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Home My Public Portal About2009-01-20 I I I TOWN OF TRUCKEE TOWN COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION RAIL YARD MASTER PLAN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS WORKSHOP MINUTES January 20, 2009 6:00 p.m. Town Hall - Administrative Center 10183 Truckee Airport Road, Truckee, CA 5:59: 19 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Brown called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL: Council Members; Green, Anderson, deRyk-Jones, Vice Mayor Dee, and Mayor Brown, Planning Commissioners; Olsen, Murphy, Reinkens, and Chair Flora. Absent: Planning Commissioner Johnston. Staff Present: Denyelle Nishimori, Associate Planner, David Griffith, Redevelopment and Housing Coordinator, Duane Hall, Town Planner, Alex Terrazas, Assistant to the Town Manager, Tony Lashbrook, Town Manager, Sheri Dieh', Administrative Secretary, and Judy Price, Town Clerk. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Led by Jim Porter. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT - None. 5. WORKSHOP ITEM. 6:03:23 PM 5.1 Railyard Master Plan Draft Economic Analysis Report. Recommended Action: Review and provide comments to staff on the Railyard Master Plan Draft Economic Impact Analysis Report prepared by Strategic Economics. David Griffith, Redevelopment and Housing Coordinator, presented the purpose for the Workshop and introduced key staff and the consultants. Nadine Fogarty and Amanda Gehrke, Strategic Economics, presented and were available to answer questions. (The presentation is on file with the Town Clerk.) 6:45:37 PM Mayor Brown opened the item to pubic questions. In the workshop format the public was provided the opportunity to provide comment, ask questions of staff and the consultant, and engage in dialog. Mayor Brown closed public questions. Town of Truckee January 20, 2009 Railyard Economic Analysis Workshop Page 1 7:32:23 PM Council and Planning Commission questions. Council and Planning Commission members engaged in cO,mments, questions, and dialog. Denyelle Nishimori, Associate Planner, has noted the following items to be addressed in the Railyard Economic Analysis Report. . The report needs to better explain how there will be more retail demand when retail sales have been flat over the last decade. . The case studies discussed do not seem to be useful for Truckee. There are probably better examples of places that have a major shopping draw like Reno within a half-hour drive. . A lot of people leave Truckee to shop in Reno for a variety of reasons. We should be looking at how much sales tax money we are losing. (Strategic Economics: It is unlikely that the stores people are frequenting in Reno would be the same ones interested in locating in Downtown Truckee). . Why would new businesses that cater to locals want to locate Downtown, when the existing ones do not? . The report should include discussion of a new railroad museum or performance theater. This would be a major draw. . How much in the case studies was accomplished with private money verses a public- private partnership? . Bend is not relevant because there is no competition near it. Telluride is all "trustifarians" which is also not comparable. . How much retail can the Town absorb? Where is the profit margin? What shops will bring me Downtown? Who will be shopping at the new retail space? If we build too much we will kill Downtown. . I appreciate the report. But with one owner for the whole Railyard project, one person will have so much control. Will this single-owner development attract people and kill any competition? It is not a locally-owned development so the rents will not be local. (Strategic Economics: We can talk about this in the report, but it would be unfair to say that one will compete with the other-that the Railyard will compete with Downtown.) II Commercial Row is primarily out-of-town owners. The Railyard has community benefit. We are naive to think we will not have to compete for tourist dollars. I would like to see what uses we need to keep Truckee competitive and how the Railyard project will get people to spend more money Downtown. . The Donner Pass Road alignment will send less people Downtown. . The report should be updated to include the currently vacant retail square footage. . What mixes of uses are being considered for future demand? (Strategic Economics: We did not look at jobs because it was out of scope). . What percent of studies that Strategic Economics has worked on has been included in Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs)? (Strategic Economics: none). . The critical mass discussion seems speculative. . Identify the market area as including Kings Beach, Tahoe City, and Sierraville. . Live-work was discussed, but not work-live-this should be included. . Discuss the market for a 50-room hotel. . How did you derive your leakage numbers? (Strategic Economics: This information is included in Appendix E. Total, total, apparel leakage numbers were not included-just the proportion that could be captured in Truckee. The assumption was conservative.) Town of Truckee January 20, 2009 Railyard Economic Analysis Workshop Page 2 I I I I I I " Can we separate tourist retail versus local retail dollars? (Strategic Economics: This would be difficult to do.) · On page 39 it looks like our Downtown sales number is 39% and in Bend, Oregon, it is 53%. This surprises me. It looks like there is a lot of growth potential in Truckee. · The Town created different nodes of neighborhood commercial development to reduce vehicle trips, now we are learning that these neighborhood commercial uses may compete with Downtown. Are we trying to have our cake and eat it too? (Strategic Economics: We can add more recommendations about this topic and also recommendations about phasing for the Railyard project). · Park City, Utah, or Santa Rose, California, would be better case study examples. · The report should factor in how the majority of Truckee locals buy gas in Reno. · The number of hotel rooms and retail square footage for Squaw is incorrect. The retail number is closer to 120,000 square feet. We should also look at the adjacent jurisdiction's General Plan buildouts. · The report should take into consider climate change, and how the paid parking has changed/not changed dollars spent. The question is: if we add up the buildout square footage can it be supported by a population of 25,000 people. · Add discussion about occupancy history on Page 16. Remove Rite Aid and Longs from the western sales discussion. · Add Nevada County and California sales trend comparison to page 6. · Some of the data used in the report appears old (2003, page 19, 28). (Strategic Economics: We are relying on the most current data that is available. Unfortunately there is not newer data). · Clarify on page 25 if retail sales data excludes building materials. Also add a statement about visitor spending. Track changes in sales by category. · For 2003-2007, page 23 shows a decrease in sales tax. This is probably correct. " Page 42, Table 31 shows a number of 77,081 of potential square feet. There were retail areas in 2003 and 2007 that were suffering. This number may be high, need to revisit. Also, revisit the square footage numbers for existing Downtown and discuss what the retail numbers mean. " Beef-up the discussion of "ample parking" and how it may impact up to Brickelltown. · Not clear about the utility of the case studies. It would have been more useful to use examples where there was an expansion of Downtown. Healdsburg or Petaluma or Sonora, California would have been better examples. · The number and construction sales data skews the data. · Add a qualitative discussion about what if Donner Pass Road is not realigned and what if there was no paid parking. Town of Truckee January 20, 2009 Railyard Economic Analysis Workshop Page 3 6. ADJOURNMENT - 8:26:34 PM To the Joint Histgric Preservation Advisory Commission (HPAC) and Council meeting. I January 27, 2009, the Teambuilding February 2-3, 2009, and the regular meeting of the Town Council, February 5, 2009, 6:00 p.m. at 10183 Truckee Airport Rd, Truckee, CA 96161. . submitted, ~VA, 'f4 . ~ .. Dr. Ma k Brown, Mayor I I Town of Truckee January 20, 2009 Railyard Economic Analysis Workshop Page 4