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Chapter 8 NOISE

ASettineNoise is usually defined as unwanted sound Any sound that may produce physiological or

psychological damage andor interfere with human communication work rest recreation or

sleep is considered to be noise People now recognize that noise has become an environmental

pollutant that can threaten their quality of life

Sound energies and intensities are measured in decibels dBA that are weighted to correct for

aInterstate 80 defines the northern boundary of the DSA Noise levels at 50 feet from this source

of noise are estimated to be 70 dBA This level of noise is generally considered tobe

incompatible with the residential land uses located in this area Because the highway is raised

above most of these homes they aze not within a direct line of sight to the freeway and the noiselevels they are subjected toare reduced somewhat

the relative frequency response of the human ear For example anAweighted noise level

includes adeemphasis on high frequencies ofsound that can be heard by the canine ear but not

by ahuman ear The zero on the decibel scale is based on the lowest sound level that ahealthyunimpaired human ear can detect Unlike other units such as inches or pounds decibels are

measured on a logarithmic scale representing points on a sharply rising curve The decibel

system ofmeasuring sound gives arough connection between the physical intensity of sound and

its perceived loudness to the human eaz Ambient sounds generally range from 30 dBA veryquiet to 100 dBA very loud

The major sources of noise in the DSA include automobile truck and train traffic Downtown

Truckee is noisier than most downtowns as a result ofthe regular freight and passenger train

activity that occurs in the heart of the DSA at all hours ofthe day and night and from the

freeway traffic onI80 The noise level of a freight train at adistance of 50 feet can be more than

e 80 decibels dBA A busy street has a noise level of 75 dBA at a similaz distance These noiselevels aze generally considered tobe compatible with mostnonresidential uses however and

usually pose no real problems to the commercial uses in this azea Actually the train activity in

the DSA is often a benefit to the historical atmosphere and therefore the tourist economy of the

Town The speed of both vehicles and trains as they pass through downtown Truckee are

generally slow and therefore they are not as loud as they otherwise might be

B Evaluation GuidelinesEnvironmental impacts that are associated with noise will be evaluated against the General Plan

Noise Element and the associated projected noise levels specifically Standazds contained in

General Plan Table 61 for land use compatibility with noise Noise impacts will also be

evaluated against the standards for acceptable sitespecific noise levels depending on land use

type which are outlined below

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Physical damage tohuman hearing begins at prolonged exposure to more than 85 decibels

Exposure tohigh noise levels effects our entire system with prolonged noise exposure in excess

of75 decibels increasing body tension affecting blood pressure functions ofthe heart and the

nervous system Extended periods of noise exposure above 90 dBA will result in permanent cell

damage A sound level of 190 dBA will rupture the ear drum and permanently damage the inner

ear

Noise impacts are be considered to be significant if any ofthe following conditions exist

exterior noise levels in outdoor activity areas reach 65 dBA CNEL at any residential land use or

75 dBA CNEL at office industrial commercial or recreational land uses If and when it has

been determined that noise levels of these magnitudes could be realized appropriate mitigationmeasures will be required to be implemented that reduce noise to below these levels

C ImpactsNoise impacts due to buildout of the DSA Specific Plan aze anticipated to be primarily associated

with rail and roadway traffic noise However increased noise levels resulting from the

intensification of land uses could also occur In addition there will almost certainly be short term

noise impacts that result from construction activities associated with DSA development All of

these noise impacts will add to the existing noise environment which consists mainly of noise

from the following sources Interstate 80 State Route 267 Donner Pass Road West River Streetand the Union Pacific LIP railroad line The Specific Plan land uses have been designed to

separate highlevel noise generators from sensitive noise receptors and design review

development standards will be established to require landscaping and screening between noise

generators and sensitive noise receptors Noise impacts will be further mitigated by measures

listed under D below

The Town ofTruckee General Plan noise analysis identifies future General Plan Buildout noise

contours for major noise generators in the DSA These noise contours are identified in Table 62

ofthe General Plan Noise Element hereby incorporated by reference Based on the location of

the future 65 dBA CNEL noise contours there is a likelihood that new residential developmentcould be proposed in areas subject tonoise levels higher than 65 dB CNEL Such azeas include

residentially designated properties neazI80and the Railroad tracks and mixed use propertieswith a residential component along Donner Pass Road and West River Street

The mill site located east of the lumber yard and north of the Truckee River is subject to

combined noise from planes depazting from the airport and neazby railroad activity Residential

uses should be limited to interior locations where noise can be blocked by intervening buildingsto reduce exterior noise levels to 65 CNEL Because it is not possible to foresee all the

permissible uses and associated noise sources which may be proposed within the DSA a more

detailed analysis ofpotential noise sources and resulting noise levels will need to be conducted

when sitespecific projects are proposed

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D Mitigation Measures

The following Specific Plan noise policies will reduce noise impacts to less than significantlevels

Specific Plan Chapter 7 Section 7D policies 1 through 4

In addition to the mitigation measures set forth above the Town of Truckee General Plan NoisePolicies contained in the Noise Element are incorporated by reference into this document as

further mitigation for potential noise impacts

Downtown Truckee Specific Plan Draft Environmental mpact Report 83

Chapter 9 BIOLOGICAL AND SCENIC RESOURCES

A Settine

The majority of the DSA is relatively flat The extreme southern and northern portions ofthe

study area beyond Jibboom Street around the cemetery the residential area between

Commercial Row andI80 as well as portions of the Hilltop area are she only areas of

significant slope The Truckee River runs through the entire length of the DSA and Trout Creek

flows through the eastern portion before draining into the Truckee River The riparian areas inand surrounding these waterways support the majority of the significant habitats for wildlife and

vegetation in the DSA Because of the elevation climate and topography ofthe DSApopulations ofplants and animals present are consistent with those of the Canadian Life Zone

Specific species are listed below

Vegetation Types and Patterns

The riparian areas and woodlands in and around the DSA are highly valued for wildlife habitatswatershed protection erosion control open space aesthetic and scenic amenities and recreation

A wide variety of vegetation types and patterns exist in these undeveloped areas These

undeveloped willands are located in the extreme southeastern portion ofthe DSA subarea 4Truckee River corridor

Typical examples ofnative trees in and around the DSA include Jeffrey Pine Lodgepole PinePinion Pine Incense Cedar Alder Willow Cottonwood and Aspen Besides trees there are

many species ofshrubs and bushes and that are native to the DSA Among these are SagebrushBitterbrush Butterbrush Mountain Mahogany Utah Juniper Corn Lily Buckwheat Shrub Peaand Fireweed

The diversities and densities of the various vegetation communities are perhaps most importantbecause ofthe habitat value that they provide Among the uses these habitats provide are

foraging nesting hiding breeding fawning etc

2 WildlifeThere is an abundance of wildlife in and around the DSA Specifically wildlife species that have

habitats in and near the DSA include Deer Desert Jack Rabbit American Badger BeaverPocket Mouse Kangaroo Rat Ground Squirrel Chipmunk Mule Deer Chickaree LongToedSalamander Pacific Tree Frog YellowLegged Frog Western Fence Lizard Sagebrush LizardHorned Lizard and Western Rattlesnake Wildlife movement corridors generally consist of

areas ofcontinuous undisturbed vegetation such as the riparian corridor along the Truckee River

