Project would change North Shore landscape

By Kathryn Reed

Placer County and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency are putting together the notice of preparation to develop a segment of the Martis Valley and adjacent land in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

From there the environmental documents will be prepared.

Even though the Truckee Land Trust saved thousands of acres in the area, members are now behind East West Partners plans to develop a significant chunk of land and are not concerned with the 112 acres in the Lake Tahoe Basin that would be developed.

Some conservation groups are calling developing this Tahoe acreage precedent setting because there are currently no timeshare-condo developments on a ridge on the North Shore.

The project area is located between Truckee and the North Shore on both sides of Highway 267. Most of it is not under the purview of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. All but a small part is in Placer County; the other is in Nevada County.

The proposed project consists of a specific plan, TRPA area plan and various entitlements and approvals associated with approval of these plans.

The public has until April 28 to comment on the proposal.

The proposed project would shift 760 units and 6.6 acres of commercial from the allowed development of 1,360 units and 6.6 acres of commercial on the East Parcel to the West Parcel. In the process 600 units would be retired.

The West Parcel is approximately 1,192 acres next to Northstar ski resort. The area plan would apply to the 112.8 acres of the West Parcel that are located within TRPA’s jurisdiction and would designate this land resort recreation.

In the West Parcel 775 acres would be rezoned from timberland production to residential and neighborhood commercial. This would allow for 760 residential units and 6.6 acres of commercial. The remaining 417 acres on the West Parcel would remain forest.

The 670 acres of the East Parcel currently zoned for development would be designated forest. A conservation easement would be placed over the entire 6,376 acres, or it would be sold fee simple to conservation groups. Approximately 216 acres of the 6,376-acre East Parcel are located within Nevada County.

Build-out is expected to take 25 years.

An intersection on Highway 267 would be created to accommodate future development.

Hiking and biking trails are also part of the plans.

—

Other info:

• Comments may be emailed to cdraecs@placer.ca.gov.

• More info is available online.

• Scoping meeting on April 16 at 1pm, Cedar House Sport Hotel, 10918 Brockway Road, Truckee.

• Scoping meeting on April 16 at 5:30pm, North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach.

• TRPA Advisory Planning Commission, April 9 9:30am, 128 Market St., Stateline.

• TRPA Governing Board, April 24, 9:30am, 128 Market St., Stateline.