetscape amenities
would remain on the north side, in
accordance with Section 2 above.
heat-island effect. Where possible,
trees and landscaping may be placed
along the curb-edge of the sidewalks
and adjacent to pedestrian crossing
bulb-outs; however, coordination with
the Fire District to assess emergency
vehicle access to frontage buildings/
uses, long-term snow removal and
maintenance, line-of-sight and safety for
pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles, and
the functionality in relation to adjacent
existing and proposed uses will be
considered for site-specific placement of
any landscaping.
SECTION 3 IMPROVEMENTS
Class II Bicycle Lane with Back-in
Angled Parking
This concept shows opportunities
to enhance on-street parking at key
locations with back-in angled parking
as an option or interim solution that
supports local businesses. In this
design, the south side of Donner Pass
Road could have a Class II Bicycle
Lane, targeted to be six feet wide, with
back-in angled parking adjacent to the
sidewalk. To accommodate this design
5-8’
Side
walk
6’
Bike
Path
11’
Travel Lane
12’
Center Turn
Lane/ Median
11’
Travel Lane
6’
Bike
Lane
20’
Parking
5-8’
Side
walk
9’
Parking
4’
Land-
scaping
4’
Land-
scaping
80’
ROWN S
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 63
4
TITLECORRIDOR STRATEGIES
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 65
Introduction
The Gateway Area has a rich history supporting the Truckee community
as the primary area of town for “locals” to access commercial, retail,
dining, employment, medical and academic uses. The community
and Town see tremendous potential in enhancing and transforming
this neighborhood so it can even better serve its important roles for
Truckee. This includes further improving streetscapes and mobility,
creating opportunities for new mixed-use projects, developing much-
needed workforce and senior housing, and truly becoming a unique,
sustainable and healthy neighborhood today and for generations to
come.
In order for this innovative vision to be fully achieved, there will need to
be persistent and coordinated efforts among many parties. A series of
new or refined strategies should be implemented to address land use
planning, zoning and development standards, economic development
approaches, and community partnerships. This chapter provides
details on the specific strategies that support the five Vision Elements
included in the Vision Framework.
In this chapter
Introduction
Vision Elements:
A. Unique
B. Welcoming
C. Supportive
D. Connected
E. Healthy
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
VISION
ELEMENTS
B.
Welcoming
A thriving destination
for residents,
students, workers,
and visitors
D.
Connected
A pedestrian and
bicycle friendly,
interlinked, and multi-
modal corridor
E.
Healthy
A place that fosters
community health
and interactions
A.
Unique
A place that
celebrates its historic
Truckee character
C.
Supportive
A place that contains
housing, businesses,
and services for the
Truckee community
CHARACTER
AREAS
B.1 Enhance Local
Shopping, Dining,
and Entertainment
B.2 Promote Education
and Recreation for
all Ages
B.3 Improve Signage
and Wayfinding
B.4 Install Art that
Highlights Truckee’s
History, Character, and
Local Artists
D.1 Create a Pedestrian and
Bicycle Friendly Corridor
D.2 Improve Connectivity
and Mobility for All Users
D.3 Manage Parking Areas
D.4 Enhance Transit Service
and Rider Amenities
D.5 Improve Corridor
Lighting and Nighttime
Safety
D.6 Promote “Smart”
Transportation
Technologies
E.1 Provide a Variety of
Active and Passive
Community Gathering
Spaces
E.2 Create a "Green
Gateway" Corridor
E.3 Enhance Medical and
Hospital Services and
Amenities
E.4 Promote Sustainable
Building and Site
Design
A.1 Maintain the Gateway
Area’s Unique Identity
while Supporting New
Uses
A.2 Create a Sense of Place
and Community
A.3 Ensure Buildings have
an Appropriate Size,
Articulation and
Placement
A.4 Protect Views to
Mountains and Nature
C.1 Create Workforce
and Senior Housing
Opportunities
C.2 Support Local and
Small Businesses
C.3 Include a Mix of
Resident-Serving
Businesses and Uses
C.4 Ensure Businesses Can
Operate Year Round
Western Gateway
STRATEGIES
Vision Framework
Central Gateway Eastern Gateway
The Vision Framework, presented
earlier in Chapter 3 and shown on the
diagram to the left, can be viewed
as an overarching tool for organizing
the community’s vision into specific
strategies that will guide the Gateway
Area’s transformation. The following
pages provide details on the various
strategies, including new projects and
proposed changes to standards and
processes in the Town Development
Codes, that are envisioned for the
Gateway Area. These strategies are
informed by community input and ideas,
feedback from property owners and
other stakeholders, and the technical
analysis conducted by the Project Team
during the planning process.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY66
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
VISION
ELEMENTS
B.
Welcoming
A thriving destination
for residents,
students, workers,
and visitors
D.
Connected
A pedestrian and
bicycle friendly,
interlinked, and multi-
modal corridor
E.
Healthy
A place that fosters
community health
and interactions
A.
Unique
A place that
celebrates its historic
Truckee character
C.
Supportive
A place that contains
housing, businesses,
and services for the
Truckee community
CHARACTER
AREAS
B.1 Enhance Local
Shopping, Dining,
and Entertainment
B.2 Promote Education
and Recreation for all Ages
B.3 Improve Signage and Wayfinding
B.4 Install Art that
Highlights Truckee’s
History, Character, and
Local Artists
D.1 Create a Pedestrian and Bicycle Friendly Corridor
D.2 Improve Connectivity and Mobility for All Users
D.3 Manage Parking Areas
D.4 Enhance Transit Service and Rider Amenities
D.5 Improve Corridor Lighting and Nighttime Safety
D.6 Promote “Smart” Transportation Technologies
E.1 Provide a Variety of
Active and Passive Community Gathering
Spaces
E.2 Create a "Green
Gateway" Corridor
E.3 Enhance Medical and Hospital Services and
Amenities
E.4 Promote Sustainable
Building and Site
Design
A.1 Maintain the Gateway
Area’s Unique Identity while Supporting New
Uses
A.2 Create a Sense of Place and Community
A.3 Ensure Buildings have an Appropriate Size,
Articulation and
Placement
A.4 Protect Views to
Mountains and Nature
C.1 Create Workforce
and Senior Housing Opportunities
C.2 Support Local and
Small Businesses
C.3 Include a Mix of
Resident-Serving Businesses and Uses
C.4 Ensure Businesses Can Operate Year Round
Western Gateway
STRATEGIES
Vision Framework
Central Gateway Eastern Gateway
VISION ELEMENT A
UNIQUE
To become a truly great corridor,
Truckee’s history, culture, and
community fabric must all shine
throughout the Gateway Area. People
need to be able to walk down the
street to buy convenient and fresh
groceries. Local residents need choices
for affordable, quality housing that have
access to a variety of transportation
options. And, the rich history and
unique mountain character that has
shaped Truckee should be highlighted
throughout. Combined, this wide
range of uses, ideas, and opportunities
creates a dynamic, inclusive corridor
that supports and strengthens the local
community.
With an emphasis on embracing the
local culture and history, providing
needed facilities and services, and
addressing the current and future
housing and shopping needs of a diverse
community, the following strategies are
needed to support creating a unique
Gateway Area:
»STRATEGY A.1: Maintain the
Gateway Area’s Unique Identity while
Supporting New Uses.
»STRATEGY A.2: Create a Sense of
Place and Community.
»STRATEGY A.3: Ensure Buildings have
an Appropriate Size, Articulation and
Placement.
»STRATEGY A.4: Protect Views to
Mountains and Nature.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 67
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY A.1
MAINTAIN THE GATEWAY AREA’S
UNIQUE IDENTITY WHILE
SUPPORTING NEW USES
GOAL
Support and enhance the unique and
eclectic character of the Gateway Area so
it remains a truly special place for locals
and visitors alike, while also encouraging
new mixed-use and multi-family projects
that support affordable, workforce and
senior housing needs.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
As the number of residents grow
every year and the town develops to
accommodate this growing population,
it is critical to maintain the character
of Truckee and ensure the community
does not lose the eclecticism that has
attracted residents and visitors for
decades. At the same time, it is also
important to allow new development
types and residential unit sizes that are
appropriate for the area, financeable for
developers, and affordable for the local
workforce. The following are potential
changes to the Town Development
Code that will allow new types of uses
to locate in the Gateway Area while
maintaining the unique character, charm
and functionality of the area for the
community.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Incorporate the Gateway Area
Vision Strategy Diagram into the
2040 General Plan. As part of the
current General Plan Update process,
incorporate the policy direction of
the Gateway Area Vision Strategy
Diagram (see Figure 6) into the new
2040 General Plan. This includes
establishing policy and land uses that
are consistent with the unique visions
described for the Western Gateway,
Central Gateway and Eastern Gateway
areas (see Chapter 3). This will ensure,
at a General Plan policy level, that the
right blend of land use intensities,
types of uses and activities, and
appropriate transitions between
corridor uses and surrounding
residential neighborhoods are
maintained.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY68
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
b. Create a new Gateway Area Overlay
District: Create a new “Gateway Area
Overlay District” that establishes
development expectations and
incentives specifically applied to
property within the Gateway Area.
These development standards and
incentives will be different than other
areas of town due to the unique
character and needs of this area. To
create this new overlay district, the
Town will need to:
»Add a new section to
Development Code Chapter 18.20
(Overlay Zoning Districts) that
incorporates the new “Gateway
Area Overlay District.” This section
of the code will identify the
specific development standard
deviations that apply only to
properties within this area. Since
this will become an overlay
district, if a specific development
standard is not included in the
Gateway Area Overlay District
section of Chapter 18.20, the
standard will default back to the
existing standard included in that
zoning district.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 69
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
»Replace Development Code
Zoning Map Sheet #28 (FAR
Incentive Infill Area) with a new
map depicting the “Gateway
Area (-GA) Overlay District.” The
boundary for this new overlay
area should match the Innovate
Gateway Study Area boundary.
c. Rezone General Commercial (CG)
parcels to Mixed-Use (MU) in the
Gateway Area Overlay District:
Consider rezoning parcels currently
zoned General Commercial (CG)
to a new Mixed-Use (MU) zoning
district (see Figure 11). This new
MU district will provide more
opportunities and greater flexibility
for creating affordable, workforce
and senior housing projects that
include a commercial component.
The MU zoning district will include
the following revised development
standards (which are also
summarized in Table 3):
»Floor Area Ratio (FAR): Individual
projects are allowed a total FAR
of 1.25, inclusive of all commercial
and residential uses.
»Commercial Component: At least
25 percent of the total FAR must
be dedicated to commercial
uses that are not associated
with any residential component.
Commercial uses will be required
on the ground floor for all
structures fronting Donner Pass
Road. Objective Design Standards
also require each commercial
tenant space adjacent to Donner
Pass Road to provide a substantial
pedestrian entrance and
commercial glazing.
»Residential Component:
Residential density will be 12-24
dwelling units per acre, included
in the total FAR for each mixed-
use site. Stand-alone multi-family
projects are not permitted in
the mixed-use zone. For any
residential units, the maximum
average living area shall not
exceed 1,000 square feet.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY70
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
d. Rezone the Truckee Donner Public
Utility District Office and Vehicle/
Storage Property: Consider rezoning
the property from Public Facilities
(PF) to Mixed-Use (MU) within the
Gateway Area Overlay District. As
later suggested in Strategy C.1.k,
relocation of these facilities should
be considered. Regardless of the
relocation status, rezoning the
property will allow the current use to
continue but also add value to the
property for potential redevelopment
in the future. The purpose of this
strategy is to provide opportunities for
additional mixed-use projects in the
Gateway Area while also supporting
TDPUD’s operations.
e. Rezone the Health Care Hub
Parcels: Consider re-zoning
properties within the Health Care
Hub Designation (see Figure 6) that
have been acquired by the Tahoe
Forest Hospital District into the
existing Public Facilities (PF) zoning
district or into a new Hospital Campus
zoning district. This would include
their properties currently within the
General Commercial, Neighborhood
Commercial and Residential zoning
districts as well as the Upper McIver
Dairy property adjacent to I-80. The
goal is to specify the properties that
will ultimately be incorporated in the
Hospital District’s Master Plan.
f. Remove Allowed Residential
Density on the Lower McIver
Dairy Site: Consider removing the
allowed residential density on the
Lower McIver Dairy site for the
purpose of clarifying the Town’s
intent to preserve open space on this
important community resource.
g. Create a Single-Family Residential
Zone Duplex Option: Consider
allowing parcels currently zoned RS-X
in the Gateway District Overlay Area
to increase density to help better
disperse housing and create duplexes
which is a needed workforce housing
type. This change is consistent with
California Senate Bill 9 (2021) which:
»Requires approval of two units or a
two-unit subdivision on any parcel
zoned for single-family residential
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 71
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
development that is within an
urbanized area and not located in a
hazard zone for fires, earthquakes
or floods, and not located in a
historical district.
»Prohibits demolition of existing
affordable units, units under
rent control, or development of a
property where tenants have been
evicted within the last three years.
»Prohibits zoning standards such as
setbacks or design requirements
that would prevent development of
two 800 square foot units.
»Prohibits any units created under
this proposed approach to be used
as short-term vacation rentals.
»Due to the Gateway’s proximity
to transit, services, education,
employment centers, etc., to
encourage implementation of
SB9 options in this area, consider
allowing single-family zoned
properties within the Gateway Area
Overlay District to be considered
for more leniency beyond the
standard allowances provided
within SB9. For example, the Town
may consider that property owners
would not have to live in one of the
units for a 3-year minimum if the
owner deed restricts one or both of
the units to 120% AMI or less.
h. Modify Planned Development
Requirements: The Town currently
allows deviations to development
standards for high quality projects
that achieve community goals
through a Planned Development
land use permit. To provide additional
flexibility and incentives for
redevelopment within the Gateway
Area, consider exempting projects
that are consistent with the goals of
this document from the “Mandatory
Project Features” portion of
Development Code Section 18.78.040.
All other findings for a Planned
Development approval would still be
required.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY72
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
Figure 11
Proposed Gateway Area
Overlay District Zoning
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 73
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
Table 3: Gateway Area Development Standards
Single Family Residential (RS-X)
Residential
Density
One single-family unit per lot, one accessory dwelling
unit, and one junior accessory dwelling unit in
compliance with 18.58.025 (Accessory Dwelling Units).
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
Allows approval of two units or a two-unit subdivision
on any parcel zoned for single-family residential
development that is within an urbanized area and
not located in a hazard zone for fires, earthquakes or
floods, and not located in a historical district.
Floor Area Ratio No maximum FAR.
Setbacks
Required
Front: 20 ft.; 20 ft. on parcels of 3 acres or larger.
Side: 10 ft.; 30 ft. on parcels of 3 acres or larger.
Street-side: 15 ft.; 30 ft. on parcels of 3 acres or larger.
Rear: 20 ft.; 30 ft. on parcels of 3 acres or larger.
Site Coverage 40% maximum; 50% maximum on lots of 10,000 sq. ft.
or smaller.
Open Space
For individual lots, none required other than provided
by setback areas and maximum site coverage
requirements.
Height Limit 35 ft. or 3½ stories, whichever is less.
Landscaping None required.
Parking and
Loading
As required by Chapter 18.48 (Parking and Loading
Standards).
Parcel
Subdivisions
Parcels shall not be further subdivided.
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
Parcels can be subdivided to create individual
ownership parcels for new duplex infill units.
Note: The table identifies current Development Standards. Deviations to these
standards based on the proposed Gateway Area Overlay District are shown in red.
PROPOSED ZONING CHANGES INCLUDED IN THE
NEW “GATEWAY AREA OVERLAY DISTRICT”
As noted above in Strategy A.1.b, the Town can create
a new “Gateway Area Overlay District” that would
apply only to property within the Gateway Area. This
new overlay district will provide flexibility for the Town
to alter development standards and provide specific
incentives that will help achieve workforce housing
through new mixed-use and multi-family projects.
