Community
Overwhelming enthusiasm behind Truckee Railyard project passage
Truckee
Remember the (now oft-copied) scene in Annie Hall — Alvy and Annie's first encounter on her rooftop. Musings on benign philosophies, photography and rent control turned into a subtitled conversation about individual hopes, deficiencies and insecurities.
...It was kind of like that at Truckee Town Hall Wednesday — sans subtitles ...or subtleties.
More on that in a second.
The Truckee Railyard project, Truckee's biggest proposed downtown development, in, well — ever, passed unanimously and not by just a simple majority. To a person, literally every Truckee council member and resident (but for the one on behalf of one of the token Basin groups using the words 'Friends of' threatening litigation) spoke in favor of the project.
Twenty years ago, the lumber mill on the east edge of downtown Truckee closed. Historically, the site was used for transcontinental railroad operations and is still home to a number of artifacts like the historic rotary snow blower car which used to plow railroad tracks — you know ...back when it snowed in Truckee.
In 2004, Emeryville-based Holliday Development, known infill developer behind the 220,000-square-foot Emeryville Warehouse and San Francisco's 355 Bryant Street — loft spaces born from run-down industrial buildings, purchased the property — all 21 historic and contaminated acres of railyard detritus ...for redevelopment.
Truckee's master plan calls for 125k commercial square feet, 30k square feet of office space, 250 lodging units and 100 residential units on the site. Developer and part-time Truckee resident Rick Holliday was more than happy to oblige.
"This is Truckee's plan," Holliday told the Truckee Town Council moments before passage of the project. "With respect to (attorneys for Friends of Truckee) this is sort of a 'gotcha'."
Holliday's 'Gotcha' moment was preceded by a conga line of Truckee townspeople throwing up plaudits for the project — and, no matter what it was actually coming from their mouths, the Woody Allen subtitles surely read: "We need an economic shot in the arm ...big time. Save us Rick Holliday."
Now the real soundbyte highlights:
Kathleen 'First Mayor of Truckee' Egan: "This is the most important opportunity to come in front of the town in decades. Fourteen years ago we set out a vision with what the abandoned railyard could become. Our town stood by its dream. We have the rare opportunity to do the impossible...."
Art 'I think JMA's still redeveloping Homewood, maybe' Chapman: "I head a fairly large orgniazation over the last 25 years has been involved in millions of square feet of retail. We are going through a very difficult economic time, some say most difficult since Depression. Tuckee began to lose market share and retail well before the economic downturn happened. it started to lose market share because of Squaw and Northstar. Truckee, Tahoe City cannot compete. They don't have the critical mass. Once you lose market share, it's like falling off a cliff. As hard as you swim in the air, it takes you to the bottom."
Craig 'Yet another Truckee Mayor' Threshie: "...We would be making a crucial mistake if we were to stop its progress now. I consider myself a friend of the railyard master plan."
Mike 'I've lived in Truckee longer than ...anyone' Dunsford: "This project is a gift. Rick Holliday is a gift.
"This is just amazing to have a project of this scale and scope — and this responsible planning. There are currently 407 lots in Truckee for sale on the Truckee MLS. ...657 residences listed in Truckee community. It is going to take years, irrespective of this recession, for the market to absorb that inventory. This project parallels and supports investment and growth and the downtown that is the engine room of our community."
Siobhan 'I'm the lone dissenter/true Friend of Truckee - and I will sue you' Smart: "Although you have enormous support — we have (more than) 1,000 responses: business owners, property owners. We're not opposed to development but concerned about traffic pattern."
Quote of the evening belonged to commercial Realtor Dunsford: "(Dissenting group) Friends of Truckee has a nice ring to it, but it's a misnomer. ...Like the North Tahoe Citizen Action Alliance.
"Frankly, I think (the) goal (of these groups) is to continue the North Shore's downhill slide. Their opposition to projects, their liitigation has brought the North Shore to its knees. Hopefully, Friends of Truckee will look at (those actions) as unproductive."
Holliday, perhaps giddy in victory, reached out to the naysayers: "People who aren't happy, they want to file a lawsuit — so be it," he said. "We'll sit down — Friends of Truckee have a new lawyer. I'm always an optimist — and we'll take an opportunity to find common ground."
First Friday at Brickelltown is back... just in time for fall
9/02/10, 8:18 am, By Alanna Hughes
- 4 p.m. Friday in Brickelltown
- Bring your cruiser bike (cheaper/better peeps than Burning Man)
Ski Porn season kicks off at Squaw Sept. 18 with Standard premiere
8/31/10, 9:22 pm, By S. Cowley
- North Shore-based snowboard heavies preimere 'The Storming' Saturday, Sept. 18
- Monster'll be there too...
