Opinion: Martis Valley West is a bad idea
By Ann Nichols
It was a full house, around 250 people attended the Placer County Planning Commission meeting at Granlibakken on June 9.
Placer County staff requested approval of the contentious Martis Valley West project, which consists of a gated community of 760 units (1,900 new folks at least) and 6 acres of commercial plopped in the forest on top of Highway 267.
Never mind that the Truckee Tahoe Airport, Tahoe Area Sierra Club, Mountain Area Preservation, North Tahoe Preservation Alliance, Friends of the West Shore, Sierra Watch and the League to Save Lake Tahoe all requested denial of the project.
Forty members of the public spoke, but only two said they were in favor: the wife of the developer and Eugene Roeder, who is a member of the North Tahoe Regional Municipal Advisory Council. Additionally, over 5,000 petition signatures have been collected and delivered, requesting no Tahoe basin or ridgeline development.
To paraphrase:
The meeting lasted 6.5 hours, yet around 100 passionate Tahoe lovers stuck it out the entire time. Yes, it was painful especially when the developer’s attorney and other representatives had the final word after public testimony.
The spin narrative was continued and they failed to answer the Planning Commission’s legitimate concerns: Oh, no sir, you won’t see Lake Tahoe from 75-foot-tall condominiums on the Tahoe basin boundary line.
Right commissioner, we won’t build affordable housing on site, we’d rather contribute money into a fund to build it somewhere else.
The project site isn’t appropriate for affordable housing. Absolutely, we will pay into a fund to add two more lanes on Highway 267 that is currently inadequately funded. No worries sirs, there is a plan to evacuate the east side of Placer County … everyone leaves on Highway 267.
Once again the developer, Mountainside Partners, formerly East-West Partners, downplayed its current additive application for the 550-space adjacent [proposed] Brockway Campground. Which, when you add the 550 spaces (870,000 square feet of soil disturbance) to the 760 units (11 million square feet of disturbance) there really is no reduction in potential development.
June 9 was a red flag day for fire danger, and conspicuously absent at the meeting were representatives of the fire departments. The evacuation study by LSC claims 1.3 to 1.5 hours to evacuate the project in case of fire; however, the document doesn’t consider in the mix if Kings Beach and Incline Village have to evacuate at the same time.
The questionable emergency preparedness study done by Mountainside Partners also claims everyone evacuating will be directed by their staff turn left from the project toward Truckee. Their staff will have to be extremely brave souls. The emergency preparedness study by Mountainside Partners assumes just one fire scenario and doesn’t consider a wind-driven event, which makes their plan useless.
At the end of the hearing, the commission elected to delay approval until they could have a hearing attended by Caltrans, U.S. Forest Service and the North Tahoe and Northstar fire districts.
They considered not allowing public comment. Wow. Larry Sevison, commissioner, tried to orchestrate an approval anyway which deferred the issues of fire evacuation and traffic congestion until later subsequent project approvals.
Luckily for Lake Tahoe/Truckee, that idea didn’t succeed. These significant environmental impacts must be sorted out now.
By the way, Mountainside Partners claims it won’t consider a smaller project. They must build 760 units or the project won’t be financially feasible due to high infrastructure costs.
Hmmm, maybe the project concept of building in the middle of the forest on a ridge far from any existing development or infrastructure is a bad idea. What do you think? There’s a concept for you.
Contact Gov. Jerry Brown, maybe he’ll listen if Placer County won’t:
Subject: Martis Valley West Project
Governor Jerry Brown, c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173, Sacramento, CA 95814; phone — 916.445.2841; fax — 916.558.3160; email — https://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/webmail.php
Ann Nichols is a 39-year North Lake Tahoe resident and is president of the North Tahoe Preservation Alliance.
No, No and More NO. When is Mega Ski corp. going to figure out We the people who live and Love Lake Tahoe do not want this kind of Corporate Development Raping our Mountains. Would this Development benefit anyone other than Mega Corp.?
If you don’t want the project buy the land so it can’t be developed.
Carl
That’s it!!! MONEY MONEY MONEY
The bottom line is all that matters then MOVE ON leaving the mess that has been created.
Larry Sevison should resign, or whoever appointed him should be recalled. He’s appointed by the Placer County supervisor that represents the lake.
Carl, buying the land will set a scary precedent for every time a developer brings forth a bad proposal for development with expectation that maybe they can just get $$$$ for any ridiculous proposal.
This is a Tahoe boundary ridge line with impacts to Tahoe scenic views. This is not within the boundaries of Northstar Village. The Martis Valley Community Plan update in 2003 allows this development on the East parcel where there will be no violation of Tahoe view-shed. Ask the developer why they do not want to build where they have the entitlements?
This is no precedent Federal, State and local government as well as environmental groups, and neighbors buy land, trade land, acquire land every day in this country in an effort to preserve it.
If it’s that important not to develop the parcels then buy it.
However–some land that is NOT available now maybe available in the future–insider trading or something of the sort comes to mind.
Insider trading refers to inside information that is not available to the public with regard to public companies and trading thier stock. This issue and the buying of land to preserve it has nothing to do with insider trading.
…inside information that is not available to the ‘public’….a lot of that goes on here at Lake Tahoe between counties, cities and state agencies and employees.
You said insider trading not information.
Carl its the same thing. The word Smith will try to make you believe it’s different. Insider trading inside information, it’s the same thing.
If the project site is just a poor place to develop, never been anticipated to be developed, is currently zoned for timber production, etc. as with Martis Valley West, then the expectation that a land trust, private citizens, etc. is extortion.
East West Partners and SPI should build where the MVCP planned for it to be built not atop a ridgeline where skyglow, difficult evacuation, etc. will occur! Even worse is the mitigation fees from this project and others go into a black hole and affordable housing, infrastructure upgrades, etc. never get done!
Insider trading is an SEC violation and is against the law. It’s actually acting on information to enrich oneself. Having “inside information” or information that is not public yet on some political or business issue is not. There is inside information in every public and private organization.
Carl, Your diving yourself deeper in your hole.
No I am not Lou just taking the time to help you understand the difference.
Not to drag this thing out but so as not to have to dispute the definition of ‘is’…so to speak, in my initial post
“…insider trading or something of the sort”….is what was said.
The GIST was all geez! One of the points here is that we the MOST people, living everyday normal do not have the wherewithal to get into the ‘special language’ of any particular discipline!
Point…most of the people in charge are CROOKS period and they need to be dealt with accordingly.
GEEZ
Robin Smith:
I may be wrong but I thought I’d read that you were once a teacher/educator. Is that correct? If you did teach, where did that occur and at what grade level(s).
Thank you.
P.S. I fully anticipate a non-response from you but I thought I’d ask the question anyway.
Robin you make allegations that those in charge are crooks. If you have specific knowledge or have a specific allegation I am sure the public and the District Attorney would be interested in that information.
Carl, I do not know of any people in charge that are crooks, but some of the people they deal with surely are, you know.
Lou my comment was not directed to you.’it was Robin who made the comment about crooks. If you have specific knowledge the public and the DA I am sure would be interested otherwise this is a non issue.
This is an open public forum and anyone that subscribes to LTN is allowed to comment unless administration cuts them off for being rude.
Anyway that’s what I thought. The comments I make are for the general public/readers of LTN Carl. I will not address anyone directly again.
The DA knows exactly who the crooks are.
PUBLIC SPEAK UP!!!