Table 3 on this and the following pages identifies
the current development standards for each zoning
district in the Gateway Area (black text). Additional
red text is added to identify proposed deviations to
these development standards that would apply only
to property within the Gateway Area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY74
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
Mixed-Use District (MU)*
Residential
Density
Varies based on the size of the project.
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
12-24 dwelling units per acre for mixed-use projects.
Stand-alone multi-family residential projects are not
permitted
Floor Area Ratio
(FAR)
0.20 FAR
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
1.25 FAR, inclusive of all commercial and residential
uses. 25 percent of the total FAR must be dedicated
to commercial uses and not associated with any
residential component.
Setbacks
Required
None, except as may be required through land use
permit conditions of approval to address screening,
landscaping, design guidelines and other land use
and visual compatibility issues.
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
Front: Enough distance from face-of-curb to allow for
a minimum 5‐foot sidewalk and 4-foot landscaping
area fronting Donner Pass Road. 20-foot maximum.
Side: 10 feet minimum.
Rear: 20 feet for commercial or mixed-use buildings
to create a neighborhood transition buffer when
adjacent to single-family residential.
Upper Floor Stepbacks: 10 feet minimum (when
facing Donner Pass Road) and 5 feet minimum
(on the rear) starting at the third story or 30 feet
(whichever is less), measured from the lower story
building walls.
Site Coverage 70% maximum.
Mixed-Use District (MU) continued
Open Space and
Landscaping
20% or in compliance with 18.46 (Open Space/Cluster
Requirements), whichever is greatest.
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
Mixed-use projects (only) will not be subject to
the open space standards of Table 2-9 (General
Development Standards). Landscaping standards and
stormwater mitigation will still be required.
Height Limit 50 feet or 3½ stories, whichever is less.
Mixed-Use
Component
Varies based on the size of the project.
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
25 percent of the total FAR must be dedicated to
commercial uses. Mixed-use can be either vertical
(same building) or horizontal (same site).
Outdoor Activities
All sales, displays and storage shall be conducted
within an enclosed building, unless outdoor activities
are approved in compliance with 18.58.190 (Outdoor
Display and Sales Standards) and 18.58.200 (Outdoor
Storage and Work Areas).
Parking and
Loading
As required by Chapter 18.48 (Parking and Loading
Standards).
Unit Size
Calculations
Density is determined by Dwelling Unit Equivalents
based on the number of bedrooms (studio= .5 units / 1
bdr = .67 units / 2 bdr = .8 units / 3 bdr+ = 1 unit)
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
The new FAR approach will remove the Dwelling Unit
Equivalent calculations. For any residential unit, the
maximum average living area shall not exceed 1,000
square feet.
Individual Tenant
Space Size
Maximum individual tenant space of 40,000 sq. ft.
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
A retail trade use or business shall not exceed 20,000
square feet of gross floor space. Planned Development
can be considered on a case-by-case basis for no more
than a maximum of 30,000 square feet.
Table 3: Gateway Area Development Standards (continued)
Note: The table identifies current Development Standards. Deviations to these standards
based on the proposed Gateway Area Overlay District are shown in red.
* The Mixed-Use District is proposed as a new district that will replace the current
General Commercial-CG district. Black text in the table above identifies current CG
district development standards.
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
Resource Conservation (RC)
Residential
Density
One single-family unit per lot, one accessory dwelling
unit, and one junior accessory dwelling unit in
compliance with 18.58.025 (Accessory Dwelling Units).
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
No residential density permitted on the Lower
McIver Dairy site.
Floor Area Ratio
(FAR)Not applicable.
Setbacks
Required
Front: 30 ft.
Side: 30 ft.; 10 ft. on parcels less than 3 acres.
Street-side: 30 ft.
Rear: 30 ft.; 20 ft. on parcels less than 3 acres.
Site Coverage 20% maximum; 40% maximum on parcels less
than 3 acres.
Open Space
Permanent open space shall be provided in
compliance with 18.46 (Open Space/Cluster
Requirements).
Height Limit 35 ft. or 3½ stories, whichever is less.
Landscaping As required by Chapter 18.40 (Landscape Standards).
Mixed-Use
Component Not applicable.
Parking and
Loading
As required by Chapter 18.48 (Parking and Loading
Standards).
Note: The table identifies current Development Standards. Deviations to these
standards based on the proposed Gateway Area Overlay District are shown in red.
Table 3: Gateway Area Development Standards
Public Facilities (PF) and Public Facilities/Hospital Campus (PF/HC)
Residential
Density Determined through land use permit process.
Floor Area Ratio
(FAR)Determined through land use permit process.
Setbacks
Required
Front: 20 ft.; 30 ft. on lots of 3 acres or larger.
Side: Determined through land use permit process.
Street-side: Determined through land use permit
process.
Rear: Determined through land use permit process.
Gateway Area Overlay District Deviations
Upper Floor Stepbacks: 10 feet minimum (when
facing Donner Pass Road) and 5 feet minimum
(on the rear) starting at the third story or 30 feet
(whichever is less), measured from the lower story
building walls.
Site Coverage 40%, maximum.
Open Space
Permanent open space shall be provided in
compliance with 18.46 (Open Space/
Cluster Requirements).
Height Limit 35 feet or 3.5 stories, whichever is less.
Landscaping As required by Chapter 18.40 (Landscaping).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY76
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY A.2
CREATE A SENSE OF PLACE
AND COMMUNITY
GOAL
Transform the Gateway Area and Donner
Pass Road into a welcoming, unique and
inviting place for community members,
workers and visitors.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
While the Gateway Area includes
multiple commercial destinations for
residents and visitors to enjoy, many
people pass through the corridor
without truly engaging with the space.
Some areas are dark after working
hours, sidewalks are non-existent,
and large empty parking lots create
a less welcoming environment that
deters people from spending time and
experiencing the corridor. Improved
urban design and public space
activation, as well as new culturally
diverse small businesses, will bring more
vitality and enjoyment to the area.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Create a Culturally Connected
Corridor: Design and program
Donner Pass Road as a cultural
corridor that connects Truckee
neighborhoods and destinations
through art, design, wayfinding,
programming, and promotion. This
can be achieved by integrating
elements such as local artists’ work
into public areas (streetscape, plazas,
roundabout islands), historical
information on the Lincoln Highway
(interpretive signage, additional
markers), and educational areas that
support student programs.
b. Promote a Diversity of Businesses:
Ensure that local and culturally
diverse businesses are located and
supported in the Gateway Area.
These businesses should reflect the
Truckee lifestyle and community.
This can be done through business
attraction and retention policies that
call for the Town to play an active role
in recruiting local businesses to the
Gateway Area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 77
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
c. Develop Flexible Gathering Spaces:
Create multi-purpose and flexible
gathering spaces within larger
parking lots where temporary
programming and events can be
held. Encourage businesses with
larger parking areas to create
design elements and features that
allow portions of the parking to be
converted to temporary flexible
gathering spaces. This strategy is
particularly important in the near
term prior to new development
projects being created (e.g., instant
activations).
d. Encourage Year-Round Activities:
Increase year-round activity and
programming on sidewalks and in
plazas and open spaces. This can
be achieved through regular snow
clearing and outdoor tents/shelters in
winter months.
Example of a parking area being used as a
temporary/flexible gathering and event space
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY78
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY A.3
ENSURE BUILDINGS HAVE
AN APPROPRIATE SIZE,
ARTICULATION AND PLACEMENT
GOAL
Ensure new buildings are designed with
an appropriate scale for the corridor, with
building articulation and/or upper story
stepbacks from public streets and from
adjoining single-family residential zones.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
As the corridor evolves to accommodate
new mixed-use and housing projects,
it is important that new development
is compatible with existing buildings
and does not encroach upon adjacent
businesses and residents. New
buildings should be designed in a way
that minimizes their impact on their
surrounding built environment, views of
the mountains and natural environment,
and shadowing of sidewalks during
winter months.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Maintain a Variety of Architectural
Styles: Ensure there is a variety of
architectural styles and that no single
style or character dominates the
Gateway Area. Encourage the use
of natural materials such as wood,
metal and stone in the design of new
buildings to create a consistency
of textures that responds to the
mountain environment.
b. Maintain Building Height Limits:
Maintain existing building height
limits for the Gateway Area
when creating the new Gateway
Area Overlay Zone. This includes
maintaining the 50 feet or 3.5 stories
maximum building height limit in
the new Mixed-Use zone (which is
the same height limit as the current
General Commercial zone).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 79
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
c. Step-back Upper Floors: Step-back
the third floor of all commercial,
mixed-use and multi-family buildings
an additional 10 feet from the first
two floors along Donner Pass Road
and 5-foot setbacks for the rear of
buildings to break up building bulk
and maintain the eclectic character of
the corridor.
d. Update Building Setbacks: Ensure
variable building setbacks within the
Gateway Area that promote walkable,
human-scale buildings:
»Minimum Front Setback: Enough
distance from face-of-curb to allow
for a minimum 5‐foot sidewalk and
4-foot landscaping area fronting
Donner Pass Road. Encourage
larger sidewalks fronting Donner
Pass Road, between 6 to 8+
feet, when located in front of
restaurants, cafes or similar uses to
encourage outdoor dining.
»Maximum Front Setback: 20 feet
from the edge of the sidewalk to
any new building with ground
floor commercial, restaurant
or office uses fronting Donner
Pass Road, or 30 feet from the
edge of the sidewalk for any
new building with ground floor
residential uses fronting Donner
Pass Road or for outdoor cafes.
Allow outdoor seating/active patio
areas within setbacks in front of
commercial and restaurant uses.
These areas are not intended to
be used for long-term outdoor
sales and display use but may be
considered for temporary sales
events. Building setbacks within
the allowable range shall be
appropriate for specific conditions,
including building height, the
proposed use, and allowances for
landscaping.
e. Construct New and Innovative
Buildings: Embrace new building
formats and styles that support local
businesses and promote economic
development. This includes larger,
more open internal formats that can
easily be reprogrammed for different
users or tenants.
Example of an upper story “step-back” that
reduces the look/feel of bulk and provides
more natural light to the public realm.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY80
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
New Corner
Building
New Building
Fronting DPR
f. Create Neighborhood Transitional
Areas: Ensure that commercial,
mixed-use buildings provide a
minimum 30‐foot buffer between
the building and the rear property
line adjoining a residentially zoned
parcel. Encourage landscaping, mini‐
parks or parking in these buffer areas.
Ensure new residential buildings
along Donner Pass Road provide a
minimum 20‐foot buffer between
the back of the building and the
rear property line facing existing
residential parcels. An additional 5‐
foot setback from the property line
shall apply to the third story of any
mixed-use, commercial or multi-
family residential building adjoining a
single-family residential lot.
g. Articulate Building Facades: Ensure
that new buildings and projects
include articulated frontages with
alternating setbacks, building planes,
and varied colors and materials
to break up bulk and create more
pedestrian interest.
h. Active Street Frontages: Encourage
active street frontages and plaza
spaces between buildings along
the corridor that incorporate
features including outdoor seating,
landscaping, and functional art such
as decorative bike racks, fences, and
murals. These areas should enhance
the experience for pedestrians
and bicyclists while encouraging
people to spend time and visit local
businesses. They should also have
varied and articulated front facades
with extensive window glazing
at the ground floor, to support
an interesting and comfortable
pedestrian streetscape.
i. Activate Site Corners: Encourage
the re-purposing of street corners in
existing large parking lots for new
strategic infill development that
can help activate the Donner Pass
Road street frontage while providing
additional mixed-use opportunities.
These additional buildings would
fall under the same development
standards as any other building on
the parcel (including density, FAR,
and on-site parking requirements).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 81
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY A.4
PROTECT VIEWS TO
MOUNTAINS AND NATURE
GOAL
Maintain the strong connection to the
outdoors and the Sierra Nevada from all
parts of the Gateway Area.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Truckee’s location in the Sierra Nevada
and picturesque backdrop are key
reasons residents and visitors choose
the town as their home and destination.
While new development is needed
to support the existing and growing
population, visual connections to the
natural environment should not be
tarnished in the process.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Protect Mountain Views: Ensure
that new or substantially remodeled
projects on both sides of Donner Pass
Road continue to protect views of the
surrounding forest and mountains,
where feasible. Updated building
stepbacks (as noted above in Strategy
A.3.c) will help protect surrounding
scenic views from the public way and
gathering spaces while still ensuring
that the Donner Pass Road corridor
is an active, pedestrian and bicyclist
focused street.
b. Provide Views from Open Space
Areas: Build or enhance parks and
open spaces in the Gateway Area as
part of the Green Corridor concept
(see Strategy E.2) and ensure the
spaces have the right scale of tree
height to provide shade while also
not limiting views of the surrounding
mountains.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY82
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
c. Change Scenic Corridor Standards
in the Gateway Area Overlay
District: Consider reducing the
Scenic Corridor Standards of
Development Code Section 18.46.080,
for properties shown in the diagram
to the right, to prohibit structures or
parking areas within 50 feet of I-80
right-of-way, limit building heights to
25 feet for structures within 100 feet
of I-80 right-of-way, and apply normal
height and development standards to
portions of the property beyond 100
feet of the I-80 right-of-way.
The current standard does not permit
structures or parking areas within
100 feet of the I-80 right-of-way, and
limits building heights to 25-feet for
structures within 300 feet of the I-80
right-of-way. This new standard will
allow greater flexibility and more lot
area for development projects in the
Western Gateway area, which in turn
will increase the financial viability
of new multi-family and mixed-use
projects.
Proposed Scenic Corridor Standards
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 83
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
VISION ELEMENT B
WELCOMING
Donner Pass Road is generally
characterized as a wide auto-focused
roadway with long blocks flanked by a
diverse mix of retail, service, education,
and medical uses. Surrounding this
core is a network of smaller streets
that provide access to residential
neighborhoods, along with direct
connections to other parts of Truckee
and Interstate 80. This interlinked
setting, coupled with a broad mix
of building and lot sizes, creates the
ideal backbone physical structure for
strategically rehabilitating and/or adding
new buildings; improving sidewalks
and outdoor spaces; articulating the
unique Truckee image and lifestyle;
and enhancing a range of multimodal
connections. Combined, these strategic
changes will bolster the Gateway Area’s
identity, encourage economic and job
growth, support new workforce housing,
and result in a sustainable neighborhood
now and for generations to come.
With a focus on the interplay between
buildings, uses and streetscape
improvements, the following section
includes several strategies that will
enhance the quality of life for local
residents and workers and further
support a sustainable and active corridor.
The following strategies support creating
a welcoming Gateway Area:
»STRATEGY B.1: Enhance Local
Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment
»STRATEGY B.2: Promote Education
and Recreation for all Ages
»STRATEGY B.3: Create Unique
Gateways into the Neighborhood
»STRATEGY B.4: Improve Signage
and Wayfinding
VISION
ELEMENTS
B.
Welcoming
A thriving destination
for residents,
students, workers,
and visitors
D.
Connected
A pedestrian and
bicycle friendly,
interlinked, and multi-
modal corridor
E.
Healthy
A place that fosters
community health
and interactions
A.
Unique
A place that
celebrates its historic
Truckee character
C.