Among the various species of birds that occupy the area are Turkey Vulture NighthawkAmerican Dipper Bandtailed Pigeon Darkeyed Junco Mountain Chickadee Mountain

Bluebird American Robin TownsendsSolitaire Stellars Jay Pinion Jay Chipping SparrowSong Sparrow CliffSwallow Redbreasted Nuthatch BlackBilled Magpie Grey FlycatcherVesper Sparrow Blue Sparrow Willow Fly Catcher Northern Goshawk Black Swifr and

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Yellow Warbler

Fish that can be found in the waterways associated with the DSA include Eastern Brook TroutMackinaw Trout Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Lahontan Mountain Ephemeral Trout and

Lahontan Lake Trout While it is true that there are habitat areas in eastern Nevada County for

certain plant and animal species known to be rare threatened endangered or sensitive forinstance Plumas ivesia Tahoe yellow cress Sierra Nevada red fox wolverine American

peregrine falcon Northern spotted owl Yellow warbler Black swift Willow flycatcher and

Northern goshawk and that it is possible that these species could occasionally occur in the studyarea it is important to note that none of these habitat areas nor the associated species have

been confirmed to exist within the boundaries of the DSA Chapter 9 ofthe Existing Conditions

Report Specific Plan volumeIcontains further information regarding the biological inventoryof the DSA as it exists today This documentation is incorporated by reference into this report

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3 Scenic Resources

Scenic resources are ofgreat importance in Truckee because of the quality of life they provideand their indirect economic benefits from the tourist economy Significant visual resources

include prominent ridgelines open vistas streams and river views Scenic detriments to such

resources include litter and pollution vandalized areas blighted development unsightly signsand billboards and unscreened storage areas The most obvious areas where scenic detriments

exist include East River Street where there are several unscreened storage areas for heavyequipment abandoned vehicles and assorted junk West River Street also contains several

industrial land uses that create scenic detriments such as unscreened outdoor storage Perhapsthe worst example this kind ofproblem is the standard practice of placing unsightly billboards at

the gateway entrances to Downtown Truckee

4 Water QualityExisting water quality within the DSA is currently impaired by a number ofdifferent sources

The maintenance ofroadways and vehicular traffic serves as asignificant source ofpollutantsSalt and sand used on streets and highways during winter months are introduced into surface

runoffduring snowmelt and precipitation events Vehicle emissions and lubricating agents which

leak from vehicles also contribute to the degradation of surface runoff quality Automotive

combustion effluents containing nitrogen oxides are discharged into the atmosphere and onto

roadway surfaces These pollutants are then introduced into surface runoff through atmosphericdeposition or dissolution into runoff Fertilizers pesticides herbicides and litter and debris are

also significant sources ofpollution associated with urban land use Presently much of the

stormwater runoffproduced in the DSA is discharged directly into the Truckee River or Trout

Creek The rest percolates through the soil and into groundwater

B Evaluation Guidelines

1 Vegetation Wildlife Potential impacts to biotic communities will be evaluated on the basis

of reduction in the extent diversity or quality ofnative vegetation and animal species as well

as their associated habitats Because it is not possible to determine the precise numbers ofplants

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and animals affected by adoption of the Specific Plan careful tracking ofbiotic resources will be

essential in identifying mitigating and monitoring impacts that effect them

2 Scenic Resources The determination of impact significance relating to scenic resources is

perhaps the most subjective ofall analyses because people have differing opinions as to what

constitutes a visual asset or detriment In general scenic resources will be adverserly affected bylocation of prominent buildings on undeveloped ridgelines new or expanded unsightly land uses

visible from public roads and clear cutting ofnative vegetation and mass pad grading

3 Water Quality All new development can potentially cause changes in percolation ratesdrainage patterns flood flows contamination levels andor runoff amounts Any of these typesof impacts will be classified as potentially significant water quality impact requiring mitigation

C Impacts1 Vegetation Wildlife There is a potential for significant impacts tobiological resources as a

result of increased development in the DSA because of the wide range ofplant and animal

species and habitat present particulazly along the ripazian corridors ofthe Truckee River and its

tributaries Examples of such possible impacts include removal of sensitive riparian habitat the

invasion of exotic plants increased human use of fragile habitat disturbances by domestic dogs

tand cats and the dispersion ofpollutants through runoff into the storm drain system or DSA

waterways Other potential impacts relative tobiological resources include wildlife disturbance

created by increased noise and lighting and increased erosion and sedimentation to DSA

waterways resulting in a degradation of fish habitat

The maintenance of healthy riparian habitats is essential for the viability ofthe plants and

animals that rely on them Riparian vegetation is critical to maintaining healthy fisheries Loss

of riparian vegetation leads tobank erosion reduction of wildlife habitat overheating ofriverwaters and ultimately reduced water quality Within the DSA areas of valuable riparian habitatexist along the Truckee River and its tributaries of Trout Creek and Donner Creek Portions of

the existing habitat along Trout creek are heavily degraded by channelization and fill

aencroachment In some areas of the Truckee River the riparian habitat has been removed tomake

way for residential lawns Specific Plan policies have been developed to ensure that new

development does not further degrade the riparian habitat present in the DSA Furthermorepolicies have been added to encourage habitat improvement along these waterways

2 Scenic Resources Impacts to scenic and visual resources occur when buildings aze located

prominently on previously undeveloped ridges or in scenic azeas with little regard for blendingwith the surrounding environment Implementation of the identified specific plan policies which

strive toensure compatible designs will mitigate these potential adverse visual impacts to a less

than significant level On the whole however impacts to scenic resources that result from

adoption ofthe Specific Plan will be beneficial The mountains surrounding the DSA will be

unaffected for the most part while the visual quality ofthe study area itself should actually be

improved by the implementation of Specific Plan Design Guidelines as well as other measures

Downtown Truckee Specific Plan DraftEnvironmental Impact Report 93

intended to remedy existing visual clutter inappropriate billboards and blight

h lif ie Ca orn3 Water Quality According to t a Regional Water Quality Control Board

Lahontan the beneficial usesof the Truckee River include most types of water supplyrecreation wildlife habitat ground water recharge and hydropower generation While the

majority of these uses occur outside of the DSA activities and events that affect water qualitythat occur within the DSA will have an impact on downstream waters Therefore improvedtreatment ofrunoff will be a necessary component of mitigation where water quality is concerned

see impacts and mitigation measures below Development resulting from implementation of the

Specific Plan as well as previously existing development may result in the disturbance of the

watershedsnatural system Such development interferes with the natural drainage process in

three ways First the removal ofvegetative cover decreases the infiltration rate increases the

amount of surface water runoff and erosion and decreases the uptake of nutrients by plantsSecond an increase in impervious surfaces such as parking lots decreases infiltration andincreases surface runoff which in turn increases erosion Third unstable conditions are created

by areas left bare and by cut and fill slopes which also increase downstream runoff and sediment

loads Impacts resulting from increased surface runoff deposition siltation erosion and

modification ofdrainage channels and patterns are potentially significant without mitigation

D Mitigation Measures

The following Specific Plan policies will mitigate potentially significant impacts on biologicaland scenic resources and water quality to a less than significant level

