Planners postpone public zone discussion.

Carson City planners will delay a discussion on "public zoning" until January.

While the Carson City Planning Commission has already approved an almost entirely new zoning ordinance for the city, it withheld approval of the public zone changes after dozens of capital city residents questioned the transition from one public designation to three.

Carson Senior Planner Lee Plemel said multiple property owners were confused by the split of the public zone -- typically property owned by city, state and federal government -- into public regional, public neighborhood and public community zones. Plemel said the three new zones are more specific about what uses can and cannot occur on public property.

"A lot of concerns (from those) who have purchased property near Bureau of Land Management land, parks, open space is that this would allow some use near their property that they don't want there," Plemel said. "This isn't related to any specific projects."

Plemel said the changes to the public zone actually limit what can be built in those areas. While the current public zone would allow as a conditional use a military facility on any public land, the new rules would allow that facility only in the public regional zone, a designation for government land with varied uses. Public parks would be allowed in the other two designations.

Plemel said information on the public zones is available at the Community Development Department, 2621 Northgate Lane, Suite No. 62. Call 887-2188 for information.