Supportive
A place that contains
housing, businesses,
and services for the
Truckee community
CHARACTER
AREAS
B.1 Enhance Local
Shopping, Dining,
and Entertainment
B.2 Promote Education
and Recreation for all Ages
B.3 Improve Signage and Wayfinding
B.4 Install Art that
Highlights Truckee’s
History, Character, and
Local Artists
D.1 Create a Pedestrian and Bicycle Friendly Corridor
D.2 Improve Connectivity and Mobility for All Users
D.3 Manage Parking Areas
D.4 Enhance Transit Service and Rider Amenities
D.5 Improve Corridor Lighting and Nighttime Safety
D.6 Promote “Smart” Transportation Technologies
E.1 Provide a Variety of
Active and Passive Community Gathering
Spaces
E.2 Create a "Green
Gateway" Corridor
E.3 Enhance Medical and Hospital Services and
Amenities
E.4 Promote Sustainable
Building and Site
Design
A.1 Maintain the Gateway
Area’s Unique Identity while Supporting New
Uses
A.2 Create a Sense of Place and Community
A.3 Ensure Buildings have an Appropriate Size,
Articulation and
Placement
A.4 Protect Views to
Mountains and Nature
C.1 Create Workforce
and Senior Housing Opportunities
C.2 Support Local and
Small Businesses
C.3 Include a Mix of
Resident-Serving Businesses and Uses
C.4 Ensure Businesses Can Operate Year Round
Western Gateway
STRATEGIES
Vision Framework
Central Gateway Eastern Gateway
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY84
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY B.1
ENHANCE LOCAL SHOPPING,
DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT
GOAL
Support local businesses by creating a
dynamic, interesting, active, and safe
pedestrian environment.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Supporting local businesses—and
fostering the creation of new business
opportunities—will create a vibrant
shopping and dining destination along
Donner Pass Road. New developments
will offer a greater variety of retail,
employment, and entertainment options
that will enhance the quality of life
for residents and workers. Attracting
new businesses that cater to local and
regional retail needs will establish the
corridor as a destination for all Truckee
residents. Additionally, formulation and
implementation of a series of business-
friendly strategies will assist in the
creation of a stable and predictable
regulatory environment for new
businesses and real estate developers.
These strategies will ultimately help
strengthen local businesses and diversify
Truckee’s economy and tax base.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Incorporate Placemaking Elements:
Encourage outdoor seating,
landscaping, and decorative and
functional art such as decorative
bike racks, fences and murals. These
various placemaking elements
should initially be focused near
more intensive uses (e.g., stores,
restaurants, and new mixed-use
buildings) to draw attention and
interest to these uses. Placemaking
elements should also be functional
where appropriate and can be
incorporated into both the site design
and elements of building design.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 85
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
b. Repurpose Underutilized Site
Spaces: Encourage the re-purposing
of existing parking lots and outdoor
spaces for more active uses, such as
small stores, flower stands, micro-
cafes and public art. These new uses
can include micro-retail or dining
spaces that do not require significant
loss to existing parking spaces. The
goal is to encourage activations that
are close to Donner Pass Road to
create a more engaging and dynamic
pedestrian environment.
c. Create Engaging Spaces: Activate
the pedestrian and bicycle experience
to encourage lingering. This will
largely be accomplished through
the development/redevelopment of
more mixed-use buildings that front
on Donner Pass Road; however, this
strategy can also be achieved by
allowing permanent outdoor dining
and retail spaces as part of either
existing or new site design.
d. Promote Pop-Up Events: Encourage
temporary pop‐up events and the
joint use of private parking lots to
help activate them throughout the
year. Specific outdoor events can help
generate interest and excitement
that will draw locals and visitors to
the Gateway Area. This strategy can
be powerful in the near term to help
create more energy and events as
the corridor transitions (e.g., using
existing surface parking areas
fronting Donner Pass Road for pop-
up events before new infill buildings
are developed).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY86
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY B.2
PROMOTE EDUCATION AND
RECREATION FOR ALL AGES
GOAL
Expand the community’s access to
education and recreation for all ages and
skill levels.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Access to high-quality education is a key
factor in career and economic success. A
diverse and dynamic community should
provide opportunities to learn and study,
not only in the form of exceptional
primary and secondary schools, but
through museums, event spaces, and
public programming that offer additional
options to learn outside of the classroom.
Recreational spaces are also key to both
physical and mental development.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Promote Recreational
Opportunities: Foster community
connections between programming
and events at town parks, open space
areas and recreational amenities
surrounding the Gateway Area to
local business and corridor events.
This can include having local
businesses sponsor outdoor events.
b. Expand Educational and Civic
Opportunities: Support additional
educational opportunities on Tahoe
Truckee Unified School District
property, including expanding
facilities, community events spaces,
and similar uses. Encourage the
School District to also locate
community education/library spaces,
art spaces, and museum spaces that
are strategically located in areas that
are highly visible from Donner Pass
Road. When this is not possible, install
appropriate and adequate signage to
ensure people can easily navigate to
the public spaces located on School
District property.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 87
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
c. Support Local Art Programming:
Consider working with property
and business owners to identify
highly visible, low-cost, ground
floor locations along Donner Pass
Road for smaller, local art groups
and organizations to set up gallery
space. Help facilitate the co-
location of galleries and other arts-
based businesses to improve their
visibility and viability and to create a
destination.
d. Encourage Interactive Health
Spaces: Consider partnering with
the Tahoe Forest Hospital to create
interactive spaces or exhibits within
the hospital area that both educate
and support community health.
These can include health clinics,
wellness gardens, and spaces that
are reprogrammed to provide health
education. These spaces should be
located on or near Donner Pass Road
so they can be hybrid facilities that
are used by both hospital patients
and available to the general public.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY88
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY B.3
IMPROVE SIGNAGE
AND WAYFINDING
GOAL
Establish an overall signage and
wayfinding program that visually knits
the Gateway Area and supports the
Truckee mountain style.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Truckee is revered as a world class
destination with a distinct character that
continues to attract visitors from around
the world. Part of a great destination is
having consistent signage that conveys
the identity of the place. Further
supporting the signage and wayfinding
“brand” of the town into the Gateway
Area will enhance, unify and beautify the
neighborhood through the thoughtful
implementation of signage, public art,
and wayfinding techniques.
Installing wayfinding signage along
Donner Pass Road will also provide
residents, workers, and visitors a visual
queue as they enter the corridor. Upon
entrance, people will be met with
wayfinding tools helping to guide
their experience to corridors and
parking hubs. This will improve mobility
efficiency and help reduce vehicle miles
traveled (VMT).
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Install Consistent, Recognizable
Wayfinding and Signage: Install
consistent wayfinding and signage
throughout the corridor, maximizing
visual recognition for pedestrians,
bicyclists and drivers. Signage within
the Gateway Area shall be consistent
with the overall Town signage and
wayfinding standards for style, sizing,
location and placement hierarchy for
new signage.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 89
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
b. Ensure Visibility of Wayfinding and
Signage: Locate directional signs
at a height visible for all users, but
primarily focused on pedestrians. This
will help to create a more comfortable
and walkable environment.
c. Select Optimal Wayfinding Routes:
Place prominent landscaping and
trees to improve wayfinding through
common spaces, identify building
entryways and frame mountain vistas.
These wayfinding routes will help
motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians
navigate through the public realm
(e.g., streets and sidewalks) and into
the private realm (e.g., parking areas
and building entrances).
d. Maximize Visual Recognition:
Maximize ease of visual recognition
of major destinations for vehicular,
bicyclists and pedestrian circulation
to provide an experience that is easy
to navigate.
e. Provide Clear Directions: Provide
clear directions to parking areas
and transit stops so people can
easily and efficiently access
retail, entertainment, civic, and
employment hubs. Consider
incorporating QR codes, or similar
technology, within wayfinding
signage to provide users with a digital
option for obtaining directions and
information.
f. Create a Central Gateway Feature:
Create new monument signage
and unique landscaping features
at major entrances on both ends of
Donner Pass Road and at the entry
from Highway 89 South. The features
should have a consistent look and
feel to create a light branding for the
Gateway Area. Monument signage,
public art, and other features should
be at a lower scale that is appropriate
for this area (e.g., maximum of 8
feet in height) and supportive in
colors and style to the mountain
environment (e.g., earth tones, natural
materials, etc.).
Example of interpretive signage designed
at a pedestrian scale that provide
locational or historical information.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY90
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY B.4
INSTALL ART THAT CELEBRATES
TRUCKEE’S HISTORY, CHARACTER,
AND LOCAL ARTISTS
GOAL
Promote creativity and support the
eclectic character of Truckee through
the placement of unique and functional
public art.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Preserving and enhancing Truckee’s
unique identity can be done by
incorporating public art created by local
artists. Integrating artwork in the public
realm allows for storytelling, community
expression, and social cohesion that also
enhances the experience and aesthetics
of a place. Public art is an effective way to
improve the corridor and allow people to
actively engage with art for free.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Ensure Art has a Local Context:
Encourage public art that is relevant
to Truckee’s history, surroundings,
lifestyle, and culture, including
indigenous American Indian Nations.
b. Ensure Accessibility of Public Art:
Display public art pieces at entry
gateways along Donner Pass Road
and on wide sidewalk and plaza
spaces so they are highly visible
and become iconic features for the
Gateway Area. These features should
also be located near major entrances
to buildings as part of an overall
pedestrian wayfinding strategy.
c. Engage with Local Artists: Explore
opportunities for local artists,
including those from indigenous
American Indian Nations, to design
and fabricate public art within the
Gateway Area, either within buildings
or during outdoor art events.
d. Encourage Functional Art:
Encourage art pieces that serve both
an aesthetic and functional purpose,
such as sculptural bicycle racks, trash
receptacles, seating, and more.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 91
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
VISION
ELEMENTS
B.
Welcoming
A thriving destination
for residents,
students, workers,
and visitors
D.
Connected
A pedestrian and
bicycle friendly,
interlinked, and multi-
modal corridor
E.
Healthy
A place that fosters
community health
and interactions
A.
Unique
A place that
celebrates its historic
Truckee character
C.
Supportive
A place that contains
housing, businesses,
and services for the
Truckee community
CHARACTER AREAS
B.1 Enhance Local
Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment
B.2 Promote Education
and Recreation for
all Ages
B.3 Improve Signage and Wayfinding
B.4 Install Art that Highlights Truckee’s
History, Character, and
Local Artists
D.1 Create a Pedestrian and
Bicycle Friendly Corridor
D.2 Improve Connectivity and Mobility for All Users
D.3 Manage Parking Areas
D.4 Enhance Transit Service and Rider Amenities
D.5 Improve Corridor Lighting and Nighttime Safety
D.6 Promote “Smart”
Transportation
Technologies
E.1 Provide a Variety of Active and Passive
Community Gathering Spaces
E.2 Create a "Green
Gateway" Corridor
E.3 Enhance Medical and
Hospital Services and
Amenities
E.4 Promote Sustainable
Building and Site Design
A.1 Maintain the Gateway
Area’s Unique Identity
while Supporting New
Uses
A.2 Create a Sense of Place
and Community
A.3 Ensure Buildings have an Appropriate Size,
Articulation and Placement
A.4 Protect Views to
Mountains and Nature
C.1 Create Workforce
and Senior Housing
Opportunities
C.2 Support Local and Small Businesses
C.3 Include a Mix of
Resident-Serving Businesses and Uses
C.4 Ensure Businesses Can Operate Year Round
Western Gateway
STRATEGIES
Vision Framework
Central Gateway Eastern Gateway
VISION ELEMENT C
SUPPORTIVE
The Truckee lifestyle is desirable to
many people. The local workforce and
businesses are the backbone that
makes it all possible. Supporting local
businesses so they can thrive is a key
objective for the Town. And identifying
ways for them to safely and creatively
adjust to the ever-changing retail
market and challenges of the COVID-19
Pandemic is top priority.
Housing the workforce is one key
component to ensuring success
of businesses. The Town and the
community seek to develop strategies
that incentivize the creation of mixed-
use and multi-family projects that
include strong workforce housing
components. This section includes
a range of strategies focused on
supporting Truckee residents, workers
and businesses through development
and business operations incentives and
programs. The following strategies are
needed to create a supportive Gateway
Area:
»STRATEGY C.1: Create Workforce and
Senior Housing Opportunities
»STRATEGY C.2: Support Local and
Small Businesses
»STRATEGY C.3: Include a Mix of
Resident-Serving Businesses and
Uses
»STRATEGY C.4: Ensure Businesses
Can Operate Year Round
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY92
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY C.1
CREATE WORKFORCE
AND SENIOR HOUSING
OPPORTUNITIES
GOAL
Support increased housing opportunities
in the Gateway Area for the local
workforce and seniors.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Truckee’s dynamic housing market and
consistently rising prices are creating
concerns about displacement and
housing access for the workforce and
senior residents. Creating opportunities
and a place for everyone in Truckee
requires building more housing of
all types and price points, providing
affordable and accessible public
transportation, and supporting local
small businesses, artists, and community
organizations. Residents and workers
from all income levels, ages and cultures
should be able to afford housing in
Truckee and enjoy the amenities and
infrastructure proposed within the
Gateway Area.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Encourage Smaller and More
Affordable Units: Encourage
new multi-family residential units
that consist of attached housing
developed at a density sufficient to
support smaller unit sizes, especially
studios and one-bedroom units,
that are more affordable to Truckee
residents and workers. This includes
a new assumed average unit size
of 1,000 square feet. Developing
smaller, lower-priced units that
are tailored to the local Truckee
workforce and senior community
through enforceable mechanisms is
critical for ensuring the right types of
units are created (which is a different
consideration than overall project size
or density).
b. Encourage Workforce Housing
on Public and Institutional Lands:
Encourage public landowners and
institutions (e.g., Tahoe Truckee
Unified School District, Tahoe Forest
Hospital, Truckee Donner Public
Utility District, and State of California)
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 93
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
to create workforce housing on excess
public property. The public agencies
can partner with private developers
to create more affordable workforce
and senior housing projects since the
associated land values are lower (e.g.,
the public agency can provide land as
a financial incentive). This approach
should be tied with supporting
the mission or role of the agency,
such as teacher housing on School
District property or senior housing
on Hospital property. The location of
new housing on public or institutional
property should:
»Front Donner Pass Road or be
directly accessible from an existing
public street;
»Be large enough to contain
all required development
components including on-site
parking, snow storage, public/
outdoor spaces; and
»Support the overall development
vision and goals for the Gateway
Area.
c. Conduct a Workforce Housing
Assessment: Create an inventory
of existing housing supply at
workforce housing levels (e.g., above
affordable housing levels included
in the Housing Element process
and below full market rate housing).
Based on that analysis, develop a
housing assessment to determine the
demand for workforce housing across
market segments: skilled workers,
laborers, young professionals,
household size, and non-traditional
households. While the focus of
the Innovate Gateway Strategy
is to increase workforce housing
throughout the Gateway Area, as the
area evolves over the coming years
it will be important for the Town to
provide updated demographic and
economic information to developers
to ensure the right housing types and
price points are achieved.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY94
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
d. Monitor State Housing Programs:
The State of California provides
a variety of resources prioritized
for supporting low- to moderate-
income households. State resources
are highly competitive, with a few
exceptions, such as the MPRROP
Program which is under-subscribed
due to specific challenges and
obstacles to the program. The
primary State resource used for
moderate (51 to 120 percent Area
Median Income - AMI) is CalHome.