Specific Plan Chapter 2 Section 2B policy 3

Section 2G policies17910

Specific Plan Chapter 7 Section 7B policies 1 through 7

Section 7C policies 1 2

Section 7F policies 1 2

Specific Plan Chapter 9 Section 9C policy 4

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1 Chapter 10 CULTURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES

A Bettina

t1 Historic BackgroundThe Town of Truckee is one of the richest locations in California in terms of the density and

variety of both cultural and historic resources Virtually all of the Town is considered moderately

tto extremely sensitive with regard to the presence of cultural resources The DSA is home to a

high concentration of structures that have historical significance These historic structures are

preserved and incorporated into modern Town life in the historic district of downtown Truckee

Areas that are moderately sensitive in terms ofcultural resources tend to be associated with hill

slopes Areas that are flatter but removed from water sources tend to be ofhigh cultural

sensitivity Many areas along the Townswaterways particularly flatter areas are of extreme

cultural sensitivity The precise locations of these resources particularly prehistoricarchaeological sites from the Martis and other cultures are considered confidential These

locations are only released by the State Archaeological Information Center toqualifiedarchaeologists doing site specific surveys

Historic as defined by WebstersNew Collegiate Dictionary is something of relating to or

having the character of history with history comprising past events ofan institution or location

8The Town of Truckee is one of the richest locations in California in terms of the density and

variety ofrecorded cultural resources Virtually all of the Town is considered moderately to

extremely sensitive in terms of cultural resources In order to regulate future development in thehistoric district in 1982 the Nevada County Board of Supervisors established a Historic

Preservation District for the Truckee Downtown area and adopted historic design guidelinesThese historic design guidelines represent the historic period dating from the late 1800s throughthe eazly 1900s Historic planning districts are established toensure that new buildings aze

compatible with the existing historic buildings in the azea For planning purposes the

established time period provides the current definition for historic in the DSA and the type of

buildings built in this time period provide the base guidelines for the architectural design of new

structures in the historic district

The modern history of Truckee begins in 1863 when GraysToll Station later renamed CoburnStation was founded in the Downtown area Like many western towns that were founded in the

19th century the streets of the hastily renamed Town of Truckee were roughly laid out in a

rectangulaz grid pattern pazallel to the railroad tracks Because Donner Pass Road was the street

next to the railroad tracks and was the regional access road it became the main street of

commerce and activity of the town Numerous commercial buildings were constructed along the

north side of Donner Pass Road immediately west of Bridge Street In order towithstand the furyof the numerous fires which swept the town throughout its history many ofthese commercial

buildings were constructed of brick In addition some of these commercial buildings are two

stories in height The south side ofDonner Pass Road is Southern Pacific railroad rightofway

Downtown Truckee Specific Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report 101

d d levean opment on this side of the street was not as forthcoming as the north side A railroad

freight depot and passenger depot which are still standing and in use were built in this area

The north side ofDonner Pass Road from Bridge Street to the Cottage Hotel is the area most

developed with historic structures with more than 90of the street frontage occupied byhistoric buildings Further to the west along Donner Pass Road aresidential neighborhoodknown as Brickelltown arose in the area previously occupied by the original Coburnsstation

Some of the oldest residences aze found in Brickelltown The Church Street neighborhoodprovided another residential azea for eazly Truckee and also was home to the Methodist Churchand Catholic Church The Townsoldest structure Grayslog cabin built in 1863 was relocatedto the Church Street neighborhood in 1903 The construction of Highway 267 in 1949

significantly impacted the cohesiveness of the neighborhood by bisecting the neighborhood The

eastern end ofthe neighborhood has slowly eroded with only two historic structures remaining

hBy t e 1870 s the area between the railroad tracks and the Truckee River was developing with a

mixture ofresidences and commercial structures The existing historic structures ofthe River

Street neighborhoods are varied in age and architectural type because of several fires which

resulted in their rebuilding The area south of the Truckee River developed as the neighborhoodfor TruckeesChinese residents The Chinese were soon forced out of the Town and the

Chinatown South Truckeeand South River neighborhoods became home to new businesses and

residences There are only four remaining historic structures in these neighborhoods includingthe only remaining historic structure ofthe Chinese community the Herb Shop on the corner ofHwy 267 and East South River Street

By 1885 the town had quickly expanded to the hilly terrain north ofDonner Pass Road Thisazea became a prime residential neighborhood because of the southern exposure and view of the

Downtown area The Burckhaulter Area along Bridge Street and Keiser Avenue was developedin the 1870sand contains some ofthe towns oldest residential buildings It also has a diverse

array ofresidential azchitectural types including Victorian Bungalow Utilitarian Italianate andBox Spring Street was extended north to provide access toanother residential neighborhoodnorth ofthe Downtown core Chazles McGlashanssubdivision now known as the McGlashanAddition The McGlashan Addition contains anumber of residential buildings constructed

between 1885 and 1907 and like the Burckhaulter Area residences ofvaried azchitectural typesSome historic buildings along the northern edge ofthe neighborhood were removed as aresult ofthe construction ofInterstate 80 The last residential neighborhood north of the Downtown core

was settled by Italian Families along the banks ofTrout Creek in the 1890s Unlike theBurckhaulter Area and McGlashan Addition the Italian Quarters lacks the identification of an

historic neighborhood since only two historic buildings remain The neighborhood also lacks anyevidence of the ice harvesting business which played an important role in the development of the

area

The number ofhistoric structures and their predominant structure type and architectural style foreach historic neighborhood aze provided in the following table

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1Table 61Number of historic structures structure type style

Neighborhood Historic

Building Count

Structure

Tvae

Architectural Tvae

Brickelltown 17 Residential UtilitarianVernacularVictorian

Burckhaulter 13 Residential Vernacular Victorian

Chinatown South

Truckee2 Residential

Commercial

Utilitarian

Church Street 19 Residential UtilitarianVictorian

Commercial District 28 Commercial Vernacular Commercial

Italian Quarter 2 Residential Utilitarian

McGlashan Addition 16 Residential Utilitarian

Moody Extension 5 Residential Vernacular Victorian

River Streeta

30 ResidentialCommercial

Utilitarian

South River 2 Residential Utilitarian

Source Town of Truckee Historical Resources Inventory and Database

2 Historic Buildings InventoryThe DSA has a rich collection of historic buildings dating from the 1870s to the 1930sThere is

a mixture ofcommercial structures and residential structures spread throughout the DSA with

many residential structures especially those along Donner Pass Road being converted to

a commercial uses Nearly halfof the structures in the DSA are considered to be historic with

large concentrations of historic buildings along Commercial Row Jibboom Street and RiverStreet Figure 62 in the Existing Conditions Report Volume 1 shows the exact locations ofthe

historic buildings to be found in the DSA

3 Commercial Row

The area of Donner Pass Road known as Commercial Row has the highest concentration by farof historic buildings anywhere in Town Twentyoneof the twentytwo buildings located here are

officially designated as historic structures The diversity of the various buildings might be

somewhat surprising considering the close proximity ofthe structures and the fact that theyoriginally at least were constructed around the same historical period Due to the chronic fire

prone nature of Truckee around the turn of the century practically every one of these buildings

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has been destroyed and rebuilt several times during and or since that time period The newest

of these structures the PorterSimon building is brand new having been completed just this

year

The vast majority of the structures 14 of 22 are twostory Four are threestory Three are one

story and on Sierra Tavern is four stories tall There are eleven buildings that are constructed

entirely ofbrick and concrete block These buildings aze concentrated at each end of Commercial

