Public Comment #3 (Doler) - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 Laura Dabe Subject:FW: Denied Marina Expansion Plan From: Kathleen Doler [mailto:kathleendoler@sbcglobal.net] Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 1:31 PM To: Jenna Endres Subject: Denied Marina Expansion Plan To Truckee Town Council: I am writing to you about Tahoe Donner Association’s appeal of its Marina Expansion plan, a matter that’s scheduled to come before the Town Council on September 24, 2013. TD Staff is appealing the August 21, 2013 decision by the Truckee Planning Commission to deny its plans for a Marina expansion. As a homeowner in Tahoe Donner, and a former member of Truckee’s Workforce Housing Committee, I am frankly embarrassed that the management of our association is trying to sidestep the authority of the Truckee Planning Commission. Shame on them for thinking that they can somehow operate outside the town’s formal planning process. I have been following this development plan since it was first unveiled to TD residents. I know that this Marina expansion plan was carefully considered by the Planning Commission over many, many months (starting in the fall of 2012). The commission offered several reasonable adjustments to the plan that would make it comply with town development guidelines, environmental concerns, noise and light pollution issues and usage/operation permits for the Marina. Instead of heeding this feedback, TD Management instead tried to ram through a little‐changed proposal that did nearly nothing to alleviate the rightful concerns of the commission. Thus it was denied, as it should have been. Additionally, from my perspective this was never an expansion that would benefit TD members. It was a misguided plan to try to attract more commercial events, weddings, parties, etc., to the Marina, which goes against the Marina’s operating permit (as identified by the Planning Commission). Thus many TD members, including myself, were opposed to the project and are pleased that it was denied. In fact, the plan had several aspects that would have actually made the Marina less functional for boating and beach recreation, it’s primary usage. For example, the plan called for the removal of the majority of the lawn area, which would make access to the beach more congested and less safe for everyone and would make it very difficult for kayakers, rowers and paddlers to stage their equipment for launching and recovery. And as I’ve stated in previous letters to the Planning Commission, the Marina amenity currently operates at full capacity all summer long – the parking inside the gate and along the roadway is full every day during its short operating season. It also runs at a profit. Thus, since parking is limited and the amenity is already drawing as many people as it can handle why would TD spend money to build out a hardscape area and expand the deck? There’s only one logical conclusion – because TD Management wants to attract events, especially evening events (hence the lighting aspects of the failed expansion plan). But commercial events go against the usage permit of the amenity, and Marina neighbors are adamantly opposed to evening events. And commercial events also are contrary to the wishes of many TD members, who were going to be forced to pay for an expansion plan that doesn’t benefit their usage of the Marina, in fact it would actually detract from the member usage experience. I urge Truckee Town Council to support its Planning Commission by turning away TD Management in its appeal of this plan denial. TD Management needs to be told in clear terms that it isn’t allowed to bypass the town’s planning process. Sincerely,