Town staff should actively monitor
and become well-versed on these
programs to advise public and private
developers, property managers, and
advocate on the available options
to further support affordable and
workforce housing.
e. Limit Short-Term Rentals: Limit or
eliminate the ability for short-term
rentals in the Gateway Area as an
approach to better use both existing
and future rental stock for full-time
residents. At a minimum, short-term
rentals should be prohibited within all
new developments within the Mixed-
Use or Public Facilities zones.
f. Potential Financial Incentives
for Mixed-Use Projects: During
future Town budget discussions, the
Council may consider dedicating
a portion of the budget toward
mixed-use redevelopment projects
within the Gateway Area Overlay
District. Projects receiving funding
will need to meet the specific goals
identified in the Innovate Gateway
Strategy, including having a focus on
affordable, workforce and/or senior
housing. This strategy will allow the
Town to be more proactively involved
in the funding of needed housing
projects, and in particular, support
“gap” funding that typically exists
when developers create affordable,
workforce and/or senior housing.
g. Potential Financial Incentives for
Small Lot Homeownership: During
future Town budget discussions,
the Council should consider
prioritizing and/or investing in small-
lot homeownership alternatives
to mobile homes. This can be an
effective strategy for providing
housing options to current mobile
home residents in the Gateway Area
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 95
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
as/if those parcels redevelop into new
mixed-use projects. In addition to
providing a typically more affordable
housing option, small-lot projects
can also provide transitional units
when current affordable housing
sites (such as mobile home parks) are
redeveloped over several years into
new projects.
h. Remove Dwelling Unit Equivalents
Requirement from the Gateway
Area Overlay District: Remove
Development Code Section
18.08.050.B.2, Table 2-5 (Dwelling Unit
Equivalents Based on Number of
Bedrooms) for all projects within the
Gateway Area Overlay District. This
change would allow greater flexibility
in the design of new projects and
aligns with the proposed strategy
above for transitioning the Mixed-Use
district to focus on Floor Area Ratio
(FAR) rather than residential density.
i. Create a New Senior Housing
Definition in the Development
Code: Add a definition to the
Development Code for “Senior
Housing” that is not associated
specifically with congregate care
facilities. This new definition would
define Senior Housing as age-
restricted for persons 55 or 62 years
of age or older who are independent
and do not require assistance with
everyday living. Subsequently, modify
the Development Code land use
tables to incorporate Senior Housing
into appropriate zones within the
Gateway Area.
j. Workforce Housing Income
Category: Consider increasing the
income category for workforce
housing units to serve above-
moderate income households
earning a gross income of up to 160%
of the area median income (AMI), or
potentially up to 180% AMI.
k. Relocate the Truckee Donner Public
Utility District Office and Vehicle/
Storage Property: Collaborate
with the Truckee Donner Public
Utility District (TDPUD) to identify
opportunities to relocate their office
and vehicle/storage area to property
located outside of the Gateway Area
and commercial core.
l. Clarify Workforce Housing: To set
the community’s and developers’
expectations for what will be
provided when workforce housing
is required or offered, through the
2040 General Plan Update and other
Town processes, further clarify the
definition of workforce housing,
and integrate the terminology
consistently within Town documents
and communications.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY96
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY C.2
SUPPORT LOCAL AND
SMALL BUSINESSES
GOAL
Ensure the Gateway Area remains the
primary location for local and small
businesses to locate, grow and thrive.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Along with rising housing costs, the
cost of commercial spaces is also
rising, making it difficult for small, local
businesses that have contributed to
Truckee’s unique identity to remain
along the corridor. To ensure the
preservation of Truckee’s long-standing
businesses and emergence of new “mom
& pop” businesses, affordable spaces that
are conducive to these operations need
to be built along the corridor.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. New Building Placement fronting
Donner Pass Road: The Town
currently encourages new or
remodeled buildings or sites to be
designed so that parking lots are
not the dominant feature of the
development when viewed from the
street. This includes encouraging
commercial, office, and mixed-
use buildings to front Donner Pass
Road—allowing ground floor uses
to be close to the sidewalk and
easily accessible for pedestrians and
bicyclists. The Town should amend
this policy and require on-site parking
for all new multi-family and mixed-
use projects to locate parking at the
rear of a parcel, so it is not fronting
Donner Pass Road. This approach
will help to activate the street with
more pedestrian activity while also
providing greater visibility and access
to ground floor uses.
Example of a building with
entrances fronting the major street
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 97
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
b. Reduce Commercial Square
Footage Requirements: The Town
currently requires that no individual
tenant space can be more than
40,000 square feet in size within
the Gateway Area. To further
discourage larger chain or “big box”
stores from locating in the area
that could compete with smaller,
local businesses and diminish the
pedestrian-friendly environment, a
retail trade use or business shall not
exceed 20,000 square feet of gross
floor space. This will help support
local businesses and ensure there is
a greater variety of uses and services
provided in the Gateway Area. It is
also important to allow flexibility for
some unique uses, if they arise, and
in turn the Town should also allow
an exception up to a maximum of
30,000 square feet if the project
provides defined community
benefits as determined through
discretionary review of a Planned
Development application.
c. Construct Smaller Commercial
Spaces: Encourage small or fine-
grain buildings that provide space
for small local “mom & pop” stores,
cafes and restaurants. Also encourage
new mixed-use buildings to include
a range of small to medium size
tenantable spaces fronting Donner
Pass Road that support a range of
local business uses and activities.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY98
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY C.3
INCLUDE A MIX OF RESIDENT-
SERVING BUSINESSES AND USES
GOAL
Promote new mixed-use projects that
will allow for a variety of cost-efficient
commercial and office formats while also
increasing housing in the Gateway Area.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Although Donner Pass Road has a variety
of commercial uses near one another,
most people use a car to access each
business. Buildings placed far away
from the street, with a large surface
parking lot in front that is only partially
used, deter people from walking to and
from businesses despite their proximity.
The underutilization of these parcels
also prevents new housing from being
constructed. Developing new mixed-
use projects directly along the corridor
offers an opportunity for residents to live
and work in the same vicinity without
having to use their cars to travel. It also
maximizes land that is currently devoted
to less intensive uses such as parking and
can help address the housing shortage
in Truckee.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Develop Mixed-Use Projects:
Require a range of mixed-use projects
that have commercial/offices uses
fronting Donner Pass Road and
residential uses either above or
behind. The revised development
densities, intensities and standards
associated with this type of project
are shown earlier in Strategy A.1.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 99
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
b. Encourage Vertical Mixed-Use:
Projects: Encourage vertical mixed‐
use projects where the ground
floor includes commercial and/
or restaurant uses, and upper
floor(s) contain commercial, office
or residential uses. This type of
development is particularly desirable
in the Central Gateway and more
intensive parts of the Eastern
Gateway Area between Highway 89
South and the Tahoe Forest Hospital.
These areas are envisioned to become
a more walkable core of the Gateway
Area and more appropriate for vertical
mixed-use projects.
c. Encourage Horizontal Mixed-Use
Projects: Encourage horizontal
mixed‐use projects on larger parcels
where a variety of uses can be in
different buildings on the same site.
This type of project is particularly
desirable in the Western Gateway
and eastern portion of the Eastern
Gateway Areas, where there is a lower
scale of development desired by the
community. When creating horizontal
mixed‐use development on a site,
orient commercial, restaurant and
office uses closer to Donner Pass
Road. Set back residential uses from
Donner Pass Road or locate them
towards the side, middle, or rear of
the site.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY100
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
d. Encourage “Blended Uses” that
Complement the Gateway Area: As
retail and restaurant uses change and
evolve, it is critical that the permit
processes can quickly respond to
the need to re-imagine and change
existing interior tenant spaces.
These permit processes are handled
administratively by Town staff, guided
in part by ordinance requirements
and in part by past practice. To
this end, the Town can simplify
the development review process
for tenant improvements that are
focused on creating blended uses by:
»Adding a new definition in the
Development Code for “Blended
Uses” as follows: “A blend of two
or more uses where at least the
predominate use is allowed by
right in the underlying zoning
district within the Gateway Area
Overlay District.”
»Allowing the interior tenant
improvement to proceed directly
to Building Permits without
processing a Land Use Permit.
»Providing expedited Building
Permit review for simple interior
tenant improvements (i.e., over-
the-counter or by-appointment
review)
»Simplifying parking requirements
by using an “aggregate average”
for calculating parking demand
in the Gateway Area when two or
more uses are blended.
»Re-evaluating the list of permitted
and conditional uses in the General
Commercial (CG) or new Mixed-
Use (MU) zoning districts to reflect
evolving business models that are
consistent with the vision for the
Gateway Area.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 101
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY C.4
ENSURE BUSINESSES CAN
OPERATE YEAR ROUND
GOAL
Ensure that businesses have the space
and operational amenities to be able to
operate year round.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
One of the primary reasons people
visit Truckee is to experience the Sierra
Nevada during the wintertime and
recreate at one of the many resorts in
the mountains. While the climate works
in favor for these resorts, it presents a
challenge for Truckee businesses to
deal with snow removal and storage.
Additionally, the COVID-19 Pandemic
has presented new challenges for indoor
dining, creating concerns for businesses
who cannot operate outdoors during
the winter months. For businesses to
remain operational during these times,
infrastructure conducive for winter
operations needs must be developed.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Prioritize Snow Removal for Public
Spaces: Identify high priority plazas
and outdoor spaces for snow removal
or heated elements due to their
volume of pedestrian activity. And,
link this new program to the Town’s
current approach for sidewalk snow
storage (during large storm events)
and removal practices so plazas can
be maintained like sidewalks.
b. Widen Sidewalks: Create wide
sidewalks to improve pedestrian and
bicycle safety, allow more flexibility
with snow storage and removal, and
add more outdoor space available to
local businesses and restaurants.
c. Create Solutions for Outdoor Dining
and Retail: Continue to support
creative solutions for outdoor dining
and retail during the COVID-19
Pandemic and beyond. Consider
transitioning temporary outdoor
dining and gathering spaces into
more permanent facilities, including
allowing the creation of indoor or
covered spaces.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY102
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
VISION
ELEMENTS
B.
Welcoming
A thriving destination
for residents,
students, workers,
and visitors
D.
Connected
A pedestrian and
bicycle friendly,
interlinked, and multi-
modal corridor
E.
Healthy
A place that fosters
community health
and interactions
A.
Unique
A place that
celebrates its historic
Truckee character
C.
Supportive
A place that contains
housing, businesses,
and services for the
Truckee community
CHARACTER
AREAS
B.1 Enhance Local
Shopping, Dining,
and Entertainment
B.2 Promote Education
and Recreation for all Ages
B.3 Improve Signage and Wayfinding
B.4 Install Art that
Highlights Truckee’s
History, Character, and
Local Artists
D.1 Create a Pedestrian and Bicycle Friendly Corridor
D.2 Improve Connectivity and Mobility for All Users
D.3 Manage Parking Areas
D.4 Enhance Transit Service and Rider Amenities
D.5 Improve Corridor Lighting and Nighttime Safety
D.6 Promote “Smart” Transportation Technologies
E.1 Provide a Variety of
Active and Passive Community Gathering
Spaces
E.2 Create a "Green
Gateway" Corridor
E.3 Enhance Medical and Hospital Services and
Amenities
E.4 Promote Sustainable
Building and Site
Design
A.1 Maintain the Gateway
Area’s Unique Identity while Supporting New
Uses
A.2 Create a Sense of Place and Community
A.3 Ensure Buildings have an Appropriate Size,
Articulation and
Placement
A.4 Protect Views to
Mountains and Nature
C.1 Create Workforce
and Senior Housing Opportunities
C.2 Support Local and
Small Businesses
C.3 Include a Mix of
Resident-Serving Businesses and Uses
C.4 Ensure Businesses Can Operate Year Round
Western Gateway
STRATEGIES
Vision Framework
Central Gateway Eastern Gateway
VISION ELEMENT D
CONNECTED
The long-term prosperity, quality of life,
and community health of the Gateway
Area are directly linked to cultivating a
walkable, bikeable corridor with great
access to transit. Creating a truly multi-
modal corridor is a key goal of the Town
and community, and critical for ensuring
this area remains a safe, efficient (for all
modes of travel), sustainable, and healthy
part of Truckee.
Improved transit connections and
enhanced transit facilities will also help
residents and workers quickly reach
destinations along the corridor as well
as other parts of Truckee and the region.
Enhanced parking areas, both on-street
and on-site, will meet current and future
parking needs while also fostering better
neighborhood design. Donner Pass Road
will be transformed into a safe, efficient
and multi-modal “Complete Street”
that weaves together the urban fabric,
provides places for art and culture, and
embraces all modes of transportation.
Donner Pass Road will become a
pedestrian, bicycle, and transit-oriented
corridor that connects residents and
workers to a variety of destinations. With
a focus on safety and the desire to link
people efficiently and conveniently to
places by a variety of means, several
strategies are required to support
a connected corridor. The following
strategies support creating a connected
Gateway Area:
»STRATEGY D.1: Create a Pedestrian
and Bicycle Friendly Corridor
»STRATEGY D.2: Improve Connectivity
and Mobility for All Users
»STRATEGY D.3: Manage Parking
Areas
»STRATEGY D.4: Enhance Transit
Service and Rider Amenities
»STRATEGY D.5: Improve Corridor
Lighting and Nighttime Safety
»STRATEGY D.6: Promote “Smart”
Transportation Technologies
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 103
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY D.1
Create a Pedestrian and
Bicycle Friendly Corridor
GOAL
Improve the pedestrian and bicyclists
experience through wider and more
protected sidewalks, better marked
crosswalks, improved bicycle pathways
and lanes, increased visibility of cars
when crossing the street, and improved
site design.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
The Gateway Area was originally
designed for drivers, with Donner Pass
Road being built to move cars in and
out of the area as quickly as possible.
As a result, the road is wide with fast-
moving traffic and inadequate bike and
pedestrian facilities, with the exception
of improvements delivered through
Envision DPR project. Despite the
proximity of destinations, residents and
visitors typically use their vehicles to
go to each business instead of walking
or cycling. Creating a more pedestrian
and bicycle friendly environment will
enhance the vitality of the Gateway Area,
help reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
and congestion, and allow people to
more fully engage with the corridor.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Construct Wide, Flexible Sidewalks:
Allow for wide, flexible sidewalks
that can be used for pedestrian
travel, outdoor seating, dining and
sustainability enhancements. Based
on the street sections in Chapter
3, this includes a minimum 5-foot
sidewalk throughout the Donner Pass
Road corridor. The desirable width
of a sidewalk is 6- to 8-feet wide.
The reason for the variation is that
the final streetscape improvements
along Donner Pass Road will need
to be flexible to address changes
in topography, variations in the
access configurations to individual
properties and side streets, utilities,
pedestrian and transit rider amenities,
and other features.
Example of a larger mid-block pedestrian
crossing with unique paver/color materials
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY104
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
f. Pursue Opportunities to Relocate
Utilities Underground: Identify
and consider opportunities to
underground existing utilities along
the corridor as part of streetscape
and roadway capital improvement
projects. Relocating overhead
utilities underground will improve
the pedestrian experience and
provide opportunities to expand the
pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
This approach has been implemented
in the Western Gateway area and
should be considered as part of
future project implementation within
the Central and Eastern Gateway
character areas.
b. Install Mid-Block Crosswalks: Create
additional mid-block pedestrian
crossings near intensive commercial,
medical and office areas that will
generate large amounts of pedestrian
traffic. This includes two potential
new mid-block crossings in the
Eastern Gateway area, as shown on
Figure 6. In addition, work with the
Tahoe Forest Hospital to create a
larger mid-block pedestrian crossing
to accommodate larger volumes of
people crossing Donner Pass Road
near new hospital buildings.
c. Create Wider, Safer Bicycle Lanes:
Construct Class II Bicycle Lanes
throughout the corridor, targeting a
safer 6-foot width. To improve year-
round visibility of the bike lane area,
future streetscape and frontage
improvements along the corridor
should consider recessed striping/
markings, colored concrete/asphalt,
etc., specifically for bike lanes in or
near key intersections.
d. Shorten Pedestrian Crossing
Distance: Design pedestrian
crossings with bulbouts that can help
shorten the crossing distance and
enhance the visibility of pedestrians
for drivers. This approach has been
done successfully in the Western
Gateway area and should be
continued through the Central and
Eastern Gateway areas.
e. Expand the Landscape and Lighting
Assessment District: Extend the
existing Landscape and Lighting
Assessment District, or establish a
new one, to encompass the entire
Central Gateway and Eastern Gateway
segments of Donner Pass Road.
The current assessment district
covers only the Western Gateway
area and portions of the Central
Gateway area that were part of the
Envision DPR project. The new/
expanded assessment district would
require property owners adjacent to
improvements to pay fees annually
toward Town maintenance of any
streetscape improvements and
common areas/plazas.Example of a bulbout used to shorten
pedestrian crossing distances and
improve visibility and safety
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 105
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY D.2
IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY AND
MOBILITY FOR ALL USERS
GOAL
Further enhance the Donner Pass Road
right‐of‐way to calm traffic, increase on‐
street parking, and improve circulation,
safety and amenities for pedestrians,
bicyclists, transit riders, motorists and all
other users.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
As improvements are made to enhance
bike and pedestrian safety, it is also
important to balance the needs of other
modes of transportation. A truly multi-
modal corridor ensures the needs of all
users are met while not compromising
the efficiency of one particular mode.
