Forestry Building Update / Victory!

As of Saturday evening (9/18), it was agreed that the two sites on Skislope as well as the site on Alder Creek would be removed from the site options for the new Forestry/Maintenance Building. Robbie and I, along with many other TD homeowners, attended the first three Community Forums. The first 1.5 hours of each meeting consisted of a powerpoint presentation followed by a period, of equal length, for member comments. Member comments unanimously opposed the use of open space and questioned the expense of the project. The 4th Community Forum was cancelled and it was announced that the open space sites would not be pursued and the size and scope of the project would be re-evaluated.

In addition, Tahoe Donner has also agreed to remove the “dump” at the Lion’s Leap trailhead (end of Alder Creek) and Tahoe Donner is also pursuing options for a new location for the chipping site at the corner of Slalom and Northwoods.

Our SaveTDTrails group obtained 500 signatures and around 70 or so letters were sent to the board. They listened to us!

Tahoe Donner will be sending out information on this decision and their plans going forward but I wanted to let you know!

Thanks for your support.

Notice / Opposition of Tahoe Donner’s Proposed Use of Open Space

Recently, the Board at Tahoe Donner has begun making plans to construct a new $3.1 million dollar Forestry Department building. Instead of rebuilding on its current site on Northwoods Boulevard they have proposed four alternative sites. The potential four sites under consideration are: (1) Northwoods Boulevard, next door to the Golf Course Maintenance facility, (2) the land at the end of Alder Creek Road an eighth of a mile beyond the pavement (open space area), (3) Skislope Way, at the green gate trailhead, and (4) Skislope Way, 1,000 feet on Skislope Way above the green gate trailhead.

Tahoe Donner describes this building as: “The Proposed new building would not be a fine finished facility like Trout Creek Recreation Center or The Lodge; rather the finish would be utilitarian, similar to the current Golf Course Maintenance facility.”

The majority of the square footage of the proposed 2 level facility (6,600 square feet) is identified for Forestry operational use, including work bays; large equipment storage; atv, splitter and chipper storage; flammables storage; material storage bins; wood pile and office space including three restrooms (men’s, women’s and unisex), kitchen, conference room and locker room with showers, washer and dryer. The perimeter of the facility will be encompassed by a security fence with sliding metal gates.

Property owners in Tahoe Donner have indicated through a survey conducted by the Tahoe Donner Association that open space is the number one most important aspect of Tahoe Donner. The proposed site at the end of Alder Creek is an open space area. For Tahoe Donner to consider building the new Forestry Facility at this location is outrageous. The Alder Creek site is the most used open space in all of Tahoe Donner. It is used year round with cross country ski trails in the winter, hiking, biking and equestrian center uses in the summer. The actual site on Alder Creek is in the center of the most used trail (Lions Leap) within the cross country ski area.

Tahoe Donner’s plan is moving along fast so now is the time to oppose their sprawl into our open spaces. Once they get a project like this in place there may be no stopping the future use and development into these treasured and extremely limited spaces.

Link to Potential Sites
Link to Forestry Building Schematic Elevations

Please join the opposition to the Alder Creek Forestry Project. Reply to SaveTDTrails@hotmail.com with your name and address. We will add your name to the petition to oppose this site. The actual petition wording is included below.

Petition summary and background	Tahoe Donner is currently considering multiple sites for a proposed NEW $3.1-million Forestry Multi-Use Building. Several sites on this list are not consistent with the current Tahoe Donner General Plan, which supports the preservation of open space, was approved by the board and is a governing document for Tahoe Donner Association.
Action petitioned for	We, the undersigned, oppose any proposed site for a new Forestry Multi-Use Building outside of TD’s main corridor, Northwoods Boulevard. We urge the TD Board and management to follow the current General Plan, including site recommendations of the General Plan Committee for forestry and maintenance facilities. We want the TD board and management to know that we adamantly support the preservation of open space and trails and expect the board and management to cluster all maintenance and forestry facilities to avoid encroaching on open space and trails. Clustering and centralization should also be used to minimize the cost and increase the efficiency of remodeling, rebuilding and operating maintenance or forestry facilities.

If you are so inclined, please forward this email to any other person(s) you feel would be interested in this information.

You can also express your opinion directly to board@tahoedonner.com and forestryproject@tahoedonner.com .

There will be a Tahoe Donner Community Forum meeting at 10:00 AM on September 11, to discuss this site. This meeting will be at the Northwoods Clubhouse. Our strength will come from our numbers so please attend if at all possible.

Martis Camp Concert – Labor Day Weekend

A BIG BAND FOR A BIG NIGHT! 

