Truckee park plans move forward

Plans are moving forward for a pocket park in downtown Truckee that will connect more trails, provide a gathering place and maybe even serve as a music and arts venue.

The Town of Truckee has agreed to help the Mountain Area Preservation Foundation renovate the small property that has deteriorated over the years. The park will be located on the north-east corner of Jibboom and Bridge streets in the downtown area.

“It’s all about creating a quality community, and parks and public gathering spaces are a key part of that,” said Phebe Bell, program officer for the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation.

The foundation awarded $10,000 from a civic engagement fund to the Mountain Area Preservation Foundation to begin the project’s planning and design phases, Bell said.

The town has agreed to assist with the approval and permitting processes, and John Eaton — the foundation’s president — said he hopes more organizations will help with funding and construction.

“We have to find out the exact cost, and then we’ll start inviting grants and gaining actual support,” Eaton said. “It will take a couple of seasons to get the whole thing done.”

The vacant site was improved several years ago with wooden benches and decking, but the woodwork has fallen into disrepair and is overgrown by vegetation, said Laura Mello, the principle landscape architect for Truckee-based LJM Design Group.

Mello said design concepts include a raised patio area, public parking improvements, new native plant materials and eventually a trailhead that would tie Trout Creek trail to “Alder Creek Middle School and beyond.”

“We’re hoping the park can dual as a place for weekend art events or music,” Mello said. “A lot of it will need to be volunteer efforts to make it happen.”