Row Most of the structures in the middle of the strip aze at least partially brick with stucco or

wood used in combination Furthermore the historic structures in this part of the DSA are in

better physical condition than any others mainly because of the maintenance necessary keepsuccessful businesses operational

Generally speaking Commercial Row has a pleasant visual appearance at least from the Donner

Pass Road side The recently improved sidewalk is made up of several different patterns of

custom brick shapes in combination with avariety of concrete finishes The walk is continuouslycovered on the western 13mostly by 2nd story balconies above The remainder of the

Commercial Row sidewalk which is open to the sky above is perhaps even more appealing to

the pedestrian because ofthe landscaping planters and benches that encourage a slower pace

Details such as the old lampposts and the scale of signage and storefronts help keep the

pedestrian visually interested and involved as well tFew stores have access from the alley behind Commercial Row and most actively discourage it

The alley is essentially used for some employee access deliveries and trash and gazbagecollection Even if shops offered customer access from this alley it would not likely be well

received considering the current dilapidated condition ofthe area It seems that the alley should

be improved or at the least kept clean but activities related to waste disposal and deliveries will

probably need to remain behind the businesses located there This will make it difficult to

incorporate appealing public access into the alley streetscape

4 Other Historic Structures in the DSA

Besides Commercial Row the DSA includes several other historic districts Among these are

Brickelltown the Burckhaulter District the McGlashan Addition the Church Street Area and

the River Street Area

Brickelltown extends from just past the west end of Commercial Row to theI80overcrossing tThis area is known for its large Utilitarian and Victorian style residences many ofwhich have

been converted to commercial uses The buildings in this azea are made almost exclusively from twood The Burckhaulter District is located on the hill behind Commercial Row along High Street

and Keiser Avenue The one and two story residential structures found here are of similaz

azchitectural style Vernacular Victorian to Brickelltown The McGlashan Addition can be

found just to the west of the Burckhaulter District above behind Brickelltown One story singlefamily residences make up the majority of the structures in this historic district The most

common building material in these areas is wood and Utilitarian azchitecture dominates

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The Church Street historic neighborhood consists of one and two story residences which were

built primazily from wood products It is no surprise that the most prominent historic building in

this area is the United Methodist Church The historic district that occurs along the River

Streets includes a long list of one and two story structures that originally were used as

residences While a lazge percentage remain in residential use many have been converted to

commercial uses The primary azchitectural building materials used hire are stucco and wood

Furthermore the style of architecture is consistent with the other historic districts located outside

of Commercial Row

As previously stated the historical structures outside of Commercial Row are not as well

maintained as the buildings on Commercial Row While it is true that there are some fine

examples ofrestored structures such as the CB White House there aze also examples of

neglected dilapidated and deteriorating historical buildings throughout the DSA

5 Railroad Related Features

For many people the railroad is the very essence of what is historical to Downtown Truckee The

Town is famous for the Southern Pacific line that runs through the heart ofthe DSA As part ofthe first transcontinental railroad which was completed in the mid 19th century the station in

Truckee quickly became the most important hub of train service for the western United States

The old passenger depot building is still in use today for ticket sales and tourist information The

building has been functional for more than 100 years Another railroad related structure that is

stillinuse is the freight depot which has been remodeled to allow commercial uses These

structures aze located on property owned by Union Pacific located across Donner Pass Road fromCommercial Row

6 CemeteryFor many communities the cemetery can be a focal point of historical interest Truckee is no

different Just being able to read names and dates associated with eras past can inspire a sense of

historical significance The cemetery is located in the extreme northeastern portion of the DSAin the Burckhaulter District between Hwy 267 andI80 accessed off of Jibboom Street The site

has been used as a graveyard for more than 100 years has several hundred headstones but is not

yet at capacity

B Evaluation Guidelines

Impacts toarchaeological ethnic or historic resources will be evaluated based upon the potentialfor loss disruption or other adverse effect on said resources Basically any impact which has the

potential to eliminate an important example ofTruckees or Californias history will be

considered to be a significant impact Determinations ofwhat constitutes an adverse effect on

azchaeological resources or an important example ofhistory will often require consultation ofa

qualified professional archaeologist or historian Impacts tocultural azchaeological andor

historic resources will be evaluated based upon the criteria contained in appendix K ofthe

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CEQA guidelines

C ImpactsMuch of the DSA has not been surveyed with respect to archaeological resources The entire

study azea should therefore be considered sensitive in terms ofthe potential presence of both

prehistoric and historic resources Unrecorded archaeological saes could be exposed duringconstruction activities especially in areas neazwater resources and historical areas of activityDetermination of the significance ofprehistoric and historic resources within the DSA must be

evaluated using the criteria set forth in Appendix K of the CEQA guidelines Furthermorepotentially significant historic sites can also be evaluated using the criteria to determine the

eligibility ofresources to be included in the National Register ofHistoric Places There will

almost certainly be significant impacts to archaeological and historic resources that occur as a

result of increased development in the DSA unless the mitigation measures listed below are

implemented

Historic resources could be adversely affected by destruction to make way for new developmentThe potential relocation of a small number 1 or 2 of structures may be necessary tocreate

room for the Jibboom Street pazking and retail development Other structures in the DSA couldalso be affected by development that occurs near them These factors could constitute a

significant impact depending upon the historic value of the structures condition of the

structures the new locations for them if it is determined that relocation is a viable optionand the extent that they would be affected by development proposed by the Specific Plan

Potential destruction ofhistoric structures is considered a significant impact Policies have been

included in the Specific Plan to regulate removal of historic structures

Historic chazacter may also be adversely affected by incompatible new development The

Specific Plan contains historic design requirements which will mitigate impacts created byincompatible new development

D Mitigation Measures

The following mitigation measures will reduce impacts to cultural resources to a less than

significant level

Chapter 8 All policies in all sections

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Chapter 11 PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

A Setting

1 Wastewater Collection and Treatment

Wastewater collection and treatment services for the DSA and the Truckee area in general are

provided by the Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency TTSA and the Truckee Sanitary DistrictTSD The TTSA is a regional entity created in the 1970s to transport treat and dispose of

wastewater in the North TahoeTruckeearea In Truckee the TTSA operates and maintains a

sewer collection trunkline which parallels the Truckee River and delivers wastewater to a

tertiarylevelwastewater treatment facility located on the south side of this river approximatelyone mile east of the DSA Treated wastewater is discharged into subsurface leach fields whereadditional pollutants are removed as the wastewater percolates through the soil to Martis Creekand the Truckee River The facility can treat and dispose of74million gallons per day 7 dayaverage flow The district is governed by an independent board of directors composed of

representatives from the TSD North Tahoe Public Utility District Squaw Valley County Water

District Tahoe City Public Utility District and the Alpine Springs County Water District

The TSD is responsible for collecting wastewater in the Truckee area and transporting thewastewater toTTSA facilities The district was formed in 1906 to collect and treat wastewater

within the community of Truckee The district provided wastewater treatment services until the

TTSA facility became operational in 1978 The district eventually expanded to serve new

development outside of Downtown including the Gateway area 1957 the Donner Lake area