The Martis Camp Summer Concert Series finale featured the popular, contemporary swing band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (BBVD). This southern California crew brought their string basses, saxophones, clarinets, and trumpets, not to mention their swingin’ style and velvety vocals to entertain all on Labor Day weekend.

What a great night! Perfect weather. Perfect setting. Great friends. Laughter and smiles. Delicious catered dinner enjoyed picnic style on the amphitheater lawn. Pre-concert Swing Dance lessons. Martis Camp caters to young and old alike and truly creates a special environment for family and friends.

Second homes: Market growing for family-friendly resorts

By Larry Olmsted, Special for USA TODAY

Second homes, whether in the mountains or at the beach, have long had a strong family appeal. In recent years, savvy developers have been building communities aimed at families in the same way they once built for avid golfers, skiers or tennis players. Many of the homes are being bought because of family-friendly amenities and are used as a place for family gatherings, especially during holidays. “Family-friendly definitely sells now,” says Steve Adelson, a partner in Discovery Land Co., which develops luxury second-home communities with a family focus. “In today’s market, the speculators are gone, and our buyers are real users. For people to be able to afford these kinds of homes, they usually have worked hard, spent a lot of time in the office, and on vacation they really want quality time with their families.”

Indicative of the appeal: Discovery has sold over $600 million worth of real estate this year, despite the economy.

The best family-centric communities have extensive supervised programs for kids, clubhouses and sports, activities and classes. Facilities and programs tend to be elaborate:

•At California’s Martis Camp, near Lake Tahoe, the “Family Barn” has a bowling alley, movie theater, soda fountain and stage. An outdoor sports complex offers croquet, lawn bowling, basketball courts, a soccer field, softball diamond and barbecue area. A separate “folk school” offers classes in photography and pottery.

•Colorado’s Snowmass resort has a multilevel, ski-in and ski-out “Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center.”

•In addition to 35 miles of bike paths, a kids’ camp, three golf courses, equestrian and fly-fishing, Oregon’s Sunriver Resort has a domed astronomical observatory with a retractable roof and 13 telescopes. In summer, educational programs and viewings are conducted daily.

•Colorado’s Beaver Creek ski resort built a gondola for its kids’ ski school, has a skating rink, performing arts area and free cookies for skiers.

•At Idaho’s Gozzer Ranch, children make their own movie that’s “screened” for parents, complete with a red carpet and popcorn. 

Most communities also offer simpler activities, which Adelson calls “Norman Rockwellian,” such as bingo nights and campfire steak cookouts. The best have put a summer camp twist on second-home ownership. 

A look at three family-friendly second-home options

• Ski resorts. Some resorts focus more on family activities than others. Among the most popular amenities is a slope-side “village center” that offers skating, dining, rentals, ski school and kids’ club in one convenient location. Beaver Creek, Colo.; Whistler, British Columbia, Canada; Northstar, Calif.; Stowe, Vt.; and several other resorts have them. Beaver Creek’s elaborate system of escalators in its village is frequently cited by parents of ski-boot-wearing children as their favorite feature. Beaver Creek and Colorado’s Snowmass, with its huge “Kids’ Treehouse,” were ranked in the top five family-friendly resorts by Ski Magazine. Beaver Creek is one of the priciest areas. Snowmass offerings start at $500,000-plus and run into seven figures. More-affordable options: California’s Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort has a new village center with ice rink and “Mommy, Daddy and Me” ski school packages. Condos in the Village at Northstar start just under $300,000.

• Golf communities. Combining multiple high-quality golf courses with impressive children’s facilities is a new twist at golf communities. Florida’s 2,400-acre Sandestin is a leading golf resort in its own right with four top courses. But it also boasts family attractions such as several stocked lakes for kids to learn to fish, a resort village with family-friendly restaurants, and entertainment that includes a zip line, a water park, seasonal ice rink and nightly entertainment. Family-friendly Sunriver in Oregon, with astronomy and fly-fishing, is home to three of the premier golf courses in the Northwest. These non-gated communities tend to be more affordable. The majority of the properties at Sandestin are in the $250,000-$600,000 range, with condos from the low $100,000s. Some of the world’s premier theme park and historic destinations, such as Walt Disney World in Orlando, Hershey, Pa., and Williamsburg, Va., are popular second-home locales with multiple top-ranked golf courses.

• Private club communities. Many family-friendly ski and golf resorts have hotels, and they welcome day visitors. That’s not the case at private and often-gated communities such as the Discovery Land Co.’s Gozzer Ranch in Idaho, Iron Horse in Montana, and 13 other beach and mountain communities in the continental USA, Hawaii, Mexico and the Bahamas. The communities typically feature at least one golf course, other sports and extensive family facilities. Similar communities include California’s Martis Camp, Talisker Deer Valley, Utah,and The Club at Spanish Peaks, Mont. They combine golf and numerous other activities with private access to skiing. These appeal strongly to those who want to let their children be unsupervised, while still under the security that private communities offer. They also tend to be the most expensive options. Empty lots at Discovery communities start around $500,000, homes reach past $1 million, and many cost much more.

