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Letter to the editor: A key to Truckee’s housing shortage

If there were five 350-unit apartment buildings in Truckee, would we be talking about a housing shortage?

The town of Truckee regulations for building a multi-family project is rated R-12 on commercial land. This code allows only 12 units per acre and the average cost of commercial land is $1 million per acre. At the current zoning requirements, no apartment developer would consider building in Truckee or any other town.

In consideration of our current and future employee base, Truckee’s town council needs to take a hard look at this ordinance. They need to change the density to R-24 to R-32 (units per acre) and the housing market opens up. Supply and demand may even lower Truckee long-term rentals.



Can this be done with an appealing design as well? The answer is, yes, and one solution would be underground parking, which also reduces snow removal issues, “car blight,” and allows a higher density apartment complex.

This simple change to our housing ordinance can bring both a short-term and long-term solution to the housing crisis.



Mark Lowenstern

Truckee


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