Vehicular circulation should also be
enhanced as bike, pedestrian and transit
improvements are delivered.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Create New Roundabouts:
Create new roundabouts at the
intersections of Donner Pass Road/
Northwoods Boulevard and Donner
Pass Road/State Route 89 South to
improve multi-modal traffic flow,
as shown in Chapter 3. The design
of these roundabouts should take
into consideration the efficiency
and safety of all users, and overall
maintenance.
b. Promote Bike and Pedestrian
Safety at Roundabouts: Promote
the safe movement of bicyclists
and pedestrians through good
roundabout design. This should
include a combination of clearly
marked pedestrian crosswalks,
including methods to address the
safety of pedestrians with visual
impairments. The incorporation of
best practices to allow safe bicycle
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY106
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
travel going into and through each
roundabout, including appropriate
signage, pavement markings, and
lane widths should be considered.
While smaller scale landscaping and
signage is encouraged, these features
need to be under 6 feet in height
to ensure safe visibility through the
intersection for all users.
c. Complete Additional Streetscape
Improvements through the Central
Gateway and Eastern Gateway
Areas. Continue the streetscape
improvement throughout the
remainder of the Gateway Area based
on the street sections 2 and 3 shown
in Chapter 3. This includes 5-to 8-foot-
wide sidewalks, Class II Bicycle Lanes
targeted to be six feet wide, parallel
or back-in angled parking on both
sides of the road, transit facilities,
landscaping and other pedestrian
amenities.
Example of a Class II Bicycle
Lane that seperates cyclists
from the travel lane
This design allows buses to access
transit stops without having to cross
or stop on top of a bicycle facility
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 107
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY D.3
MANAGE PARKING AREAS
GOAL
Reconfigure and better manage on- and
off-street parking, especially within the
Central and Eastern Gateway areas on
Donner Pass Road.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
An efficient and well-managed parking
supply is critical to the Gateway Area’s
economic vitality and quality of life.
While it is important to encourage
multi-modal transportation such as
walking, biking and transit, many visitors
are coming from places that require
a vehicle to travel. Parking should be
configured in a manner that limit the
affects on other modes of transportation,
but still supports businesses.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Design Efficient Parking Layouts:
Encourage the efficient layout of
on‐site parking to reduce the overall
amount of parking coverage and
limit the number of unique ingress
and egress points from Donner Pass
Road. To this end, encourage joint-
use parking between properties as
a method for making parking more
efficient on private property.
b. Construct Safe, Accessible
Driveways: Design driveways to
improve site access, enhance safety,
and reduce vehicle conflicts with
all modes of travel. Where possible,
reduce and/or combine vehicle
driveways onto Donner Pass Road to
limit vehicle turning movements and
potential conflicts with bicycles and
pedestrians
c. Locate Parking at the Rear of a
Site: Require new developments to
locate on‐site parking towards the
rear of the site, whenever feasible,
to maximize the ability to place
buildings fronting Donner Pass Road
and/or other streets.
Safe and accessible driveways
Parking located in the
center/rear of the site
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY108
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
d. Strategically Increase On-Street
Parking: Improve and/or increase on‐
street parking in the Central Gateway
and Eastern Gateway areas, where
appropriate, to ensure motorists have
adequate access to destinations.
e. Consider Back-In Angle Parking:
Consider incorporating back-in angle
parking in strategic locations as a
way to accommodate additional
parking near busier commercial and
office/medical areas. This parking
configuration improves safety by
allowing the drivers of parked cars
to clearly see oncoming vehicles and
bicyclists. This includes utilizing back-
in angle parking to replace existing
perpendicular parking areas along
the Donner Pass Road corridor.
f. Change Parking Standards in the
Gateway Area Overlay District:
Implement the following vehicle
and bicycle parking standard
modifications for all properties
within the Gateway Area Overlay
District to support a more walkable
neighborhood, help reduce vehicle
miles traveled (VMT) and provide
incentives for mixed-used projects:
»Allow new on-street parking,
constructed by the project
developer within the street right-
of-way adjacent to the parcel
containing the use, to count
toward meeting the vehicular
parking requirements for the
project.
»Allow a reduction in on-site vehicle
parking requirements by up to
15 percent with the provision of
excess on-site bicycle parking
spaces. This would include a
replacement ratio of 1 standard
vehicle space (non-ADA required)
for 2 long-term bicycle spaces
or 4 short-term bicycle spaces.
If the reduction is applied to the
residential component of the
project, the associated bicycle
spaces would need to be provided
within the residential building.
»Allow parking reductions for
development projects that
pay an annual fee toward the
Town’s transit programs via an
established assessment district.
Example of back-in angled parking
g. Parking Garage Incentives: To
encourage parking solutions other
than surface lots, consider providing
incentives for new construction that
incorporates tuck-under parking
and/or multilevel parking garages,
potentially including a site coverage
reduction or other deviations to
development standards.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 109
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY D.4
ENHANCE TRANSIT SERVICE
AND RIDER AMENITIES
GOAL
Improve transit efficiency, access,
safety, and rider amenities and increase
ridership along Donner Pass Road.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Transit is an essential element to any
successful corridor, and connecting
people and places is pivotal for the social
and financial health of every town and
city. The Gateway Area’s location and
scale provide the perfect setting for a
robust transit system that creates safe,
comfortable, accessible and convenient
mobility options for the full range of uses.New building with an
integrated transit shelter
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Improve Existing Transit Stops:
Ensure existing transit stops have
a shade structure, seating, lighting,
bike racks, and trash receptacles,
and are fully ADA‐compliant. This
should include a combination of free-
standing structures or features and
that are incorporated into the design
of new projects.
b. Require New Transit Stops at Major
Destinations: Require major new
development to install new transit
stops or upgrade existing stops
consistent with Tahoe Truckee Area
Regional Transit (TART) and Town
standards. Major new destinations
include mixed-use and multi-family
projects over 20,000 square feet in
size and/or with more than 20 units.
These new buildings should either
incorporate shelters into their design
or provide adequate space for a TART
designed free-standing shelter.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY110
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
c. Create Micro-Transit Connections:
Consider creating new on-demand
micro-transit services that connects
the Gateway Area with major
neighborhoods in Truckee. The on-
demand services will allow greater
flexibility for expanding transit service
to resident outside of the main
transit corridor. A key strategy is to
efficiently link this new system to the
existing Tahoe Truckee Area Regional
Transit (TART) bus system. This can be
achieved through a pick-up/drop-off
area that is integrated into the design
of a few key intersections within each
neighborhood. This will allow the
on-demand system to have a direct
connection to TART bus service along
the corridor.
d. Relocate Existing Transit Stops:
Work with Tahoe Truckee Area
Regional Transit (TART) to relocate
existing bus stops so they are on
the near side of crosswalks at major
intersections and mid-block crossings
(especially near current or future
major mixed-use and multi-family
projects). This will help improve safety
and reduce walking distances for
transit riders. It will also allow the
“co-location” of bus stops and mid-
block crossings, further enhancing
pedestrian access, comfort, and safety
through the corridor.
e. Expand Local and Regional
Transportation: Continue Town
efforts to further expand local and
regional transportation services.
This includes opportunities regularly
reviewing opportunities to reduce
transit headways and increase/
expand transit routes, as possible.
Additionally, continue exploring
options to collaborate with other
transportation services beyond
Truckee’s town limits based on
existing and anticipated future transit
needs, including potential transit
connections into the Reno area for
employees, residents and visitors.
Example of a near side bus stop
co-located with a mid-block
pedestrian crossing
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 111
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY D.5
IMPROVE CORRIDOR LIGHTING
AND NIGHTTIME SAFETY
GOAL
Improve pedestrian safety, comfort,
visibility, and activity along the Donner
Pass Road corridor through additional
street lighting.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Providing street lighting helps define
a positive urban character, supports
nighttime activities, and improves safety.
Street lighting includes roadway and
pedestrian lighting in the public right-
of-way and provides essential nighttime
illumination to support pedestrian
activity and safety.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Light Fixture Selection: Select light
fixtures that efficiently direct light
to the desired area of the roadway
and sidewalk and are consistent
with fixtures already added in the
Eastern Gateway area. Light fixtures
should enable a variety of light
distributions to adapt to different
street and sidewalk configurations
while maintaining the same fixture
appearance.
b. Mitigate Street Lighting Impacts:
Mitigate light trespass by specifying
the correct light distribution
throughout the Donner Pass Road
corridor. Lighting fixtures should not
be located close to windows to avoid
disturbing the adjacent building’s
occupants. If necessary, shields may
be used on fixtures to minimize light
trespass into residences or other
sensitive areas.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY112
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
Pedestrian focused lighting
at a mid-block crossing
Pedestrian flashing lights at
a mid-block crossing
Integrated
solar cell
c. Expand Pedestrian Lighting.
Provide a mix of pedestrian-oriented
and automobile-oriented street
lighting in medians, parking lanes,
and along bicycle lanes. Require
pedestrian-scaled street lights to
be at a lower height (approximately
12-feet high), spaced at 40-feet on
center or at intervals determined
by a photometric analysis. Prioritize
pedestrian-oriented lighting along
all pathways and open spaces to
meet established lighting standards
and provide a safe and comfortable
pedestrian environment.
d. Increase Street Lighting. Coordinate
street light design with those of other
streetscape elements and recognize
the history and distinction of the
neighborhoods where light poles
are located. Install LED streetlights
and guidance signs powered by
solar energy to light walkways at
nighttime, where feasible.
e. Reduce Light Pollution. Select Dark
Sky-compliant lighting to minimize
light pollution cast into the sky
while maximizing light cast onto the
ground. Incorporate light pollution
reducing strategies when selecting
and/or designing lighting elements.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 113
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY D.6
PROMOTE “SMART”
TRANSPORTATION
TECHNOLOGIES
GOAL
Connecting people to real-time travel
information, transportation options,
and future advancements in mass and
personal mobility.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Technology will be critical in reducing
environmental impacts and maximizing
capacity and efficiency within existing
transportation corridors like Donner
Pass Road. These increases in capacity
and environmental benefits can be
realized without relying solely on
orchestrating solutions by planning for
and utilizing technology. Broadband
and technological transportation
improvements, commonly referred to
as Intelligent Transportation Systems
(ITS), are critical to facilitating the
deployment and utilization of alternative
forms of transportation including
emerging technologies. Specifically,
broadband and fiber optics supports
real-time transit, travel time, and parking
availability as well as general wayfinding
so people can make informed decisions
before and during travel.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Plan for ITS Infrastructure: Plan for
the anticipated growth of shared and
on-demand ride mobility services (i.e.,
transit, micro transit, ride-, car-, and
bike-sharing, e-hailing, etc.) through
“future-proofing” for future ITS
infrastructure.
b. Install Real-Time Travel
Technologies: Consider installing
“next bus” technologies for transit
riders and real travel time and road
conditions information for the general
public by including the installation of
conduit to support broadband and
fiber optic infrastructure.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY114
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
VISION
ELEMENTS
B.
Welcoming
A thriving destination
for residents,
students, workers,
and visitors
D.
Connected
A pedestrian and
bicycle friendly,
interlinked, and multi-
modal corridor
E.
Healthy
A place that fosters
community health
and interactions
A.
Unique
A place that
celebrates its historic
Truckee character
C.
Supportive
A place that contains
housing, businesses,
and services for the
Truckee community
CHARACTER
AREAS
B.1 Enhance Local
Shopping, Dining,
and Entertainment
B.2 Promote Education
and Recreation for all Ages
B.3 Improve Signage and Wayfinding
B.4 Install Art that
Highlights Truckee’s
History, Character, and
Local Artists
D.1 Create a Pedestrian and Bicycle Friendly Corridor
D.2 Improve Connectivity and Mobility for All Users
D.3 Manage Parking Areas
D.4 Enhance Transit Service and Rider Amenities
D.5 Improve Corridor Lighting and Nighttime Safety
D.6 Promote “Smart” Transportation Technologies
E.1 Provide a Variety of
Active and Passive Community Gathering
Spaces
E.2 Create a "Green
Gateway" Corridor
E.3 Enhance Medical and Hospital Services and
Amenities
E.4 Promote Sustainable
Building and Site
Design
A.1 Maintain the Gateway
Area’s Unique Identity while Supporting New
Uses
A.2 Create a Sense of Place and Community
A.3 Ensure Buildings have an Appropriate Size,
Articulation and
Placement
A.4 Protect Views to
Mountains and Nature
C.1 Create Workforce
and Senior Housing Opportunities
C.2 Support Local and
Small Businesses
C.3 Include a Mix of
Resident-Serving Businesses and Uses
C.4 Ensure Businesses Can Operate Year Round
Western Gateway
STRATEGIES
Vision Framework
Central Gateway Eastern Gateway
VISION ELEMENT E
HEALTHY
Creating and maintaining a healthy
community is a central goal for every
successful town. The addition of park
spaces, maintaining a public realm that
is both safe and clean, and integrating
social programs to further develop the
community will work as catalysts to push
the Gateway Area towards a bright and
healthy future.
Transforming parking spaces and
underutilized lots into thriving plazas,
parks, and places for informal social
gathering will encourage Truckee
residents and visitors to engage
outdoors. Public youth and community
programs will activate park spaces
through events and festivals, forming
social connections throughout the
Gateway Area.
A physically and socially healthy and
sustainable community will be achieved
through the interaction of these
strategies. Through the interaction of
these improvements to the social and
physical health of the Gateway Area, a
healthy and sustainable community and
environment will be achieved.
Building upon the patchwork of
existing public spaces and the need to
promote an active, safe and sustainable
community, several strategies are
required to advance this healthy corridor.
The following strategies support creating
a healthy Gateway Area:
»STRATEGY E.1: Provide a Variety of
Community Gathering Spaces
»STRATEGY E.2: Create a “Green
Gateway” Corridor
»STRATEGY E.3: Enhance Medical and
Hospital Services and Amenities
»STRATEGY E.4: Promote Sustainable
Building and Site Design
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 115
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY E.1
PROVIDE A RANGE OF ACTIVE
AND PASSIVE COMMUNITY
GATHERING SPACES
GOAL
Create publicly accessible plazas and
landscaping that are incorporated into
the site design of new development
projects to improve aesthetics, create
shade, and increase pedestrian activities.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Public amenities, retail, and employment
uses all add to the rich fabric of the
Gateway Area. While the neighborhood is
central to the larger Truckee community,
there are currently no large spaces for
community gathering. The addition of
public plazas and gathering spaces will
help to form a more vibrant, cohesive,
and healthy neighborhood.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Outdoor Plaza and Gathering Space
Incentive: Create a new incentive
program within the Gateway Area
Overlay District to encourage the
creation of outdoor gathering spaces
as part of the approval of new land
use or development entitlements
Consider creating a new incentive
such as, “For every 100 square feet of
permanent, public outdoor plaza and/
or gathering space provided as part
of the approval of a new land use or
development entitlement (i.e., not a
space designated for private use), the
Town will provide a reduction in one
on-site parking space, for a maximum
of five parking spaces.” This incentive
applies only to the reduction in
required on-site parking spaces
and shall not apply to other site
requirements (e.g., on-site drainage,
stormwater retention and pre-
treatment, snow storage, setbacks).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY116
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
b. Focus on Immediate Activations:
Focus near-term efforts on working
with property owners and community
leaders to create functional and
iconic plazas and gathering spaces
near major retail, dining or cultural
facilities, such as a new plaza near
Wild Cherries, Gateway Shopping
Center, and/or Mountain Hardware.
c. Create a Flexible Approach:
Promote a range of private plazas and
gathering spaces with different sizes,
features and functions conducive
to social gathering and community
events. Encourage new plazas along
the corridor that have a blend of
hardscape and natural landscaping to
create areas of social gathering and
interest.
d. Locate Plazas and Gathering Spaces
between the Public and Private
Realm: Locate new plazas and
gathering spaces near or adjacent
to the street to create a seamless
transition from the public realm
to the private realm. Focus efforts
on creating the “Green Gateway”
concept articulated in the Vision
Framework (see the next strategy) to
ultimately create an interconnected
set of public/quasi-public/private
spaces that link to the multi-modal
streetscape network.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 117
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
Outdoor plaza space oriented to a multi-modal street,
connecting the public and private realms
STRATEGY E.2
CREATE A “GREEN GATEWAY”
CORRIDOR
GOAL
Create a network of parks, sports
fields, plazas, and green areas that are
interconnected through a pedestrian
and bicycle network along Donner Pass
Road.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Creating and maintaining a sustainable
community and environment is essential
for the success of the Gateway Area.