Sorry Burning Man - it's all about the Ski Loft Tent Sale
8/30/10, 7:52 pm, Staff Report
- 8 a.m. Friday
- Bring all your pennies... (what's left of 'em)
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Basin Bargain Basement - The bargain of bargains
8/29/10, 8:59 pm, By A. Pridgen
- $105k for starter condo in KB
- Yes, we toured a similar unit in '06 for more than $300k ...actually, maybe it WAS this unit
Bomber pre-season ski sales from local manufacturers
8/25/10, 7:50 am, Staff Report
- From Praxis Powderboards to Moment Rubys ...to a surprise entry
- It's time to buy local... buy new
Skiing is no more
8/22/10, 11:47 am, Staff Report
- RIP Skiing Magazine
- ...Are you next, SKI?
Date set for 7th annual Downtown Truckee Wine Walk And Shop
8/22/10, 9:25 am, Switchback PR
- Filling up that fall calendar yet?!
- Well, here's where to start
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Squaw to host SATELite Festival in September
8/22/10, 7:28 am, By A. Richmond
- New outdoor(ish) event pronounced 'satellite' ...not 'Sate-lite' like we orig. thought
- ...Not 100 percent sure what it is — but ncludes wine, so we'll be there
Tahoe Mountain Sports gets you warm for Ski Loft tent sale
8/20/10, 6:44 pm, By Lis Korb
- First come tent sales... then ski porn premiers
- Then (gulp) snow... are you ready?!
Legendary Incline bear featured in WSJ
8/18/10, 8:31 pm, Staff Report
- Free BUBBA
- That's right - It's our fault... not the bear's... but is that what the Journal thinks?!
Trail Building Backcountry Camps
8/17/10, 8:49 pm, TRTA
- Get on those trails
- ...and get your build on Saturday and Sunday (and again Labor Day weekend)
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Win an iPad from IVGID
8/15/10, 7:03 pm, Staff Report
- Golf, ski, beach, compute
- repeat
Squaw creates new top marketing position... sale rumors spark again
8/10/10, 8:18 pm, Staff Report
- Wait, Squaw CREATED a position...
- Ok, something's definitely going down... (25-year industry vet Scott Clarkson tapped as VP of Marketing and Sales)
Jim's trip ...halfway... round The Rim
8/07/10, 1:16 pm, By. A. Pridgen
- Hammerel raises triple his goal amt. to benefit the TRT
- ...and tears up his knee
Volunteer trail-building workdays with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association
8/05/10, 7:45 am, TRTA
- You heard about Jim Hammerel's mission to speed-traverse the TRT
- Now you can pitch in too
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Goodbye Norm
8/03/10, 8:08 pm, By A. Pridgen
- The Godfather of Incline, Norm Rosenberg, passes - he was 92
- Incline's left-leaning champion leaves legacy ...starting with the library
Test drive a Tesla... before it's too late
8/01/10, 9:30 pm, By A. Pridgen
- Tesla, the Palo Alto-based electric car company has gone through more than $300 million VC $
- ...but still hasn't tapped into Uncle Sam's reserves for the Model S - go check it out at the Hyatt
Sugar Bowl dining room and Belt Room Bar open for business
7/30/10, 10:22 am, By John Monson
- Good grub, great views
- And nothing beats Belt Room post PCT
Ultimate Frisbee - ultimate course
7/27/10, 8:56 pm, By A. Richmond
- Squaw opens disc golf course
- Signature hole (no. 4) has 1080' downhill... wow
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Squaw's MTB park open for first time since '03
7/23/10, 7:22 pm, By Amelia Richmond
- 2k feet of single-track
- 'K, we're in
Remembering Kenny Guinn
7/22/10, 10:08 pm, Staff Report
- The man who created the Milennium Scholarship and SNPLMA passed away Thursday
- Guinn, who oversaw Nevada during its most prosperous years, was 73
Lokal boy makes good - former PlumpJack star Edge shines in Sonoma
7/20/10, 6:23 pm, By A. Pridgen
- Rick Edge takes saucy edge down to downtown Sonoma
- Lokal is the (new) place to be and PlumpJack alum makes it so
Tahoe skier visits were estimated to be up 17 percent last winter
7/19/10, 8:40 am, Staff Report
- Numbers of skiers on the hill increased - but overall spending stayed modest
- Cheap passes the plan again for 2010-'11
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Cushing steps down from Squaw post ...rumors of sale sparked
7/13/10, 6:06 pm, Staff Report
- Former Intrawest exec takes over
- ...Rumor mill turning overtime: is Cushing family getting ready to bounce?