1962 the Tahoe Donner subdivision and the Glenshire area The district now encompasses

approximately 38 square miles serving7400 residential dwelling units and 415 commercialconnections The district is governed by an independent fivemember board of directors which is

elected at large

Sewer mains presently serve most developed property in the DSA and the sewer mains are

sufficient in size to accommodate future development in these areas Vacant parcels on the

fringe areasie Old Mill Site may require extensions and or expansion of sewer mains for thedistrict toprovide service

The district has identified the following forthcoming projects in the Downtown area to improvethe districtswastewater collection capabilities These projects are anticipated tobe fundedwithin the next two years

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Commercial Row Mainline Extension This project will replace an old mainline that

currently services Commercial Row A teninchdiameter pipeline at the intersection of

Spring Street and Commercial Row will be extended approximately 800 feet to the

intersection of Commercial Row and Hwy 267

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East River Street Overhead Crossing Replacement This project will replaceapproximately 400 feet ofteninch diameter pipeline where it crosses the Truckee River

at the east end ofEast River Street The current structure was designed and built in 1927

and does not meet current seismic code requirements The project will require a 375foot

long overhead crossing of the Truckee River with acentral main span of approximately100 feet The pipeline will be increased to i2 inches in diameter to allow for future

development of the Old Mill Site Provisions for aonelane emergency vehicle bridgeaze being considered by the district The Town is considering working with the district to

the use the crossing as a bicycle pedestrian crossing to and from the Truckee RegionalPazk

2 Water SupplyThe Truckee Donner Public Utility District TDPUD is the water service provider for the DSAand the Town in general The districtswater system is composed ofthree components source

storage and distribution with the district divided into seven service areas Nearly all ofthe

Downtown Study Area is located in the NorthSide Service Area the extreme western end of

West River Street in the DSA is located in the Gateway Service Area In addition to the DSAthe NorthSide Service Area includes the TahoeTruckee Airport azea Olympic HeightsPonderosa Fairway Estates and Martis Valley Estates

The present sources ofwater for the NorthSide Service Area are the Airport Well the NorthSide Well and the Sanders Well These wells provide water to several service azeas anddestination service areas for these wells will change with future development in the Town The

Airport Well2500gpmprimarily serves the Gateway and Tahoe Donner service azeas butthe water must go through the NorthSide Service Area for distribution to these areas The North

Side Service Area presently utilizes surplus water from this well in excess ofthe present demandofthe Gateway and Tahoe Donner service azeas Upon buildout ofthe Tahoe Donner

Subdivision the NorthSide Service Area will not be able toutilize water from the Airport Well

The Sanders Well 300gpm was developed as part of the Tahoe Donner supply system but

now provides water to the NorthSide Service Area Like the Airport Well the NorthSideService Area will not be able to utilize water from the Sanders Well upon buildout of the Tahoe

Donner Subdivision TheNorthSide Well 2500gpm is the primary source of water for the

NorthSide Service Area The well was developed to serve both the NorthSide Service Area and

the Tahoe Donner Service Area

The 1990 maximum day demand for the service azea is approximately 350gpmand thecombination ofthe three well sources is adequate to meet the current demands of the serviceazea At buildout ofthe service azea under existing zoning uses and densities the projectedmaximum day demand is approximately1180gpm The NorthSide Well is sufficient in

capacity to meet this projected demand and the removal ofthe Airport Well and Sanders Well

from the NorthSide Service Area distribution system will not adversely affect water supply forthe service area

Downtown Truckee Specifrc Plan DraftErrvironmental Impact Report I12

The Airport Tank and the NorthSide Tank store water for the NorthSide Service Area The

The 1990 storage requirements daily storage fire storage emergency storage and flowthroughstorage for the NorthSide Service Area were approximately 600000 gallons The TDPUD does

not consider the Airport Tank as storage for the NorthSide Service Area because water must be

i pumped from the Airport Tank to the NorthSide Tank Consequently the service area has a

present storage deficit ofat least 200000 gallons Storage requirements upon buildout will

increase to1300000 gallons resulting in a buildout deficit of900000 gallons The TDPUD

concludes that additional storage is necessary for the service area This storage is considered to

be a priority because of the existing storage deficit As part of their Master Plan the TDPUD has

identified two potential sites for water storage tanks to serve the projected demands ofthe service

area These are the Tonini Tank site and a site located near the intersection of Shaneva Road

and Euer Valley Road referred to as Trout Creek Tank It is anticipated that 300000 gallons of

storage is needed at the Trout Creek Tank with the remaining 600000 gallons to be developed at

the Tonini Tank siteh

Airport Tank is a prestressed concrete tank constructed in 1981 with a storage capacity of

approximately 600000 gallons The tank was developed as part ofthe Tahoe Donner water

supply system and water from the Airport Tank must be pumped into the NorthSide Tank

before delivery into the NorthSide Service Area distribution system TheNorthSide Tank is a

welded steel tank constructed in 1971 with a storage capacity of400000gallons The tank stores

water for the DSA and Olympic Heights distribution systems and to receive water from the

NorthSide Well for distribution to Tahoe Donner An existing 100000 gallon bolted steel tank

constructed in 1971 is located on the south side of the Truckee River near Tonini Springs but is

not presently in use because of previous contamination ofthe spring

Based on structure floor azea type of construction exposure to adjacent structures and presenceof fire sprinkling systems the Truckee Fire Protection District estimates that a minimum fireflow of2500 gpm is necessary for the DSA The existing distribution system has adequatepressure to deliver this fire flow However as stated before the service azea is deficient in water

storage This significantly impacts the ability of the system to deliver the minimum fire flow forextended periods Approximately 300000 gallons of water is required to sustain a minimum fire

flow of2500 gpm fora2hour period TheNorthSide Tank has adequate capacity to providefire flow for this duration but water delivery to users in the service azea may be adverselyaffected

The District has identified the following major facility improvements to serve buildout demand

ofthe service azea

New transmission pipelines to replace or supersede existing pipelines

Trout Creek Storage Tank with a capacity of300000 gallons to be located neaz

intersection of Shaneva Road and Euer Valley Road

14 transmission main from Trout Creek Tank to Jibboom Street

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Tonini storage tanks with a capacity of 610000 gallons to be located at foot of

Bald Mountain

3 DrainageThe natural terrain of the DSA provides a number of drainage courses which eventually throughman made or natural means aze directed into the Truckee River or Trout Creek The majority of

these drainages do not include water treatment facilitiesie grease and oil traps separatorsinfiltration prior todischazge into the Truckee waterways Trout Creek is the major drainagecourse for the watershed generated from the Tahoe Donner subdivision and other smaller

drainage courses within the DSA Trout Creek also empties into the Truckee River at the

easternmost end ofthe DSA

A stormwater drainage plan has not been fully developed or implemented for the DSA The

existing drainage systems or lack of same are discussed by subarea in the paragraphs that

follow The subareas that aze referenced here aze the same as those described at the beginning of

chapter 5

The commercial core area drainage system of inlets lining Donner Pass Road which are meant to

collect surface water runoff from within the azea utilize culverts to direct water into the Truckee

River or Trout Creek The system is intended to accommodate all drainage generated fromDonner Pass Road subarea 1 and north of Donner Pass Road to Interstate 80 subarea2