Connected and accessible green spaces
provide opportunities for recreation,
social cohesion, and environmental
stewardship for all users and contribute
to a sense of community.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Connect Plazas and Gathering
Spaces to Stand-Alone Transit
Stops/Shelters. Encourage plazas
and gathering spaces to be
connected to existing and planned
stand-alone transit stops. This will
serve a dual purpose of providing
access and safety for transit riders
and linking transit stops directly to
major outdoor public spaces and, in
turn, retail and commercial building
entrances.
a. Convert Parking Areas: Utilize large
parking areas near transit and bike/
pedestrian facilities for flexible market
and festival space.
b. Create Pocket Parks: Create a series
of smaller-scale, cozy “pocket parks”
with a focus on social gathering and
relaxation.
c. Install Parklets: Create temporary
or permanent parklets to provide
needed gathering spaces while also
creating energy for neighboring
businesses, where adjacent land uses
would create activity.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY118
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY E.3
ENHANCE MEDICAL AND
HOSPITAL SERVICES AND
AMENITIES
GOAL
Support the Tahoe Forest Hospital’s
community healthcare mission while
ensuring their Master Plan Area is
developed at the right scale and helps
activate Donner Pass Road.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Rather than a singular, stand-alone
medical complex, the new expanded site
should be integrated into the Gateway
Area in a way that minimizes its impact
on adjacent uses and adds to the
experience along the corridor. The site
can be designed to enhance the well-
being of the community not only from
a medical perspective, but through the
amenities it can offer for visitors.
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Incorporate Transitions: Ensure
there are appropriate transitions
between larger medical facilities
and surrounding residential
neighborhoods (e.g., reduced bulk/
mass for larger buildings, landscaping
buffers).
b. Improve Pedestrian Amenities:
Enhance Donner Pass Road with
improved pedestrian amenities,
including larger sidewalks and
prominent mid-block crossings. This
includes potentially widening the
existing mid-block crossing adjacent
to the hospital as new medical
facilities are created on the north side
of Donner Pass Road.
c. Integrate Active Uses: Ensure
hospital facilities fronting Donner
Pass Road have active uses facing
the street to help support a lively
pedestrian environment.
d. Coordinate the Innovate Gateway
Strategy with the Tahoe Forest
Master Plan. Continue to coordinate
with the Tahoe Forest Hospital
District on ways the master plan can
best integrate with the community’s
vision and proposed strategies
included in this document. To this
end, ensure that new building
sizes, designs, articulations, and site
locations are consistent with the
themes and concepts included for the
Central and Eastern Gateway areas.
Also ensure that the streetscape
concepts, including a potential new
roundabout in the center part of the
master plan area and the expanded
mid-block pedestrian crossing, are
included in the final design.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 119
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
STRATEGY E.4
PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE
BUILDING AND SITE DESIGN
GOAL
Incorporate sustainable concepts into
the design of new buildings and create
an integrated green street system that
allows for stormwater runoff capture and
filtration.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Donner Pass Road’s central location,
which acts as the “spine” of the
Gateway Area, offers the potential
to create a multi-modal street that
provides easy walking and biking for
everyone. Through enhancements of the
streetscape—including gracious trees,
sustainable sidewalk infrastructure, and
forward-thinking sustainable design—
Donner Pass Road can become an
even more integral, livable part of the
community.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY120
4: CORRIDOR STRATEGIES
DETAILED STRATEGIES
a. Maximize Natural Lighting and
Heating: Orient and design buildings
and windows so they can capture
winter sunlight to maximize natural
lighting and heating.
b. Encourage Stormwater Pre-
Treatment: Create outdoor spaces
for the pre-treatment of runoff water
through bioswales and Low Impact
Development (LID) techniques.
c. Reduce Energy Usage: Require low
energy lighting and small-scale solar
systems to reduce energy costs on
all new mixed-use and multi-family
projects within the Gateway Area
Overlay District.
d. Require Stormwater Planters:
Install naturally drained, landscaped
stormwater planters where possible
that incorporate low‐maintenance
native or drought‐tolerant plant
species.
e. Integrate Drainage: Work with
property and business owners to find
creative ways to integrate private
drainage/outflows with stormwater
management systems located within
the public realm.
f. Encourage Permeable Paving
Materials: Encourage the use of
permeable paving materials or
porous asphalt within the public
realm along walkways and within
pedestrian plaza. Permeable pavers
are not allowed within drive lanes.
Consider whether the Town should
deduct permeable paving from the
maximum site coverage allowance.
g. Integrate Landscaping and Green
Infrastructure: Integrate landscaping
and green infrastructure into
streetscape improvements, where
appropriate. This can include creating
bioswales in the center median to
pre-treat stormwater runoff. These
features need to be coordinated with
parking and site ingress/egress points
to ensure they do not pose conflicts
for site access.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 121
11
•
1
5
TITLEIMPLEMENTATION
Introduction
The Innovate Gateway Strategy is designed to be implemented
incrementally over time by a broad spectrum of residents, business and
property owners, non-profit organizations, community groups, public
agency partners, Town staff, and elected and appointed officials. It is
a community-driven strategy that offers realistic and achievable
solutions to key challenges and opportunities identified by residents,
workers, and the business community. While some actions will be
straightforward and relatively easy to achieve, others will demand
significant investment of time and money and will require steadfast
commitment on numerous levels.
123
In this chapter
Introduction
Policy and Regulatory
Actions
Partnerships
Investments
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY
5: IMPLEMENTATION
Advancing the broad range of goals,
strategies and programs included in this
document will require the thoughtful
and collaborative implementation of
numerous specific actions. In some
cases, policy and regulatory updates
may be the best way to facilitate
implementation. In other instances,
significant public or private investment
may be required. As always, good
working collaboration between the
Town, public agency partners and key
stakeholders will be crucial. Where gaps
in partnerships exist, the formation of
new partnerships will be needed.
This Implementation chapter includes
actions necessary to implement the
Vision Framework, organized into three
categories:
»Policy and Regulatory Actions:
Policy, regulatory, programmatic and
administrative changes the Town
can undertake as a starting point for
positive change (see Table 4 below).
»Partnerships: Relationships that can
help bolster support and steer the
course for implementation (see Table
5 below).
»Investments: Economic decisions
that will help finance plan strategies
and projects (see Table 6 below).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY124
5: IMPLEMENTATION
The tables in each category identify
the following important information
on coordination, timing and funding
resources for each specific action.
Related Strategies
This column identifies the strategies
from Chapter 4 that directly relate
to each action item. This provides
a “crosswalk” linking the various
strategies to specific actions the Town
will undertake to implement the
community’s vision for the Gateway
Area. Not every action has an associated
strategy, since some action items
are already in place or are additional
components of the Innovate Gateway
project.
Time Frame
This column identifies the anticipated
timing for each action, based on the
following four categories:
»Short = 0 to 2 years
»Medium = 3 to 5 years
»Long = over 5 years
»Ongoing
Estimated Costs
This column identifies the approximate
cost and level of effort needed to
implement each action. This is just an
estimate and assumes both hard costs
and staff time, defined as follows:
»$ Lower Cost
(<$100,000)
»$$ Moderate Cost
($100,000 to $500,000)
»$$$ Higher Cost
($500,000 to $1,000,000)
»$$$$ Highest Cost
(over $1,000,000)
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 125
5: IMPLEMENTATION
Policy and Regulatory Actions
Strategic changes to existing Town
policies and regulations are a critical
first step in creating an effective
pathway to positive change over time
in the Gateway Area. Small changes to
these development requirements can
have big impacts, both in the short-
term and over the accrual of many
years’ worth of implementation. Clear,
concise and actively managed policies
and regulations are critical in assuring
that the Gateway Area protects what
the community wants to protect and
grows the way the community wants
to grow. On the other hand, regulatory
flexibility is also important to enable and
encourage new, creative approaches to
solving enduring problems that existing
regulations may not have been able to
fix or may even have made worse. This
is particularly the case for mixed-use
and workforce housing projects that
will require ongoing refinements to
Town policies and programs as market
conditions change and mature over
time.
Any plan without a clear policy directive
and means to implement it risks sitting
on the shelf, ineffective and unused. It
is therefore critical that the Innovate
Gateway Strategy becomes the key
policy framework for the Gateway Area
and that all future development and
change will be reviewed for consistency
with the goals, policies, and strategies
set forth within this document. For
this to be achieved, the Town will need
to incorporate the vision, goals and
strategies included in this document
into the current General Plan Update
and updates to the Development Code,
Infrastructure Master Plans, and other
Town policy, regulatory and budgetary
documents. Table 4 identifies necessary
investment actions, and includes detail
on their related strategies, timing,
responsibility, approximate cost and
status.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY126
5: IMPLEMENTATION
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 127
Table 4: Policy and Regulatory Actions
Actions Related Strategies Time
Frame
Est.
Cost
Action R-1. Incorporate Innovate Gateway Strategies
into the General Plan Update Process.
Utilize the Innovate Gateway Strategy to help inform the current
2040 General Plan Update process, including the Vision Framework
and recommended changes to land use policies, sustainability and
mobility approaches, and streetscape designs. These components
can be translated into draft General Plan policies, programs, actions
and diagrams. The goal is to seamlessly integrate the concepts
included in the Innovate Gateway Strategy into the General Plan
Update discussion, and ultimately, the new 2040 General Plan
document.
»Figure 6: Vision Strategy Diagram
»Figure 7: Mobility and Streetscape Improvements
Diagram
»Table 2: Updated Land Uses
»A.1.a: Incorporate the Gateway Area Vision Strategy
Diagram into the 2040 General Plan
»Table 3: Gateway Area Development Standards
»A.2.A: Create a Culturally Connected Corridor
»A.3.a: Maintain a Variety of Architectural Styles
»A.3.e: Construct New and Innovative Buildings
»A.3.h: Active Street Frontages
»A.3.i: Activate Site Corners
»A.4.b: Provide Views from Open Space Areas
»B.1.a: Incorporate Placemaking Elements
»B.1.c: Create Engaging Spaces
»B.2.a: Promote Recreational Opportunities
»C.1.a: Encourage Smaller and more Affordable Units
»C.1.b: Encourage Workforce Housing on Public
and Institutional Lands:
»C.1.j: Workforce Housing Income Category
»C.3.b: Encourage Vertical Mixed-Use Projects
»C.3.c: Encourage Horizontal Mixed-Use Projects
»C.3.e: Encourage Blended Uses
»E.4.b: Encourage Stormwater Pre-Treatment
»E.4.f: Encourage Permeable Paving Materials
»E.4.g: Integrate Landscaping and Green Infrastructure
»D.3.e: Consider Back-In Angle Parking
»D.5.a: Light Fixture Selection
»D.5.b: Mitigate Street Lighting Impacts
»D.5.e: Reduce Light Pollution
»E.4.b: Encourage Stormwater Pre-Treatment
Short $
5: IMPLEMENTATION
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY128
Actions Related Strategies Time
Frame
Est.
Cost
Action R-2. Incorporate Innovate Gateway
Strategies into the Town’s Development Code.
Implement the Innovate Gateway Strategy zoning
and development standard changes in the Town’s
Development Code requirements to facilitate mixed-
use and workforce/senior housing development, site
improvements, new uses, more outdoor spaces and
improved streetscapes. This includes developing
revised Town Development Code language that
reflects changes in density, land use, design guidance,
development standards, and the like to better
reflect development types and patterns that might
be feasible and attractive along the corridor. This
language may remain as draft until the General
Plan Update is completed or it may be able to be
implemented sooner.
»Table 3: Gateway Area Development Standards
»A.1.b: Create a new Gateway Area Overlay District
»A.1.c: Rezone General Commercial (CG) parcels to Mixed-Use (MU)
in the Gateway Area Overlay District
»A.1.d: Rezone the Truckee Donner Public Utility District Office and
Vehicle/Storage Property
»A.1.e: Rezone the Health Care Hub Parcels
»A.1.f: Create a Single-Family Residential Zone Duplex Option
»A.1.g: Modify Planned Development Requirements
»A.3.b: Maintain Building Height Limits
»A.3.c: Step-back Upper Floors
»A.3.d: Update Building Setbacks
»A.3.f: Create Neighborhood Transitional Areas
»A.3.g: Articulate Building Facades
»A.4.a: Protect Mountain Views
»A.4.c: Change Scenic Corridor Standards in the Gateway Area
Overlay District
»C.1.e: Limit Short-Term Rentals
»C.1.h: Remove Dwelling Unit Equivalents Requirement from
the Gateway Area Overlay District
»C.1.i: Create a New Senior Housing Definition in the Development Code
»C.2.a: New Building Placement fronting Donner Pass Road
»C.3.a: Develop Mixed-Use Projects
»E.4.a: Maximize Natural Lighting and Heating
»E.4.c: Reduce Energy Usage
»E.4.d: Require Stormwater Planters
»E.4.e: Integrate Drainage
»D.3.a: Design Efficient Parking Layouts
»D.3.b: Construct Safe, Accessible Driveways
»D.3.c: Strategically Increase On-Street Parking
Short-
Medium
$-$$
Table 4: Policy and Regulatory Actions (continued)
5: IMPLEMENTATION
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 129
ActionsRelated StrategiesTime
Frame
Est.
Cost
Action R-2. Incorporate Innovate Gateway
Strategies into the Town’s Development Code.
Implement the Innovate Gateway Strategy zoning
and development standard changes in the Town’s
Development Code requirements to facilitate mixed-
use and workforce/senior housing development, site
improvements, new uses, more outdoor spaces and
improved streetscapes. This includes developing
revised Town Development Code language that
reflects changes in density, land use, design guidance,
development standards, and the like to better
reflect development types and patterns that might
be feasible and attractive along the corridor. This
language may remain as draft until the General
Plan Update is completed or it may be able to be
implemented sooner.
»Table 3: Gateway Area Development Standards
»A.1.b: Create a new Gateway Area Overlay District
»A.1.c: Rezone General Commercial (CG) parcels to Mixed-Use (MU)
in the Gateway Area Overlay District
»A.1.d: Rezone the Truckee Donner Public Utility District Office and
Vehicle/Storage Property
»A.1.e: Rezone the Health Care Hub Parcels
»A.1.f: Create a Single-Family Residential Zone Duplex Option
»A.1.g: Modify Planned Development Requirements
»A.3.b: Maintain Building Height Limits
»A.3.c: Step-back Upper Floors
»A.3.d: Update Building Setbacks
»A.3.f: Create Neighborhood Transitional Areas
»A.3.g: Articulate Building Facades
»A.4.a: Protect Mountain Views
»A.4.c: Change Scenic Corridor Standards in the Gateway Area
Overlay District
»C.1.e: Limit Short-Term Rentals
»C.1.h: Remove Dwelling Unit Equivalents Requirement from
the Gateway Area Overlay District
»C.1.i: Create a New Senior Housing Definition in the Development Code
»C.2.a: New Building Placement fronting Donner Pass Road
»C.3.a: Develop Mixed-Use Projects
»E.4.a: Maximize Natural Lighting and Heating
»E.4.c: Reduce Energy Usage
»E.4.d: Require Stormwater Planters
»E.4.e: Integrate Drainage
»D.3.a: Design Efficient Parking Layouts
»D.3.b: Construct Safe, Accessible Driveways
»D.3.c: Strategically Increase On-Street Parking
Short-
Medium
$-$$
Actions Related Strategies Time
Frame
Est.