TRPA's Asian clam bake
7/11/10, 9:19 pm, By Jeff Cowen
- $1.4 million effort to eradicate invasive species from the lake...
- And it involves (no joke) laying a rubber mat on the lake's floor... hi-tech
Kids' zip line at Squaw ...Boo ya
7/08/10, 5:12 pm, By A. Richmond
- KT zip line
- What about for the grown-ups?!
Just like that ...red flags are up
7/06/10, 6:22 pm, Staff Report
- Three-year anniversary of Angora looms ever-present
- Thunderstorms Wednesday/Thursday portend danger
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Nevada County approves PR firm's contract the same week it OKs budget cuts
6/30/10, 9:19 pm, Staff Report
- Wait a minute - you're saying Tahoe will spend more than a million dollars this year on, sloganeering...
- Meantime, budget cuts include child care, welfare-to-work and MediCal programs ...nice
Truckee's Lautner drops a PCT hiking book
6/28/10, 8:55 pm, Staff Report
- 32 eco-friendly trips on the Sierra stretch of the PCT ...with GPS coordinates
- Two thumbs up - pick it up...
Lake Tahoe Based Russian-American Partnership turns 20
6/24/10, 11:27 am, By TBI
- Tahoe-Baikal Institute celebrates two decades of watershed protection and cultural exchange
- Political and economic ups and downs notwithstanding
Tour de Nez photo gallery
6/22/10, 8:20 pm
- The weekend that was from Reno to Northstar
- And lots of Nash
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Rebuild the Rim Trail every summer Saturday
6/11/10, 9:07 pm, TRTA
- Start summer right by giving your most precious gift
- ...Your time
TRPA tries to clarify
6/01/10, 8:30 pm, By Dennis Oliver
- So, what, if anything, does this have to do with Boulder Bay?!
- ...More importantly how 'bout that casino (strip club?) corridor...
Opinion ...TRPA ensures Tahoe times they area a-changin'
5/22/10, 8:35 pm, By Ann Nichols
- Density to increase under proposed TRPA regional plan
- But, will they build it (or will they come?)
TAUs on the table from TRPA
5/14/10, 10:08 pm, Staff Report
- If you don't understand the headline
- ...Go the the May 26 meeting and you'll see puh-lenty
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Cal Neva now in TRPA doghouse
5/09/10, 6:49 pm, Staff Report
- TRPA will handle foreclosed property with kid gloves over more than a decade of flunking its eco report card
- Time to blow everything up but the casino floor, Sinatra Showroom, the lakefront cabins and the Indian Room
Celebrate National Trails Day with the Tahoe Rim Trail
5/06/10, 5:33 pm, TRTA
- Build a trail
- ...Get a free lunch
Save Martis Valley - one click at a time
5/04/10, 7:13 pm, By Renee Deinken
- Well, it's not like Martis Valley is in any danger of getting developed by broke-ass East/West
- ...But still good to preserve; Check out the new site
LTVA spends almost a mil. on slogan ending in preposition
5/02/10, 8:21 pm, By A. Pridgen
- That's right, your new slogan to lure Affliction-wearing d-bags to Stateline's new strip club
- ...'Get your vacation on' (ohh noo). Inside: Our five (free) slogan suggestions ...Holla
REI Cookware - Ticker
- REI Cookware specials
Cost of doing nothing too high for Tahoe
4/29/10, 8:22 pm, By Joanne Marchetta
- If you can make it through TRPA director's tome...
- We'll have resident feedback for you Friday
No downhill slide for Diamond Peak
4/09/10, 7:00 am, Staff Report
- While others founder
- ...DP in the black and breaking ground on new $4 million admin/ticket/locker/child ski center building
Foreclosed Cal Neva casino goes dark ...for good
3/24/10, 10:32 pm, By A. Pridgen
- One year after 'no-sale' at a foreclosure auction and interim management team shuts down Nevada's most legendary casino
- ...Sad, sad day... Casino doors to shut March 31 - rest of Basin gaming on life support
And yes ...the KB roundabouts were originally scheduled to be complete this summer
1/27/10, 9:35 pm, Staff Report
- Tahoe Regional Planning Agency board votes unanimously (again) to approve three-lane/roundabouts in KB
- ...Yes, you've heard that (here) before
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