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It’s important to the Canyon Springs project owners to listen and respond to community members who have questions regarding the proposed project. Listed below are answers to the most commonly posed questions. This section will be updated with additional answers to questions as they are received.
How will Canyon Springs handle fire protection and will it cause a strain on the current fire department?
The proposed Canyon Springs project is well within the boundaries of the Truckee Fire Protection District which stretches from Soda Springs to Floriston. An existing fire station (#95), located at the corner of Dorchester and Manchester Drives, will serve as a first response location in the event of an emergency. Being approximately one and a half miles from the project site will enable short response times. The fire district currently charges development fees based on the square footage of a home at the time a building permit is issued. This fee is increased periodically to match the equipment needs of the district and will generate a significant amount of fees from the Canyon Springs project while not considerably increasing the need for services as the Canyon Springs project adjoins existing residences of the greater Glenshire area.
What about emergency access in the event of a forest fire and how will Canyon Springs reduce fire risk?
The Canyon Springs project will create better emergency vehicle circulation via a looped access design that will allow emergency vehicles to easily enter and exit from Edinburgh Drive and Martis Peak Road. An emergency-only fire gate is proposed at Edinburgh Drive pending approval from the Town. It is the project owners’ intention to have the Martis Peak Road serve as the neighborhood’s main entrance and exit point.
The addition of numerous fire hydrants throughout the Canyon Springs neighborhood will aid in fighting fires. Furthermore, preventative measures will be implemented via a fuels modification zone. Vegetative fuel breaks and buffer zones will be created and maintained by the Canyon Springs Home Owners Association. Finally, signage will be placed along the trail system prohibiting motorized vehicles, educating the public regarding the danger of such vehicles in fire prone areas.
Will there be an ample water supply?
The Truckee Donner Public Utilities District (TDPUD) has indicated they are able to serve the Canyon Springs project and supply domestic water and fire suppression needs for the entire Glenshire area, even with the addition of Canyon Springs.
What is the required offsite infrastructure needed to supply water to Canyon Springs?
Canyon Springs is proposed to connect to water facilities at two TDPUD connection points on the west side of the project which will provide proper fire flow and pressure to serve the site. One connection point will require additional waterline installation in Edinburgh and Regency. Final locations and sizing to be determined by TDPUD. Both connections will utilize the TDPUD Juniper Hill tank. TDPUD has several high production wells in their system along with tanks, pump stations and transmission lines that allow water to be transferred from one zone to another where needed. TDPUD has indicated that they can serve the site. The TDPUD has stated that specific upgrades to their existing infrastructure will be further analyzed at the design phase of the project.
How will Canyon Springs handle snow removal, and will this be a strain on existing resources? If so, what will Canyon Springs do to alleviate this situation?
Snow removal for Canyon Springs in the initial years of each phase will be the responsibility of the developer and/or the Home Owner’s Association. Once enough properties have been sold and the project has reached “Revenue Neutrality” as determined by the Town of Truckee, the tax base will become equal to or greater than the maintenance costs associated with the roadway. At that time, the Town of Truckee will accept the roadways for maintenance, as is the case for most of the roadways in the Glenshire area.
How will Canyon Springs impact local schools?
Canyon Springs is NOT expected to greatly impact the local schools due to a projected low build-out rate and the fact that the subdivision is proposed to be built in phases. A positive impact for the area schools will result from Canyon Springs’ potential to generate approximately $710,100 for school facility and classroom improvements via Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) development impact fees by the year 2020 and $1,216,375 at final build out.
This contribution is based on the TTUSD’s development fee structure combined with the district’s enrollment projections, which uses a figure of .31 students per household* to gauge expected student populations. Based on this projection method, if 108 homes are built by the end of year 2020, Canyon Springs would generate only 33 students for district wide (K-12) classrooms. With an assumption that Canyon Springs household children demographics will more closely reflect the adjacent subdivisions that make up Glenshire proper, a higher projection factor for Canyon Springs can be applied like its neighbor Glenshire. With this assumption, the School District could expect to see as many as 49 new students from 108 homes (23 new students at Glenshire Elementary, 10 new students at Alder Creek MS, and 16 new high school students for 2020).
*The most current student yields that TTUSD has on file show a district wide student yield factor of .31 for K-12 students. However the TTUSD is in the process of re-calculating the district’s student yields for all homes in the district. Usually the district calculates student yields on a district wide basis and comes up with an average number, however the student yields of individual subdivisions may vary within the district. The Glenshire community for instance, has a high incidence of students. Currently Glenshire supplies the district with 277 elementary students, 121 middle school students, and 190 high school students residing within Glenshire proper. There are approximately 1,289 residential units existing in Glenshire today according to the school district. This calculates to a total student yield of .456 (.215 for K-5, .093 for grades 6-8, and .147 for grades 9-12).Will Canyon Springs allow Mother-in-law units?