Truckee Real Estate Sales: August 2010

Closed sales for Single Family Homes in the Greater Truckee area increased 32% from the end of July to the end of August.

Historic Downtown Truckee Arts and Crafts Labor Day Festival

Truckee will be brimming with art and activity during the 2nd Annual Historic Downtown Truckee Arts and Crafts Labor Day Festival Saturday through Monday , September 4-6, 2010 from 10 am to 5 pm each day.

The Arts & Crafts Labor Day Fair features many local artists including our Tahoe Donner favorites, Olaf and Elizabeth Carmel. This talented couple are Sierra-based photographers specializing in unique and expressive landscapes. Make sure you visit thier newly expanded  (2600 sq ft) Carmel Gallery, located at 9940 Donner Pass Road.

Hosted by the Truckee Downtown Merchant’s Association, this free event welcomes everyone to browse and shop among the original work of artists and crafters from across the western United States showcasing their handcrafted creations including original photography, jewelry, sculptures, ceramics and much more.

Taking place in downtown Truckee’s walkable historic mountain setting, on the closed street of Bridge Street between Donner Pass Road and Church Street, the unique event locale offers something for everyone, whether you want to visit the town’s first jail, meet and patronize artists and craftspeople, stroll along the river, shop among the many independent boutique stores or eat at any one of over a dozen restaurants.

For more information about the Historic Downtown Truckee Arts & Crafts Festival, contact the Truckee Downtown Merchant’s Association at (530) 587-3161.

Tahoe Donner® Real Estate Sales: August 2010

Tahoe Donner® Real Estate

Single Family Homes Sold - August  2010

Single Family Homes SOLD = 24 (up 84% from last month - 13 sales)
Median List Price = $547,000
Median Sale Price = $525,000
Average Days on Market = 44
YTD TD SF Homes Sold = 127
Active Listings = 159 (down 6% from last month)

  

  

Address	Original Price	Sales Price	Square Feet
15948 Northwoods	$289,900	$306,000	1786 (5 DOM)
12823 Hillside	$295,000	$295,000	953 (3 DOM)
13631 Northwoods	$394,900	$375,000	1785 (162 DOM)
12359 Hillside	$395,950	$345,000	1848 (45 DOM)
15471 Northwoods	$428,000	$428,000	1632 (39 DOM)
11880 Baden	$499,950	$480,000	1400 (60 DOM)
11147 Northwoods	$500,000	$440,000	1860 (27 DOM)
11907 Oslo	$500,000	$475,000	1421 (31 DOM)
11620 Norse	$525,000	$504,000	1728 (16 DOM)
12304 Bennett Flat	$545,000	$530,000	1776 (8 DOM)
12301 Greenleaf	$549,000	$545,000	2040 (10 DOM)
15407 Wolfgang	$549,000	$525,000	1897 (13 DOM)
14329 Hansel	$559,000	$470,000	1732 (69 DOM)
14781 Tyrol	$585,000	$555,000	1969 (57 DOM)
14100 Skiview Loop	$595,000	$465,000	1893 (51 DOM)
12627 Parsenn	$599,000	$570,000	2064 (80DOM)
14267 Pathway	$599,000	$585,000	2049 (11 DOM)
13327 Muhlebach	$625,000	$615,000	1950 (8 DOM)
14979 Swiss	$659,000	$525,000	2132 (62 DOM)
13819 Herringbone	$699,000	$675,000	2299 (36 DOM)
12429 St. Bernard	$769,000	$705,000	2242 (32 DOM)
11422 Mougle	$779,000	$710,000	2924 (124 DOM)
11760 Kitzbuhel	$850,000	$775,000	2425 (0 DOM)
14384 Swiss Lane	$1,150,000	$1,100,000	3386 (18 DOM)
*DOM (Days on Market)

 

 

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Tahoe Donner® Condos Sold - August  2010

Condos SOLD = 2
Median List Price = $274,000
Median Sale Price = $261,000
Average Days on Market = 27
YTD TD Condos Sold = 29
Active Listings = 28 

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Tahoe Donner® Lots Sold - August 2010

Lots SOLD = 2
Median List Price = $121,450
Median Sale Price = $102,000
Average Days on Market = 38
YTD TD Lots Sold = 16
Active Listings = 58 

(YTD = Year-To-Date) 

This is provided as a quick snapshot of the monthly market activity in Tahoe Donner®. Keep in mind, numbers only tell part of the story. We would be happy to share our day-to-day insight 

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