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Grocery stores back on table for Truckee Town Council

Hannah Jones
hjones@sierrasun.com

UPDATE: This story has been updated. According to Jeff Loux there were no dramatic differences in the analysis of a new Grocery Outlet and its impact on traffic in the area. The Sierra Sun regrets the error.

The Truckee Town Council will consider an appeal filed in late April against a proposed Grocery Outlet store at its July 24 meeting, likely to restart debate of the effects new grocery stores will have on the Truckee area.

Town staff is expected to present a more in-depth study of traffic in the area conducted by LSC Transportation Consultants last month.



“We were asked by council to continue the item and go back and work with traffic consultants to see if there were additional mitigations to ensure traffic wouldn’t impact the street and parking wouldn’t flow over into the street,” said Town Manager Jeff Loux. He said there were no dramatic differences in analysis.

The Grocery Outlet was one of three grocery store proposals in Truckee, narrowed down to two when Nugget Markets pulled out of the Railyard project in March, upon approval of a Raley’s grocery store at Soaring Ranch.



Loux said he is not aware of a new tenant that will be taking over the Railyard building intended for Nugget Markets. However, development on the Railyard project is still moving forward.

No agreement on Raley’s project

Development of the Raley’s store has not run smoothly, as a lawsuit was filed against the town over the project approval in May. Petitioner on the lawsuit, Stefanie Olivieri, owner of Cabona’s, cited the lack of workforce housing the project would provide as reason for pursuing litigation.

In addition, Olivieri said the town should conduct a more in-depth study of how the development of the Grocery Outlet and Raley’s would affect the business of existing grocery stores.

Last month Art Chapman, the developer behind the Raley’s project, offered to add 150 housing units to the project. The building would also only be occupied with service companies such as banks, insurance agencies, real estate offices, cleaners or pharmacies, to avoid taking business away from downtown, Chapman said.

Loux said a settlement has still not been reached. A hearing for the case is set for November.

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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