It’s our understanding that because the Truckee Development Code allows for second dwelling units on residential properties and the Town will not restrict the possibility for these additional units to occur, Canyon Springs expects to abide by these requirements and therefore cannot prohibit the building of Mother-In-Law units within the subdivision.
Since the properties within the Canyon Springs project will be less than 1 acre in size, it is anticipated that the maximum square footage for second units will be 800 square feet.
For the purpose of calculating the impacts of second unit density, the Town has factored a ratio that estimates approximately 20% of parcels within any development would house a second unit. In some larger subdivisions such as Old Greenwood, Pine Forest and Gray’s Crossing a slightly higher ratio exists due to the estate parcels and large building sizes in these high end subdivisions.
According to recent building permits issued from the Town of Truckee of the 133 permits issued in 2008, six were for residences and two of those had Mother-in-law units.
Of the 179 permits issued in 2009, 20 were for residences and one had a second unit. Therefore it is safe to assume that the Canyon Springs development will most likely have less than 20% of the total build out housing a second unit.
What is planned for open space?
Canyon Springs exceeds open space requirements as defined in the Town of Truckee Development Code. More than 60%+ of the project is proposed as permanently protected, publicly accessible open space which will preserve the most sensitive water tributaries and habitat corridors.
Generous buffers are planned adjacent to existing homes in Glenshire such as those on Edinburgh Drive or along Glenshire Drive to the west. Significant buffers are also planned along the eastern edge of the property. An extensive trail system will be retained and expanded, providing for valuable public interaction with the open space.
The project’s design will retain as many trees on site as possible to allow for proper habitat preservation. Furthermore, Canyon Springs will implement selective re-vegetation of existing disturbed areas, repairing damage caused by overland vehicle use.
How does Canyon Springs plan to implement sustainable, green design and building practices?
The Canyon Springs neighborhood will incorporate progressive, sustainable planning and design principles combined with green building practices. Its proximity to nearby residential areas allows Canyon Springs to adopt smart planning principles by utilizing existing road, sewer and water infrastructure thereby preventing sprawl.
Is Canyon Springs an infill project or “rural sprawl?” How does this relate to Canyon Springs’ contribution to the Glenshire area’s sewer infrastructure?
The Canyon Springs neighborhood is considered infill as opposed to “rural sprawl” given the fact that Canyon Springs is proposed as a neighborhood that is connected to an existing subdivision.
Furthermore, in the 1980s, every existing home in Glenshire was required to disconnect their septic systems (many of which were failing) and connect to the newly installed sewer lines.
In 1986 a Sewer Area District was formed to bring needed sewer service to the Glenshire area. Additional parcels, including Raley Ranch and the four parcels of the proposed Canyon Springs project adjacent to the Glenshire subdivision were included in the forming of the district to offset the cost for all of the Glenshire parcel owners lowering the cost to a more reasonable rate. Over $430,000 was assessed against the Canyon Springs parcels, for a total of 280 equivalent dwelling units (EDUs), to bring sewer service to the Glenshire area and support future development of the Canyon Springs site. Glenshire residents received the benefit of increased property values due to this infrastructure improvement at a greatly reduced cost, thanks to the expected development to the immediate east of the subdivision.
How will Canyon Springs address local traffic concerns?
In response to Edinburgh area residents' previously expressed concerns regarding traffic on the neighborhood roads, the Canyon Springs subdivision is proposed with a primary access point at Martis Peak Road, and an emergency-only, fire gate access at Edinburgh Drive, subject to Town review and approval. Due to a projected low build-out rate and the fact that the subdivision is proposed to be built in phases, traffic generated by the Canyon Springs neighborhood is not expected to greatly increase area trips per day. Traffic counts will be updated and analyzed per the 2025 General Plan through the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process. For more information on phasing, click here.
How does Canyon Springs intend to support the local building industry?
The Canyon Springs owners are dedicated to supporting local building contractors and subcontractors. The project owners plan to implement a locals’ preference incentive that provides a preferential bidding process for estimates received from local contractors for the installation of roadway and utility infrastructure. A recommended list of local builders, subcontractors, and related building industry professionals such as architects, landscape architects and interior designers will be provided to lot buyers.
How will Canyon Springs affect our quality of life?
The Canyon Springs project owners are committed to becoming part of the fabric of the community. They look forward to folding into the small-town community spirit that pervades Truckee. Through a number of thoughtfully implemented project guidelines such as green building principles, trail systems built for public use, preference policies for work to be undertaken by local contractors, re-vegetation efforts, and open space and habitat preservation initiatives, the Canyon Springs owners are committed to helping their neighbors live and work here creating a neighborhood that enhances the area’s exceptional quality of life.
Given the fact that the local housing and construction market is struggling due to the downturn in the economy, why would you be proposing to undertake this project now?
The Canyon Springs owners envision the build out of the project to occur in phases, which will be market-driven over the next six to ten plus years. This long-term view takes into account an expectation that the economy will be rebounding by the time project approvals come to fruition and that locals, whose livelihoods are tied to the local building industry, will welcome the opportunities that this project will bring to the area.