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Future of Gray’s Crossing development up in limbo

Hannah Jones
hjones@sierrasun.com
Plans for the Gray's Crossing site, which is now split up among multiple developers, are still unclear with the town allowing the original development agreement to expire.
Town of Truckee

The future of the Gray’s Crossing development site is still unclear with the Truckee Town Council allowing the original development agreement to expire, which council members say will afford more community engagement in plans for the site.

“With this option we have the opportunity to take some corrective course action,” said Council Member David Tirman, acknowledging the town should have done more community outreach following a November meeting, when council directed staff to explore housing options on the site.

The project — on the northeast side of Truckee, north of Interstate 80 — is based around the 18-hole Gray’s Crossing golf course with four parcels that are currently undeveloped. When the development agreement was approved in 2004 only one developer, East and West Partners, was overseeing the project. That company has since gone bankrupt, with multiple developers taking over portions of the property.



The expiration of the agreement will allow for the owners of each parcel to potentially move forward with their own proposals for the sites.

A majority of amenities planned with the original development agreement, including trail construction and transit, have been completed. All that remained from the plan was to fulfill the town’s affordable housing requirements. Those units would have to be built on the remaining four parcels of the site. Current development code requires 15 percent of the housing to be affordable.



“I think there’s a common thread of all of us in our community supporting new housing,” said Tirman. “I don’t think we ever looked at Gray’s Crossing as being the solution for the housing problem in Truckee. It’s one of many opportunities.”

Currently the town is reviewing a development application for the Village parcel, located next to the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District’s community center. Staff has also reviewed two different preliminary applications for Parcels D and F from Paradigm and LDK, as well as a preliminary application for the Cottage site, across Alder Drive from Alder Creek Middle School, from Acme Development.

“With the Village they have an active application and we should honor that,” said Council Member Anna Klovstad. “It is in everyone’s best interest to have these parcels developed.”

With the expiration of the development agreement, the Grays Crossing Specific Plan will serve as the governing document for the site. Proposed projects will now be processed under the Specific Plan with the Planning Commission to review and ensure consistency with current requirements.

Moving forward the Mountain Housing Council has volunteered to work with the town to help with community outreach on the projects.

Meanwhile, staff will report to council in the next few meetings about possible amendments to the specific plan as well as the cost and duration of an additional environmental review.

Hannah Jones is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. She can be reached at 530-550-2652 or hjones@sierrasun.com.


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