Cost
Action R-3. Incorporate Innovate Gateway
Strategies into the Town’s Development Code.
Continued
»D.4.b: Require New Transit Stops at Major Destinations
»E.1.a: Outdoor Plaza and Gathering Space Incentive
»E.4.a: Maximize Natural Lighting and Heating
»E.4.c: Reduce Energy Usage
»E.4.d: Require Stormwater Planters
»E.4.e: Encourage Permeable Paving Materials
»E.4.f: Integrate Landscaping and Green Infrastructure
Short-
Medium
$-$$
Action R-4. Develop Flexible Business Operations
and Regulations.
Implement flexible procedures and regulations that
allow businesses to make operational and minor
use changes with minimal or no discretionary Town
approval, recognizing that business operations need
to adapt to changes in technology, market and
COVID-19 Pandemic conditions. And work with the
local business community to implement the various
strategies included in this document, including
outdoor programming, plaza and gathering spaces,
outdoor dining, and landscaping improvements.
»A.2.b: Promote a Diversity of Businesses
»A.2.c: Develop Flexible Gathering Spaces
»B.1.b: Repurpose Underutilized Site Spaces
»B.1.d: Promote Pop-Up Events
»B.2.c: Support Local Art Programming
»C.2.b: Reduce Commercial Square Footage Requirements
»C.2.c: Construct Smaller Commercial Spaces
»C.4.c: Create Solutions for Outdoor Dining and Retail
Short $-$$
Table 4: Policy and Regulatory Actions (continued)
5: IMPLEMENTATION
Partnerships
The Town will need to further develop
close partnerships with local residents,
businesses, property owners, developers
and public agencies to fully implement
the vision outlined for the Gateway Area.
These partnerships will be crucial to
ensuring the most important strategies
are being effectively implemented, and
the most pressing community needs
are being addressed. This is an ongoing
process, and partnerships need to be
discussed, established and maintained
over time. Table 5 identifies necessary
partnership actions, and includes detail
on their related strategies, timing,
responsibility, approximate cost and
status.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY130
5: IMPLEMENTATION
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 131
Table 5: Partnerships
Actions Related Strategies Time
Frame
Estimated
Cost
Action P-1. Create a Developer Brochure
Prepare an “Innovate Gateway Developer Brochure” that summarizes the Vision
Framework and key zoning and development requirements, design guidelines,
streetscape design concepts, project review processes and other important
information in a clear, concise and highly visual format. The brochure should
emphasize the various development incentives and Community Benefits
Program offered by the Town and include major findings from the Innovate
Gateway Development Feasibility Assessment. The goal of this brochure is to
solicit interest in the area, convey the community’s vision and attract the right
type of developers who can create community-desired and needed projects.
None (related project component)Short $
Action P-2. Form a Gateway Area Advisory Group
Transition community support for housing, placemaking and economic
development activity into an advisory committee so they can become a catalyst
for positive change in the Gateway Area. This new Innovate Gateway Advisory
Group can help the community become more organized and allow them to take
ownership of strategies and projects contained in this document. Membership
in the advisory committee should include local property and business owners,
Realtors, public agency partner representatives, residents, civic leaders and
school representatives.
None (related project component)Medium $
Action P-3. Expand the Innovate Gateway Webpage
Expand the Innovate Gateway webpage on the Town’s website so it can become
a one-stop online resource for all information related to the area, including
updates about development incentives, public improvements, construction
projects, new businesses or other community activities. Consider adding a
community forum component to the webpage where residents, property owners,
businesses, real estate brokers and other stakeholders can post information
about available properties, development opportunities, rental units and jobs.
None (related project component)Short $
5: IMPLEMENTATION
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY132
Table 5: Partnerships (continued)
Actions Related Strategies Time
Frame
Estimated
Cost
Action P-4. Assist the Spanish Language Community
Offer Spanish language assistance and targeted outreach to Hispanic/Latinx
business and resident community within the Gateway Area, including preparing
digital and hard copy materials in Spanish regarding development incentives and
opportunities.
None (related project component)Short
Ongoing
$
Action P-5. Partner with the Tahoe Forest Hospital District
Continue to work closely with the Tahoe Forest Hospital District on both the
development of the Hospital Master Plan and implementation of the various
improvements included in the Innovate Gateway Strategy. As complementary
public agency partners, identify specific ways to improve project and operational
coordination, organize joint community engagement events, and create financial
partnerships to implement streetscape or other corridor improvements.
»B.2.d: Encourage Interactive
Health Spaces
»E.3.a: Incorporate Transitions
»E.3.b: Improve Pedestrian
Amenities
»E.3.c: Coordinate the Innovate
Gateway Strategy with the
Tahoe Forest Master Plan
Short
Ongoing
$
Action P-6. Partner with the Truckee Donner Public Utility District
Continue to work closely with TDPUD to identify possibilities for relocation
of their existing offices and vehicle/storage property on Donner Pass Road
to another location in the Truckee or the immediate area. This will allow the
District to create a new facility while also freeing up land in the Western Gateway
area for new mixed-use or multi-family development. There is also the related
opportunity for the District to partner with a developer and use the property to
construct workforce housing for District employees.
»B.2.b: Expand Educational and
Civic Opportunities
»C.1.k: Relocate the Truckee
Donner Public Utility District
Office and Vehicle/Storage
Property
Short
Ongoing
$
Action P-7. Expand Community and Public Art
Continue to identify ways to incorporate public art and design into the public realm
within the Gateway Area, by engaging with local artists, including those from
indigenous American Indian Nations. This can include temporary or permanent
art pieces, functional art that is incorporated with streetscape or bicycle/pedestrian
amenities, and art that is incorporated into building design/facades.
»B.4.a: Ensure Art has a Local
Context
»B.4.b: Ensure Accessibility of
Public Art
»B.4.c: Engage with Local Artists
»B.4.d: Encourage Functional Art
Short
Ongoing
$-$$$
5: IMPLEMENTATION
Investments
The range of new, expanded and
improved infrastructure outlined in the
Innovate Gateway Strategy will require
significant investment in both initial
capital costs and ongoing maintenance.
These public, private and public-private
partnership investments in specific
projects will allow the Town of Truckee
and the community to focus limited
financial resources on items that will
get the most results for the community.
Organizing these limited financial
resources is key to the long-term success
of the Gateway Area. Table 6 identifies
necessary investment actions and
includes detail on their related strategies,
timing, responsibility, approximate cost
and status.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 133
Actions Related Strategies Time
Frame
Estimated
Cost
Action I-1. Expand the Signage and Wayfinding Program
Develop and implement a new Gateway Area signage and wayfinding program
that is easily understood and provides a welcoming entryway and information
on automobile parking, deliveries, bicycle parking and connectivity between
parking and non-motorized transportation options. This program should be
based on the Town-wide signage designs and standards, but focused on specific
implementation within the Gateway Area.
»B.3.a: Install Consistent,
Recognizable Wayfinding and
Signage
»B.3.b: Ensure Visibility of
Wayfinding and Signage
»B.3.c: Add Select Optimal
Wayfinding Routes
»B.3.d: Maximize Visual
Recognition
»B.3.e: Provide Clear Directions
»B.3.f: Create a Central Gateway
Feature
Short-
Medium
$-$$$
Table 6: Investments
5: IMPLEMENTATION
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY134
Table 6: Investments (continued)
Actions Related Strategies Time
Frame
Estimated
Cost
Action I-2. Coordinate with the Tahoe Forest Hospital on a new Donner
Pass Road Roundabout tied to the Hospital Master Plan.
Continue to coordinate with the Tahoe Forest Hospital on the appropriate design
for a new roundabout on Donner Pass Road between Pine Avenue and Lake
Avenue. Ensure the final design incorporates seamlessly with the streetscape
design concepts and guidelines included in the Innovate Gateway Strategy while
reducing traffic impacts to the existing residential neighborhood.
»E.3.c: Coordinate the Innovate
Gateway Strategy with the
Tahoe Forest Master Plan
Short-
Medium
$
Action I-3. Design New Donner Pass Road Roundabouts
Refine the conceptual designs for the two Town roundabouts identified in the
Innovate Gateway Strategy (Donner Pass Road/Northwoods Boulevard and
Donner Pass Road/Highway 89 South) so they integrate with the conceptual
street sections and streetscape design concepts included in this document.
Prepare traffic and environmental analyses to evaluate the various design
alternatives and develop a final preferred design for each intersection. Based
on available funding (General Fund, private development impact fees, and
grant funding), prioritize the construction and implementation of each new
roundabout with the various Donner Pass Road streetscape improvements
identified under Action I-5.
»D.2.a: Create New Roundabouts
»D.2.b: Promote Bike and
Pedestrian Safety at
Roundabouts
Medium-
Long
$$-$$$
Action I-4. Parklet Pilot Project
Working closely with local property and business owners, identify a location for a
temporary parklet in the public-right-of-way to provide outdoor gathering space
in front of a business along Donner Pass Road. Install the parklet as a pilot project
to show business owners, residents and visitors how they could be designed and
how they function to create energy for businesses along Donner Pass Road. The
pilot project can lead to additional design and operation ideas that can be fully
implemented as part of permanent Phase II streetscape improvements.
»E.2.c: Install Parklets Short $-$$$
5: IMPLEMENTATION
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 135
Table 6: Investments (continued)
Actions Related Strategies Time
Frame
Estimated
Cost
Action I-5. Implement Donner Pass Road Phase II
Improvements
Prepare full construction drawings, secure funding,
and implement the various conceptual streetscape
improvements identified for the Central and Eastern
Gateway Character Areas. This includes sidewalk
improvements, bicycle improvements, new signage
and wayfinding, landscaping improvements,
pedestrian and bicycle amenities, transit facilities and
sustainability/green infrastructure improvements
within the Central and Eastern Gateway character
areas.
»C.4.b: Widen Sidewalks
»D.1.a: Construct Wide, Flexible Sidewalks
»D.1.b: Install Mid-Block Crosswalks
»D.1.c: Create Wider, Safer Bicycle Lanes
»D.1.d: Shorten Pedestrian Crossings
»D.2.c: Complete Additional Streetscape Improvements through
the Central Gateway and Eastern Gateway Areas
»D.4.c: Create a Tahoe Donner Micro-Transit Hub
»D.4.d: Relocate Existing Transit Stops
»D.5.c: Expand Pedestrian Lighting
»D.5.d: Increase Street Lighting
Medium-
Long
$$$$
Action I-6. Potential New Town Funding Sources
Consider allocating funding or financial resources
towards the creation of workforce housing in the
Gateway Area as part of the annual Town budgeting
process. This will help the Town provide financial
incentives for new workforce housing projects,
increasing their financeability.
»C.1.f: Potential Financial Incentives for Mixed-Use Projects
»C.1.g: Potential Financial Incentives for Small Lot Homeownership
Medium $$$-$$$$
Action I-7. Create and Green Corridor Concept
Work closely with local property owners, businesses,
public agency partners, and other stakeholders to
implement the Green Corridor concept. This will likely
include incremental improvements to both the public
realm (streetscape, parks) and private realm (plazas,
gathering spaces) to fully implement this concept.
»E.1.b: Focus on Immediate Activations
»E.1.c: Create a Flexible Approach
»E.2.a: Connect Plazas and Gathering Spaces to Stand-Alone
Transit Stops/Shelters
»E.2.b: Convert Parking Areas
»E.2.c: Create Pocket Parks
Short
Ongoing
$$$-$$$$
6
TITLEGLOSSARY
The following glossary defines terms and phrases that are used in the
Innovate Gateway Strategy document which are technical and may not
reflect common usage.
* All definitions in this glossary are from the Town of Truckee
Development Code unless noted with an asterisk.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 137
Abbreviations/Acronyms
BMP: Best Management Practices
CALTRANS
California Department of Transportation
CEQA
California Environmental Quality Act
EIR
Environmental Impact Report
FAR
Floor Area Ratio
GHG
Greenhouse Gas
ROW
Right-of-Way
Terms
Accessory
A structure that is physically detached
from, secondary and incidental to, and
commonly associated with the primary
structure. Accessory structures and uses
include: detached garages, greenhouses,
artist’s studios, and workshops; hot tubs,
Jacuzzis, spas, and swimming pools,
together with any enclosures; and any
other open air enclosures, including
gazebos and detached patio covers.
Allowed Use
A use of land identified by Article II of
the Town Development Code (Zoning
Districts and Allowable Land uses) as a
permitted or conditional use that may
be established with land use permit and,
where applicable, Design Review and/
or Building Permit approval, subject to
compliance with all applicable provisions
of this Development Code.
Bedroom
An enclosed habitable room planned
and intended for sleeping, separated
from other rooms by a door and
accessible without crossing another
bedroom, closet space, or bathroom. A
bedroom will have a closet, emergency
escape and rescue opening(s), and a
minimum floor area of 70 square feet,
exclusive of a closet. Additionally, it
shall meet the requirements or be in
accordance with the current codes
adopted by the Town as listed in
Title 15 of the Municipal Code.
Best Management Practices (BMP)
Any program, technology, process,
or engineered system that controls,
removes, or reduces pollution.
Bicycle Facilities
These include Class I, Class I, and Class III
Bike Facilities. A Class I Facility, typically
called a “bike pathway” or “shared use
path,” provides bicycle travel on a paved
right-of-way completely separated
from any street. A Class II Facility, often
referred to as a “bike lane,” provides
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY138
a striped and stenciled lane for one-
way travel on either side of a street or
highway. A Class III Facility, generally
referred to as a “bike route,” provides
routes through areas not served by
Class I or II facilities or to connect
discontinuous segments of a bikeway.
Class III facilities can be shared with
motorists on roadways and are identified
only by signing.
Building Pad
The smallest rectangle that can be
drawn that encompasses the primary
structure.
Building/Structure Frontage
The building elevation which fronts
on a public street, public parking lot,
private parking lot available to the
general public, or pedestrian walk
where customer access to a structure is
available.
Business Frontage
That portion of a building frontage
occupied by one or more business
tenant(s) that have or share a public
entrance.
California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA)
State law (California Public Resources
Code Sections 21000 et seq.) requiring
public agencies to document and
consider the environmental effects of a
proposed action, prior to allowing the
action to occur.
Commercial Parking and
Vehicle Storage
Service establishments in the business of
storing operative cars, buses, recreational
vehicles, and other motor vehicles for
clients. Includes both day use and long-
term public and commercial garages,
parking lots and structures, except when
accessory to a principal use. Includes
sites where vehicles are stored for
rental or leasing. All principal uses are
considered to include any customer or
public use off-street parking required by
the Town Development Code.
Commercial Properties
Any structure, premises or portion
thereof used for wholesale or retail
purposes on which the property user
or employees are engaged in work for
which it is intended that compensation
be received for goods or services.
Complete Streets*
Complete Streets are streets that are
designed and operated to enable safe
access for all users, including pedestrians,
bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of
all ages and abilities. They can include
a unique design identity, areas for
pedestrian gathering, and systems to
capture and filter stormwater. In addition
to helping create more attractive,
accessible, and safer environments.
Complete Streets are required by the
State as a means for providing access
to multimodal transportation options
(Assembly Bill 1358).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 139
Density
The number of housing units per
net acre, unless otherwise stated, for
residential uses.
Development
Any construction activity or alteration of
the landscape, its terrain contour or
vegetation, including the erection
or alteration of structures. New
development is any construction, or
alteration of an existing structure or land
use, or establishment of a land use, after
the effective date of the Development
Code.