Resurfacing ofDonner Pass Road deterioration ofthe roadway and the lack of defined drainagecourses along residential streets has caused runoff to be directed onto Donner Pass Road below

grade and or away from the existing drainage inlets Areas prone to standing water exist alongDonner Pass Road Jibboom Street and West River Street segments and intersections due to the

inadequacy and deterioration ofthe current drainage system Additionally accumulation of

sediment and debris has caused partial blockage of the existing drainage inlets and culvertsresulting in decreased system capacity

The most severe problem areas aze along Jibboom Street on both sides of the street and at the

northwest intersection of Hwy 267 and West River Street Jibboom Street flooding is due to the

low elevation ofthe azea Water must be pumped out of the area

Subareas 3 and 4 West River Street industrial subarea and Truckee River corridorrespectively are located on either side of the Truckee River in the westernmost portion of the

DSA Most of the industrial pazcels in this azea do not utilize a centralized runoff treatment

facility The more recently approved industrial uses employ grease and oil traps separatorswhile the older uses drain stormwater runoff directly to the Truckee River There is adrainageculvert which runs along West River Street that drains into the Truckee River as it leaves the

subarea Drainage from the Truckee River corridor subarea on the south side of the river is

allowed to flow directly over or through the ground and into the river

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The River Street residential area subarea 5 and the Hilltop area subarea 6 also drain directlyinto the Truckee River As a result there is the potential for trace amounts oftoxic substances to

be washed into the river This statement holds true for other untreated drainages as well

The remaining subareas of the DSA are 7 lumber yard old mill site East River Street

industrial azea and 8 cemetery Hwy267 north Both of these azeas drain directly into Trout

Creek which in turn flows into the Truckee River just outside the DSA eastern boundarySubarea 7 is between subazea 8 and the river so drainage from the cemetery Hwy 267 flows

through the old mill site The majority of drainage from these subareas therefore flows directlyinto the Truckee River by way of Trout Creek

i Chapter 6 Section g of the Downtown Specific Plan Volume 2 summarizes the results ofa

focussed drainage study for the DSA Existing drainage deficiencies and the improvementsnecessary to correct these deficiencies aze identified in this Section of the Specific Plan and are

herby icorporated by reference

4 Police ProtectionPolice protection is provided under contract with the Town by the Nevada County Sheriffs

Department Currently the Town is evaluating the service level and effectiveness and

considering different options including the creation of a separate police Department for the

TownParking restrictions are enforced through afulltime parking enforcement officer

5 Fire ProtectionThe Truckee Fire Protection District is an independent fire protection agency with a boazd

elected from the district The district provides fire suppression and emergency response to the

rural and suburban areas in and surrounding the incorporated Town of Truckee Districtfacilities in the DSA include Station No 91 which is located on the south side of Donner Pass

Road across from Commercial Row This site has been utilized as a fire station for more than100 years The present building was constructed in the 1940s with several additions in

subsequent yeazs The station serves as the administrative headquarters for the district andincludes the chiefofficers offices public access public relations and data processing It ishowever an unstaffed fire station with volunteers providing staff support during emergencycalls It encompasses approximately4600 square feet of floor azea with2300 square feet for

apparatus 1000 square feet for offices and 1300 square feet for fire prevention functionsVehicular equipment includes a 1984 Type I Pumper and two squad vehicles The Districtsonlyfullystaffed station is Station No 92 which is staffed 24 hours per day with professionalfirefighters It is located on Donner Pass Road between Highway 89 and Northwoods Boulevazd

approximately mile west ofthe DSA and is the nearest station to Downtown Truckee exceptfor Station No 91

Water storage for fire protection purposes is discussed in the Water section of this report The

TDPUD has identified a water storage deficiency for the Central Truckee service area and plansto add water storage to address these deficiencies

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There is aneed to add fire hydrants in the DSA to decrease distances to structures from hydrantsand improve fire flow The TDPUD has plans to install fire hydrants along the new water mainswhich will be installed Downtown Also requirements for new development generally includethe installation of fire hydrants for the new structures

The location of Station No 91 along Donner Pass Road and neaz the Donner Pass Road Hwy267 intersection is a major limitation for the provision of fire protection services toDowntown

properties south of the railroad tracks and the Martis Valley and Airport area Due to traffic

congestion at peak periods and railroad traffic at Donner Pass Road and Highway 267 timelyresponses by the Station aze often difficult The District has preliminary plans to relocate this

station to the Hwy 267 Truckee Airport area to improve responses to properties south of therailroad There are no plans at this time with regazd to the fate of the existing station facility

6 Snow Storage RemovalAll ofthe roadways in the DSA with the exception of State Hwy 267 aze part ofthe Town

maintained road system These streets aze plowed as needed during winter months in order to

keep the roads accessible to vehicular traffic The commercial core azea occasionally requiresthat snow be hauled away once the storage areas become full tocapacity Snow is stored on the

south side ofDonner Pass Road along the entire length of Commercial Row Furthermoreadditional snow can be stored at each end of Commercial Row neaz the alley and Post Office on

Bridge Street and between the intersection of Jibboom Street and the alley and Donner PassRoad on Spring Street As the DSA develops snow will have tobe trucked out especially duringheavy snowfall events

7 SchoolsThe DSA is currently served by theTahoe Truckee Unified School District

B Evaluation Guidelines

Potential impacts to public services are evaluated against the following criteria to determine

potentially significant impacts Increases in storm water runoff or drainage which exceed current

system capacities increases in sewage generation or sewer system problems that result from

exceeding existing capacities impacts that create the need for increased or expanded water

services fire or police protection services and school capacity

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Various public service agencies were contacted in order to determine the extent ofthe potentialimpacts relative to their particulaz area ofconcern or expertise For instance the TahoeTruckee

Unified School Districtsresponse to the Notice of Preparation NOP for this DEIR identifiedthe mitigation fees required to be paid by developers of new residential units in order for the

district to provide the increased services that would be necessary to accommodate the

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additional development and associated population growth Similarly agencies which handle

sewage disposal solid waste disposal water service and power were all contacted These specialdistricts have clearly stated that they would be both willing and capable ofproviding the

increased service to the DSA that would be necessary should the Specific Plan be adopted and

implemented

Each infrastructure system is discussed below with regard to the need for increased capacitywhere necessary to serve additional development All of the special districts and other service

providers have made it clear that they can either accommodate the proposed growth with their

existing infrastructure and service support system or expand their service capacity ofren byway ofdevelopment impact fee imposition in order to accommodate the development proposedby the Specific Plan Therefore while many of these impacts to public services and infrastructurewould be potentially significant they can easily be mitigated to levels of insignificance by the

mitigation measures set forth below

Energy Additional development accommodated by the General Plan will result in increased

energy consumption natural gas and electricity According to the Truckee Donner Public Utility1 District PUD the additional energy that will be necessary to accommodate this increased need

will be available However appropriate mitigation measures to reduce this demand are included

below

Water The PUD also provides water service to the DSA This agency indicated that most of the

waterinfrastructure that would be required to serve the development proposed by the SpecificPlan is already in place Any new water lines that become necessary will be provided bymeasures such as development impact fees Furthermore the TDPUD has indicated that the

kinds ofland uses proposed by the plan would not cause significant adverse impacts on the

existing infrastructure

Sewer The Truckee Sanitary District TSD provides sewer service for the DSA as well as most

of the greater Truckee area The District is divided into nine primary service areas the downtown

azea is in the Central Truckee service azea Virtually 100 of the existing pazcels within the

