Grass Valley voters will be asked to decide on Measure T, which would levy a half-cent sales tax to fund transportation-related projects.

The biggest project is an interchange on the Golden Center Freeway at Dorsey Drive, which city and regional transportation officials have sought for at least two decades.

They argue the overpass would relieve congestion in Glenbrook Basin and at the intersection of the freeway with Idaho-Maryland Road and East Main Street. Opponents counter it would be a boon to developers and would provide only minimal relief to congestion.

If two-thirds of voters approve it, the tax would raise $72 million during 20 years.

Residents and visitors would share the burden, contributing 5 cents for every $10 spent. (Some major purchases would be impacted differently.)

The tax rate now is 7.375 percent. Of the total, 6.25 percent goes to the state, 1 percent goes to local governments, and .125 goes to a fund for county libraries.

The four projects that would be funded and the amount of tax money that would go to each are:

• Dorsey Drive interchange. The cost is estimated at $24.5 million, with $16.75 million coming from sales tax money. City officials are working with the California Department of Transportation to lower the costs and scale of the project.
• Resurface city streets; build drainage and flood control; enhance the Main Street corridor and pedestrian and bicycle paths for $16.5 million.
• Wolf Creek Parkway for $13.5 million. This includes two miles of trails through downtown, plus other trails for walkers and cyclists. The trails would connect areas throughout the city.
• Downtown parking and transit for $12 million. Projects include a $10-million parking garage with several hundred spaces, a transit center, bus shelters, and improvements for bicycles and motorcycles.

With the new tax revenue, the city would be able to issue bonds to raise money to complete the projects. Debt service on bonds is estimated at $12 million. Another $1.25 million would go to administrative costs, according to a city analysis.

Pros and cons
Mayor Gerard Tassone, a 19-year veteran of city politics, decided not to run for re-election so he can focus on building support for the tax measure. The most important element is funding for the Dorsey Drive interchange, he said.

“It’s a key part of solving the overall traffic problem in the city, relieving congestion at most of the major intersections in the area,” Tassone said.

The city has a window of opportunity to raise enough money for the entire project, rather than build one piece at a time.

“We’ve been looking for alternative sources of funding... and they’re just not there,” Tassone said. “If we can show as a rural county that we’re willing to fund it ourselves, then we can apply for state money” to help defray the cost.

Groups that support the tax measure include the Grass Valley Downtown Association, the Nevada County Contractors Association and Grass Valley Neighbors — organizations that often disagree.

“We’re really excited about it,” said Jonathan Keehn, a board member of Wolf Creek Community Alliance, which also supports the measure. “It will take a long time to fund the (Wolf Creek) Parkway ... and this is a good way to start it.”

Boon for builders?
The watchdog group Citizens Concerned About Traffic has criticized the Grass Valley measure for being less specific than the Nevada City proposal. Group leader Grant Cattaneo has written the measure would spend too much money on the interchange and not enough to repair streets and promote bicycle and bus transit.

However, CCAT is taking no formal position on the tax.
City Council candidate Terry Lamphier opposes the measure, calling it a boon for developers. He cites a California Department of Transportation report noting the freeway interchange would create opportunities for new development and benefit the Loma Rica Ranch proposed housing project.

He also criticized the measure for funding a parking garage for which no plans have been completed. “It’s not about reducing traffic but having taxpayers, instead of developers, pay for past and future growth,” Lamphier wrote in his opposition.

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To contact Staff Writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.