Development Agreement
A contract between the Town and an
applicant for a development project,
in compliance with Chapter 18.150
(Development Agreements) of the
Development Code and Government
Code Sections 65864 et seq. A
development agreement is intended to
provide assurance to the applicant
that an approved project may proceed
subject to the policies, rules, regulations,
and conditions of approval applicable
to the project at the time of approval,
regardless of any changes to Town
policies, rules, and regulations after
project approval. In return, the Town may
be assured that the approved project
will contain elements and components
that are in the best interests of the Town
and will promote the public interest and
welfare of the Town.
Development Code
The Town of Truckee Development Code,
Title 18 of the Truckee Municipal Code.
Development Envelope
The designated development area
on a parcel within which disturbance
may occur (also known as a “building
envelope”). The purpose of the
development envelope is to preserve
open space and ensure clustered
development. All areas outside the
development envelope are required to
be maintained in a natural, vegetated
state. The development envelope shall
encompass all disturbance on a parcel,
including structures (walls, foundations,
footings, supports, retaining walls,
etc.), architectural features (eaves,
decks, balconies, all other projecting or
cantilevered features, etc.), accessory
structures (including sheds and other
structures less than 120 square feet),
agricultural accessory structures
(including horse corrals, barns and
unenclosed structures) and all other site
features (fences, walkways, patios,
swimming pools, hot tubs, septic
disposal areas, etc.). One driveway to
access the building envelope is allowed
outside the building envelope; all
portions of the driveway outside the
building envelope shall be a maximum
of 24 feet wide. No other disturbance
is allowed outside the development
envelope, including grading,
landscaping or tree removal (except
as required for the purpose of fuel
clearance for wildfire prevention),
unless specifically allowed through the
conditions of approval for an approved
subdivision.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY140
Dwelling
One or more habitable rooms, that are
used, intended or designed to be used,
rented, leased, let or hired out as an
independent living space with cooking,
sleeping, and sanitary facilities provided
within the dwelling unit for the exclusive
use of one or more people maintaining
a household. A dwelling shall have no
more than one kitchen, room, or other
area with cooking facilities unless a
second kitchen is approved by the
Director due to special circumstances
(e.g., a request for a kosher kitchen). All
habitable areas for the dwelling unit shall
have interior access to and from each
other from within the building except
for detached living areas. A dwelling
includes other types of dwelling units
in which sleeping accommodations
are provided but sanitary facilities
and/or cooking facilities are shared by
occupants of two or more dwellings
including dwellings in a co-housing
building or development and single
room occupancy units.
Dwelling, Multiple-Family
One or more buildings or a portion of a
building or buildings used, intended or
designed to be used, rented, leased, let
or hired out to be occupied as residences
for two or more families living
independently of each other or one
or more facilities living independently
within a mixed-use project. Specifically:
Two or more detached dwelling units on
one parcel.
»Two or more attached dwelling units
on one parcel. Attached dwelling
units share a common wall or a
common ceiling/floor.
»Two or more attached dwelling units
on separate parcels under individual
ownership.
»Two or more attached dwelling units
with individual ownership units
(condominiums).
»Independent senior citizen multi-
family housing, that have two or more
dwellings for occupancy to people 55
years or older, which may include, but
is not required to include, common
recreation areas and community
dining centers. For assisted senior
living facilities or facilities that
require additional medical facilities,
see “Senior Citizen Congregate
Care/Congregate Care Housing” or
“Residential Care Facility.”
»One or more dwelling units
that are attached or detached
to a nonresidential project in a
commercial or manufacturing zoning
district. Where the dwelling unit(s)
are detached, the dwelling unit(s) are
located on the same parcel as the
nonresidential project.
Multi-family dwellings may be factory-
built, modular housing units constructed
in compliance with the California
Building Code and mobile homes/
tiny homes/manufactured housing on
permanent foundations. This definition
does not include Single-Family Dwellings
with Accessory Dwelling Units and/or
Junior Accessory Dwelling Units.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 141
Dwelling, Single-Family
A building used, intended or designed
to be used, rented, leased, let or hired
out to be occupied by one family on
one parcel. Also includes factory-built,
modular housing units, constructed in
compliance with the California Building
Code and mobile homes/tiny homes/
manufactured housing on permanent
foundations. May include the rental of
rooms within a dwelling also occupied by
the property owner or a primary tenant.
This definition includes Single-Family
Dwellings with Accessory Dwelling Units
and/or Junior Accessory Dwelling Units.
Dwelling, Two-Family
A building containing no more than two
dwelling units designed or arranged
for occupancy by two households living
independently.
Easement
A right given by the owner of land to
another party for specific limited use of
that land. An easement may be acquired
by a government through dedication
when the purchase of an entire interest
in the property may be too expensive or
unnecessary; usually needed for utilities
or shared parking.
Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
An informational document used to
assess the physical characteristics of an
area and to determine what effects will
result if the area is altered by a proposed
action, prepared in compliance with the
California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA).
Farmer’s Markets
Temporary and/or occasional outdoor
retail sales of farm produce from
vehicles or temporary stands, located
within a parking lot, or a public right-of-
way (where authorized by encroachment
permit).
Fitness Studio
Fitness centers, gymnasiums, health
and athletic clubs including indoor
sauna, spa or hot tub facilities; indoor
tennis, handball, racquetball, archery and
shooting ranges and other indoor sports
activities.
Floor Area (Gross)
The floor area within the inside perimeter
of the exterior walls of the building or
area under consideration, exclusive
of vent shafts and courts, without
deduction for corridors, closets, the
thickness of interior walls, columns
or other features. For stairways and
elevators that connect multiple levels,
floor area shall be counted on all levels
as if it were a solid floor except that the
area of the stairway or elevator shall
not be counted as floor area on the
top-most interior level served by the
element. Where a room in a building has
a sloped ceiling, no portion of the room
measuring less than five (5) feet from the
finished floor to the ceiling shall be
counted as floor area. For crawl spaces
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY142
and basement areas, any area with a
structural floor that has a ceiling height
of 7’0” or greater and is enclosed with
walls shall be counted as floor area. Gross
floor area shall include carports, but not
porches, patios, porte cocheres, decks, or
walkways, whether covered with a roof or
not. The gross floor area shall be
calculated or computed in accordance
with the intent of Title 15 (Building &
Construction) of the Municipal Code.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the
ratio of floor area to total lot area.
FAR restrictions are used to limit the
maximum floor area allowed on a site
(including all structures on the site). The
maximum floor area of all structures
(measured from exterior wall to exterior
wall) permitted on a site (including
carports and covered storage) shall be
determined by multiplying the Floor
Area Ratio (FAR) by the total gross
area of the site (FAR x Gross Site Area =
Maximum Allowable Floor Area). For the
purposes of determining the floor area
ratio for parcels adjacent to Donner Lake,
gross area of the site is exclusive of any
area at or below the high water mark of
Donner Lake (5935.7, NGVD 1929).
Food Truck
A mobile food vending and food
preparation unit that is not located in
any single area for a period exceeding
six hours. Includes motorized vehicles, as
well as trailers and portable units that are
connected to and drawn by motorized
vehicles. Food trucks used during the
catering of private events or as part of an
approved Special Event Permit are
exempt from the time limits.
General Plan
The Town of Truckee General Plan,
including all elements thereof and all
amendments thereto, as adopted by
the Town Council under the provisions
of Government Code Sections 65300 et
seq., and referred to in this Development
Code as the “General Plan.”
Green Building
A Green Building generally refers to
one that is environmentally friendly in
terms of energy consumption or the
waste it produces during its entire life-
cycle. Green buildings are scored by
rating systems, such as the Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) rating system developed by
the U.S. Green Building Council, Green
Globes from GBI, and other locally-
developed rating systems.
Green Streets*
A Green Street is a street that has been
designed to include innovative natural
stormwater systems to help reduce
runoff and associated pollutants, bring
natural elements into streets, and
improve access for pedestrians and
bicyclists. These features are often used
to help improve both water quality and
the aesthetics of the public realm.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 143
Groundwater
Water that is contained in the vast
underground aquifer system located
beneath the surface. It is different from
surface water, which includes water in
rivers, streams, and lakes.
Hard Construction Costs*
Costs associated with vertical
construction, otherwise known as hard
construction costs or simply hard costs,
vary based on the anticipated use (e.g.,
residential versus commercial) and
residential unit type (e.g., townhome,
apartment, etc.).
Heat Island Effect*
Urbanized areas that experience higher
temperatures than outlying or natural
areas. Structures such as buildings, roads
and other infrastructure absorb heat
during the day and re-emit heat more
than natural landscapes such as forests
and water bodies.
Impervious Surface
Any material which prevents absorption
of water into land.
Infill
Development or redevelopment of
land that has remained vacant and/or is
underused as a result of the continuing
development on adjacent property.
Infrastructure
Permanent utility installations, including
roads, water supply lines, sewage
collection pipes, drainage pipes, and
power and communications lines.
Land Use Permit
Authority granted by the Town to
use a specified site for a particular
purpose, including Conditional Use
Permits and Minor Conditional Use
Permits, Development Plans and
Minor Development Plans, Planned
Development Permits, Temporary Use
Permits, Variances and minor Variances,
and Zoning Clearances, as established by
Article IV (Land Use and Development
Permit Procedures) of this Development
Code.
Mixed-Use Development*
A development form in which a mix
of uses is located in close proximity
to each other, sometimes within the
same building. The land uses may
be stacked on top of each other (e.g.,
a retail land use on the ground floor
with multi-family residential units or
offices above). Alternately, the mix could
be “horizontal” in nature where, for
example, commercial or institutional
(school or civic) uses are placed directly
next to multi-family residential uses. In
all instances the intent of a mixed-use
designation is to allow a higher density
and intensity of uses that encourage
pedestrian activity by placing residents
within walking distance of daily needs,
reducing automobile dependence.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY144
Mobile Home
A trailer, transportable in one or more
sections, that is certified under the
National Manufactured Housing
Construction and Safety Standards Act
of 1974, which is over eight feet in width
and 40 feet in length, with or without a
permanent foundation and not including
recreational vehicle, commercial coach
or factory-built housing. A mobile home
on a permanent foundation is included
under the definition of “Single-Family
Dwellings.”
Mobile Home Park
Any site that is planned and improved
to accommodate two or more mobile
homes used for residential purposes,
or on which two or more mobile home
lots are rented, leased, or held out for
rent or lease, or were formerly held out
for rent or lease and later converted to a
subdivision, cooperative, condominium,
or other form of resident ownership, to
accommodate mobile homes used for
residential purposes.
Monument Sign
An independent, freestanding structure
supported on the ground having a solid
base as opposed to being supported by
poles or open braces.
Outdoor Storage
A storage or work area in which an
outdoor area is used for retention of
materials, machinery and/or equipment.
Includes the sale, repair, recycling or
discarding of materials, machinery, or
equipment. Outdoor storage areas are
not accessible to the public unless an
agent of the business is present.
Open Space, Public or Quasi-public
Land that is maintained in a primarily
natural state, and/or primarily without
structures other than facilities in support
of outdoor recreation.
Parking - Shared Parking
The concept of using the same parking
spaces for two or more different land
uses at different times. For example,
many businesses experience their peak
business during daytime business hours
on weekdays, while restaurants and
bars peak in the evening hours and on
weekends. This presents an opportunity
for shared parking arrangements
and can improve the economics of
constructing new parking by providing
greater turnover in the facility. Residents
in a mixed-use building generally need
parking at night, while retail users need
parking during the day. Mixed-use
developments that share parking result
in greater density, better pedestrian
connections, and reduced reliance on
private vehicles because multiple uses
can be accessed by walking.
Parklet*
A sidewalk extension that provides more
space and amenities for people using
the street. Usually parklets are installed
on parking lanes and use several parking
spaces. Parklets typically extend out from
the sidewalk at the level of the sidewalk
to the width of the adjacent parking
space.
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 145
Placemaking*
Multi-faceted approach to the planning,
design and management of public
spaces. Placemaking capitalizes on a
local community’s assets, inspiration, and
potential, with the intention of creating
public spaces that promote people’s
health, happiness, and well-being.
Private Realm *
The private realm includes all privately-
owned land and improvements,
including buildings, private parking lots,
and landscaping.
Public Facilities
A building or structure owned, operated
or occupied by a governmental agency.
Public facilities include: municipal,
county, state or federal governmental
facilities.
Public Realm*
The public realm includes all publicly-
owned land and improvements,
including roads, side-walks, public
parking lots, open space, etc.
Public Utilities
Facilities, equipment, and associated
features related to the mechanical
functions of a building and services such
as water, electrical, telecommunications,
and waste. Includes facilities for flood
control and the generation of electricity.
Excludes wireless communications
facilities.
Retail
Sales, of physical objects and/
or prepackaged food items to the
consumer. Retail sales transactions
typically require collection of sales and
use tax.
Right-of-Way (ROW)
A continuous strip of land reserved for
or actually occupied by a road, sidewalk,
parkway, crosswalk, railroad, electric
transmission lines, oil or gas pipeline,
water line, sanitary sewer, storm drain,
traffic equipment, or other similar use.
Setbacks
The distance by which a structure,
parking area or other development
feature must be separated from a lot line,
other structure or development feature,
or street centerline. Setbacks from
private streets are measured from the
edge of the easement.
Site
A parcel or lot or adjoining parcels or lots
under single ownership or single control,
considered a unit for the purposes of
development or other use.
Site Area
Gross site area is the total area included
within the site, exclusive of adjacent
dedicated street rights of way. Net site
area is exclusive of vehicular access
easements which limit the use of the lot,
including private streets and driveway
easements, and any area at or below the
high water mark of Donner Lake (5942
AMSL, NAVD 88).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY146
Site Coverage
The percentage of total net site area
occupied by structures, paving for
vehicle use, and all other surfaces less
than 10 feet above average natural grade
where the surface is located, including
decks, other projecting or cantilevered
features, and covered areas such as
breezeways, porches, and carports; does
not include eaves and roof overhangs.
An access/driveway easement area may
be included in or excluded from the total
site area calculation. If the easement area
is included and a driveway is constructed
within the easement, the impervious
surface of the driveway shall be counted
towards the site coverage, even if the
driveway provides access to off-site
parcels. If a driveway is not constructed
within the easement, the impervious
surface for a future driveway with a
width of 12 feet (16 feet if the easement
serves five or more parcels), extending
along the entire length of the easement
within the parcel, shall be calculated and
shall be counted towards the total site
coverage.
Stepback*
Refers to the space between the
property lines and the front, side, and
back of buildings. While a consistent
rhythm of building facades along
the sidewalk edge is important, front
setbacks allow privacy for the residential
uses and encourage space for outdoor
dining activities for retail uses.
Temporary Uses and Events
Short term commercial activities,
events, and uses that may not meet the
normal development or use standards
of the Development Code but may be
otherwise acceptable because of their
temporary nature (e.g., construction
yards in conjunction with an active
building permit, seasonal sales lots,
special events, etc.); limited to a
maximum of 90 days in any calendar
year.
Transit Stop Shelter
A small-scale covered waiting area for
busses, taxis, and rail/mass transit stops.
Viewshed
The geographical area that is visible from
a location. It includes all surrounding
points that are in line-of-sight with that
location and excludes points that are
beyond the horizon or obstructed by
terrain and other features. Conversely,
it can also refer to area from which an
object can be seen.
Wayfinding
The ways in which people orient
themselves in physical space and
navigate from place to place.
Zoning district
Any of the residential, commercial,
industrial, special-purpose, or combining
districts established by Article II of this
Development Code (Zoning Districts and
Allowable Land Uses), within which
certain land uses are allowed or
prohibited, and certain site planning and
development standards are established
(e.g., setbacks, height limits, site
coverage requirements, etc.).
TOWN OF TRUCKEE / INNOVATE GATEWAY STRATEGY 147