DSA aze served by the TSD The District has plans to increase wastewater connections as theurban area expands This service increase is expected to mitigate impacts relating to sewer

service to less than significant levels

Solid Waste Disposal This service is provided by the Eastern Regional Landfill which islocated on Highway 89 South approximately 2 miles south ofthe westernmost portion ofthe

study area This facility acts as a transfer station only however as all ofthe incoming solid

waste is transported to a facility known as Lockwood Landfill in the State ofNevada Accordingto Paul Achiro a representative of the Eastern Regional Landfill Lockwood has sufficientcapacity to accept all incoming waste including that which originates in California for the next

100 years As aresult increased solid waste production resulting from Specific Plan

development will not be a significant impact

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h ifDrainage T e Spec ic Plan calls for improvements to the majority ofthe roads in the DSA

Drainage improvements are incorporated as part of the Downtown Specific Plan improvementsproposals Impacts to existing drainage infrastructure that result from increased developmentcalled for in the Specific Plan could be significant because of increased drainage amounts

running off from lazger areas of impervious surface coverage As aresult the mitigationmeasures listed below that alleviate these potential drainage problems will be required to be

implemented to reduce impacts toa less than significant level

Snow Storage Removal Increased development particularly the infill variety has the potentialto reduce the amount of space available for snow storage Impacts ofthis variety would be

significant particularly during periods of excessive snowfall In order tomitigate urban snow

management impacts the Specific Plan sets forth a snow removal program

Fire Protection Increased fire protection is a necessary component ofall new development A

local fire protection district usually provides their own standard conditions of approval for new

development projects These requirements typically include such items as the extension of

adequate fire flow devices fire hydrant locations minimum driveway and street width turningradius requirements snow staking and vegetation clearing near structures among others

Potential impacts to the TruckeeDonner Fire Protection Districts TDFPD ability to respond to

emergencies will be mitigated by the Districts requirements for these improvements as well as tdevelopment standards standards currently in place

Police Protection The town may need to increase its capacity to protect the public through the

use ofpeace officers as a result ofSpecific Plan development Currently the Town contracts with

the Nevada County Sherries department for police protection Options available to the Town

include a no increase in the amount ofpeace officers on duty at any one time b increasingthe scope ofthe existing contract with the Sherrif s department to include more officers andormore area patrolled or c create the Towns own police department The level ofservice

desirable in the DSA will be determined by the Town Council and the staffing determined

accordingly

hS lc oo s TheTahoeTruckeeUnified School District adopted its Mutual Benefit School ImpactFee Agreement in September of 1990 in order to generate additional funds needed to house

students This agreement between the developer and the District states that the developer agreesto pay an increased squaze footage fee to offset or mitigate any associated impacts ofhisher

residential development project The Districts 19951996Fiscal Yeaz Impact Fee is283 per

squaze foot ofassessable space According to Denise Gaddis a TTUSD planning analyst no

developer fees are collected by the district until the building permits have been applied for

Impacts to the school district will be significant up to 150 students could be directly attributable

to Specific Plan buildout but mitigable tononsignificant levels through the collection ofthe

impact fees discussed here

Parks andRecreation Based on data regarding the use ofthe existing Truckee Donner

Downtown Truckee Specific Ptan Draft Errvironmentatmpact Report 118

Recreation and Park District facilities both from the Recreation and Park District Staffand

outside users it appears that most District facilities are at capacity or are experiencingovercrowding at this time Impact fees are currently in place toaddress the impacts In additionthe Specific Plan sets forth a number of new parks proposals which would help serve the

communitysrecreation demands

D Mitigation Measures

The following Specific Plan policies will mitigate potential impacts on Public Services toa less

than significant level

1 Snow Storage and Removal Allpolicies in Specific Plan Chapter 6 Section 6B

Law Enforcement Allpolicies in Specific Plan Chapter 6 Section 6D

Fire Protection Allpolicies in Specific Plan Chapter 6 Section 6E

Sewer Power Water Allpolicies in Specific Plan Chapter 6 Section 6F

Drainage Allpolicies in Specific Plan Chapter 6 Section 6GParks Recreation New park proposals identified in Chapter 9

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Chapter 12 NATURAL HAZARDS SAFETY HAZARDS

Settin1 FireGiven the historical fireprone nature of Truckee both in Town and in the surrounding forested

landscape it is generally understood that fire is one ofthe greatest threats to the environment

The Truckee Fire Protection District was established in the late 19th century to help combat this

chronic problem In recent years the actual occurrence ofstructure fires has been significantlyreduced largely due to the modernization of methods equipment and general safety practicesassociated with fire prevention

2 EarthquakeSeismic events in the northern Sierra Nevada are relatively rare although there aze documentedinstances of earthquake activity in the greater Truckee azea There aze no known fault lines that

occur within the DSA although a number of small fault traces have been identified within the

Town boundaries

These fault areas have been studied by the State of California Department ofMines and Geologyand the State Board ofReclamation The actual danger both to the health and safety of the

general population and property damage associated with seismic activity is believed to be quitelow

3 Avalanche

Avalanche azeas aze mazked on zoning maps as Potential Snow Avalanche Areas red PSAAred which denotes high avalanche hazazd or PSAA blue which denotes moderate avalanchehazard There aze presently none ofthese PSAA zones within the DSA There are howevercertain areas of steep slope located on the south side of the Truckee River as it flows pazallel to

West River Street where it is evident that avalanche activity has occurred and will likelycontinue

4 FloodThe Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA has identified azeas subject to flooding in

the event ofa 100yeaz flood In the DSA these areas exist along the banks of the TruckeeRiver and to a lesser extent along Trout Creek The flood danger within the DSA boundarieswas experienced in the January 1997 flood when a number ofriverfront properties were

damaged or threatened In many locations the flood waters rose substantially above the limits ofthe mapped 100 yeaz flood plain Portions ofnearly all properties adjacent to the Truckee River

are within the mapped 100 yeaz floodplain

B Evaluation Guidelines

Any impacts that aze associated with exposure of people or property to increased risk from

flooding fire hazards avalanches or earthquakes aze considered potentially significant

Downtown Truckee Specific Plan Draft Emironmenlal mpact Report 121

lC ImpactsGeologic hazards in the DSA consist of eazthquake and landslides The Boca Truckee and DogValley Faults are located near the Town and a number of small fault traces have been identifiedwithin the Town boundaries None of these faults have been designated as an AlquistPrioloSpecial Study Zone which is a designation used by the State of California to identify significanthazazds along faults The identified faults along with the potential for damage from earthquakesin the Truckee area have been studied by the State The State Division of Mines and Geologyhas conducted general geologic studies of the region while the State Board of Reclamationwhich operates dams in the area has studied faults in the region in more detail The conclusionsofthese studies are that the potential for strong ground shaking from faults in the area is not

considered great and that the potential for damage is also not high The potential for seiche

flooding in areas surrounding rivers as a result of earthshaking was also studied and found to beminimal The existing Town of Truckee Building Code requirements for seismic safety are

considered sufficient to prevent earthquake damage No portions of the DSA are constrained due

to earthquake hazazds Unreinforced masonry construction is common in the historic commercial

row area Retrofit ofthese structures has not been given ahigh priority in Truckee due to the

relatively low earthquake hazard in the area

Landslide hazazds can result fromweak soils on steep slopes and from earthshaking Landslide

hazazds have not been studied for any part ofNevada County including downtown Truckee it is

therefore not possible to identify precise areas subject to landslide hazazds The informationavailable concerning potential earthshaking indicates that landslides on gentle slopes or

liquefaction soil movement on flat lands due to earthshaking and weak soils represent minimal

hazards In order to avoid the potential for impacts in this area zoning standards in Volume III ofthe Specific Plan require clustering of development away from areas ofsteeper slopes

