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Major projects stuck behind General Plan update

David BunkerSierra Sun
Courtesy mapPlanned Community 3 (Joerger Ranch), planned for land surrounding the intersection of Brockway Road and Highway 267.
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The completion of Truckees new General Plan, scheduled for the end of 2006, will likely mean the launch of two of the largest development proposals Truckee has seen in years.Planned Communities 1 and 3, which have been on the drawing board for several years and now have formal applications in to the Town of Truckee, are waiting for the update of Truckees General Plan before they are reviewed.A proposed new policy, which will likely be adopted at the next town council meeting on Feb. 16, will allow the developers of the two proposals to continue compiling reports and studies that will be necessary in their review, as long as the progress does not interfere with the General Plan update. The new policy would take the place of an ordinance adopted in March of last year that said the two development projects could not jump ahead of the General Plan update and that Town of Truckee staffers would direct their resources toward the General Plan rather than the two planned communities. We want to keep our focus on the General Plan and not get sidetracked on these bigger projects, said Truckee Community Development Director John McLaughlin.Together the two development proposals include approximately 600 housing units, 250,000 square feet of commercial space, and 116,000 square feet for industrial uses.Truckees General Plan has been in update mode for more than three years now. The town is publishing final drafts of the plan and will begin formulating the environmental reports soon. Town officials expect the new plan to be in effect by the end of the year.But while the two planned communities have been slowed by the General Plan process, they are also dependent on the changes outlined in the new draft plan.Both of these project are relying on the General Plan update to move forward, McLaughlin said.Jim Porter, representing Planned Community 1 owner Teichert, said that the town shouldnt worry that Teicherts proposal will overtake the General Plan update.Were still in the starting gate, and the plan is coming down the home stretch, Porter said.Both Porter and John Renwick, who represents the Joerger family, owners of Planned Community 3, said the town should give the projects as much leeway as possible to continue background studies and technical reports so that the projects will not be delayed more.Its a very expensive delay and time consuming, Porter said. The town council discussed the new policy last week. They will review the policy after it is drafted and decide whether to accept it at their next regular meeting, McLaughlin said.Planned Community 3 could come to a decision as soon as six months after the General Plan is adopted, and Planned Community 1 could be up for review by the spring 2007, according to the town planning department.


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