Nevada County Land Use & Development Digest

A 2021 state law has radically changed the housing equation in San Diego. Advocates, developers, and policymakers are split on whether it should be exported to other jurisdictions.

A shrubby Palmer oak tree in Riverside County is around 13,000 years old, making it California’s oldest tree and one of the longest-lived organisms on earth. Some people are concerned that a proposed development could threaten the tree.

The Nevada County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 13 will hear Rise Grass Valley’s petition for recognition of vested rights to conduct mining operations at the Idaho Maryland Mine.

Massive ocean wind farms off Morro Bay and Santa Barbara County—which could transform these quiet coastal towns and affect marine life—face a turbulent path.

The Nevada County Board of Supervisors has rescheduled a hearing to Dec. 13 on Rise Grass Valley’s petition for vested rights to conduct mining operations at the Idaho Maryland Mine. The hearing was originally scheduled for Oct. 27.

Work on a new annex, visitors center and underground parking garage can legally begin after the state issued a final, court-ordered review of the project. Plans have been on hold since early 2021.

Property owners in the neighborhoods around the Mill Street Plaza in Grass Valley have inquired about converting upper-level offices into residential space. City staff was directed to prepare a proposal as a first step to drafting an ordinance to incentivize the conversion of under-utilized space for housing.

The irrigation bill, which aims to force businesses and institutions to remove their lawns, now goes to the governor.

A June budget deal required community colleges to raise their own money to build affordable student housing. Some campuses said that plan prevented them from building the dorms, even with help from the state to pay the debt.

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks proposed legislation to help get around a court's rejection of a UC Berkeley housing plan. But even if the law is approved, its fate is in the hands of the state Supreme Court.

The Truckee Donner Public Utility District is excited to announce that its board of directors is updating the agency's strategic initiatives, and it wants the community's input to help create its vision for the future of Truckee.

With the newly acquired University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe campus, the University is looking to invigorate the demonstration garden it once helped to start at the former Sierra Nevada College campus.

The forest and partners will now begin implementing the 275,000-acre vegetation and fuels management project in the North Yuba watershed over the next 15 to 20 years.

The Truckee Library building will close from July 17 through mid-October for updates. Library services and programming will remain available at the Truckee Library WorkSpace, the Joseph Government Center, Truckee Regional Park and other community locations.

Before the end of summer, an event center will be fully functioning with a nearly 27,000-square-foot floor space that can be used for a variety of events such as concerts, sports events and conferences.

An unprecedented group of Lake Tahoe destination management, land management and nonprofits launched the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan with the signing of an agreement to create the first stewardship council for the region.

The increasing fire danger posed by the high volume of dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region is prompting CAL FIRE to suspend all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within the State Responsibility Area of Nevada, Yuba, Placer and Sierra counties.

The California Public Utilities Commission approved a second area code (called an overlay) that will provide additional numbering resources while minimizing customer inconvenience in the geographic region served by the 530 area code.

There's a new way for animal lovers to help the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. A thrift boutique is set to open in early August, at 12047 Donner Pass Rd.

Nevada County invites residents and visitors countywide to share project ideas to improve recreation.

The Town of Truckee Town Council meeting will review a proposal to use funds generated by SB 1 for both the Railyard Mobility Hub Project and the West River Street Streetscape Improvement Project.

Concerns were raised over the placement of the designated dog park in Incline Village due to public safety access and potential harm to the surrounding creeks at the Village Green.

The Waldorf Astoria team discussed special use permits needed for the project through Washoe County.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 341 into law, reinstating a moratorium on the expansion of cardrooms in the state.

The Washoe County Board of County Commissioners has decided to reconsider its decision to decrease the parking and occupancy numbers for a short-term rental in Incline Village.

As the two-day hearing regarding the proposed re-opening of the Idaho-Maryland gold mine wound down on May 11, Nevada County Planning Commissioner Terry McAteer cited the actions of Lorenzo Sawyer, who moved to Nevada City as a gold miner in 1850 and left the work to become a lawyer after witnessing first hand the detrimental impacts of mining.

The Truckee Town Council took action to certify the 2040 General Plan and Downtown Truckee Plan, which sets forth the town's vision for the future.

The Truckee Town Council on May 9 will hold a public hearing and may adopt the 2040 General Plan. The council will also consider proclaiming May as affordable housing and building safety month.

The Nevada County Planning Commission will consider the reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine by Rise Grass Valley Inc. on May 10 (and 11 if needed) at the Eric Rood Administrative Center in Nevada City. Planning staff released a report in advance of the hearing with recommendations and action items.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board voted to approve the updated plan revision to the Waldorf Astoria, located at what used to be the Tahoe Biltmore. Developers made significant changes to the 2011 plan.

The Nevada County Planning Department released a staff report on the proposed Idaho Maryland Mine – Rise Grass Valley Project ahead of the May 10 Planning Commission meeting. It provides two recommendations: one denying the application and one granting it with mitigation measures.

At a meeting to discuss locating a mobility hub at an old elementary school, many commenters were focused on the need for other amenities and developments.