Adverse impacts could occur from flooding along Trout Creek and the Truckee River There aze

areas along these waterways that have been designated by the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency FEMA as subject to flooding in the event ofa100year flood These azeas aze

generally not considered appropriate for residential land uses For development proposals inareas subject to flooding in the event of a 100year flood more detailed study of flood hazardswill be required as a part ofdevelopment design and approval In addition since constructionwithin the 100yeaz flood plain can have an effect on the size of the flood plain blocking floodwaters in one area can cause them to spread further in another area new construction in the

flood plain should be limited unless it can be shown that it will not increase flood hazards inother areas Current Lahontan RWQCB prohibitions on development within the 100 yearfloodplain will mitigate potential hazards to new development

As stated above risks associated with earthquake activity are minimal they are not considered

significant Increased risk of fire that would result from Specific Plan development is not likelyand is also considered to be insignificant Like flood hazazds any potential fire hazards that

might result from development in the DSA would be mitigable by development guidelines

Downtown Truckee Specifrc Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report 122

i1designed specifically for fire safety

D Mitigation Measures

Impacts relating to safety hazards and natural hazards aze potentially significant but mitigable to

less than significant levels by these measures In addition to the mitigation measures listedabove all Town ofTruckee General Plan Safety Policies under Safety Goal 221 through211have been incorporated by reference into this document This mitigation program is meant to

reduce impacts related to the range of safety concerns to levels of insignificance

Fire Impacts Specific Plan Chapter 6 all policies under Section 6E

Avalanche Impacts Specific Plan Chapter 7 Section 7F policy 2

I Flood Impacts Specific Plan Chapter 6 Section 6G policies 1 through 4

Soil Instabiliy DSA Zoning Ordinance Section 110502DPD standazds requiringclustering of development away from areas of steep slopes

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Chapter 13 CEQA ASSESSMENTS PROJECT ALTERNATIVES

A Cumulative ImpactsCumulative impacts of the proposed Specific Plan are tied closely to the growth and

development that is accommodated by the Town of Truckee General Plan By its very nature the

environmental analysis contained in this DEIR is cumulative since it looks at environmental

impacts associated with projected 20 year buildout of the Downtown Specific Plan Cumulative

impact analysis for the Downtown Specific Plan is tiered off the Truckee General Plan EIRwhich is hereby incorporated by reference

B Unavoidable Significant ImpactsSignificant and Unavoidable impacts will occur related to traffic and air quality Due to the

severity of existing traffic problems proposed roadway improvements may not be capable of

1mitigating further LOS impacts to less than significant levels until the Highway 267 Bypass is

constructed The intersections of Bridge Street and Commercial Row will continue to experienceLOS F conditions until through traffic is diverted to the Highway 267 Bypass Similarlybecause air quality in Truckee has exceeded State and Federal Standards for particulate matter it

may not be possible to mitigate impacts to air quality to a less than significant level prior to

adoption and implementation of the Air Quality Management Plan for Truckee

The Town of Truckee General Plan also identifies impacts in the areas of traffic and air qualityas both unavoidable and significant It was determined that these impacts could not be mitigated

1 to less than significant levels primarily because of existing traffic and air quality conditions

The Town Council will need tomake a statement of overriding considerations for the

identified traffic and air quality impacts in order to adopt the Downtown Specific Plan

C Growth InducingImnacts

The adoption and implementation of the Downtown Specific Plan will accommodate significantgrowth and development as described in the Land Use Impacts Chapter Chapter 5 The

Specific Plan establishes land uses and infrastructure improvement requirements based upon

policy direction contained in the Town of Truckee General Plan The Specific Plan provides forgrowth projected over a20year time frame but does not provide excess development capacityinconsistent with the Town of Truckee General Plan

The development potential accommodated by the Specific Plan is based upon the General Plans

policies directing infill development to the DSA While encouraging growth the Specific Plan

implements detailed programs to mitigate potential environmental impacts and maintain the

historic mountain character of the area

D Project AlternativesThis section discusses the possible alternatives to the proposed Specific Plan as well as their

respective potential adverse environmental impacts CEQA requires that alternatives be selected

based on their ability to mitigate potentially unmitigable environmental impacts Because the

significant unmitigable traffic and air quality impacts are based on existing impacted conditionsnone of the identified alternatives will reduce these impacts to a less than significant level

These alternatives aze listed and described below

Alternative 1 Preferred Project Alternative

Alternative 2No Project Alternative

Alternative 3 Reduced Growth Alternative

Description ofAlternatives Probable Environmental ImpactsThe preferred project alternative1 is described in Volume II ofthe Specific Plan the Vision

Plan and in the project description contained in this document This alternative was developedto meet the needs ofthe community for residential commercial and industrial developmentwhile providing environmental protection to the DSA This alternative provides for substantial

expansion of residential commercial and mixed use development wihtin the DSA during the

next 20 yeazs The preferred plan relates infrastructure needs specifically to development and

establishes policy direction to create programs to finance necessary upgrades to infrastructure

and public services which reduces the fiscal impact of development on the Town and the generalpublic The environmental effects of the preferred alternative aze reduced by the implementationof a program ofspecific mitigation measures

The No Project alternative 2 would maintain the existing zoning within the DSA This

alternative would maintain zoning which is inconsistent with the Town ofTruckee General Planadopted in February 1996 Adoption of the Downtown Specific Plan is intended toaddress longstanding problems with land uses and environmental problems in the DSA therefore the no

project alternative would preclude implementation of important Specific Plan policies which re

intended to mitigate long standing environmental problems The amount of industrial

development accommodated in the DSA would be substantially higher under this alternativesince existing industrially zoned azeas would remain unchanged The amount of infill residential

and commercial uses would be reduced under this alternative due to the maintenance of largeazeas ofindustrial zoning Significant and unmitgabee environmental impacts would remain with

this alternative and all other environmental impacts identified in this EIR would be unmitigateddue to the lack ofenvironmental protection policies put in place by the proposed Downtown

Specific Plan

The Reduced Growth alternative would reduce the development potential of the DSA by 2

This alternative would result in asmaller amount ofprojected growth being accommodated in the

DSA primazily in the Mill Site and Hilltop master plan areas Under this alternative the SpecificPlan policies to address long standing environmental and land use problems would be adoptedbut the Town of Truckee General Plan direction toaccommodate infill growth would not be

implemented to the fullest extent possible Potential environmental impacts under this altemative

may be reduced slightly however the significant and unmitigatle impacts would remain

Downtown Truckee Specific Plan Draft Errvrronmental Impact Report 62