Open space, Carson River committees go on tour

In its quest to search for available open parcels in Carson City, the city's open space committee is teaming up with another city committee to swap notes on potential open space land.

On Monday the Carson City Open Space and Carson River advisory committees will have a joint meeting which includes a tour of 13 river parcels up for open space consideration. Land along the Carson River is identified in the city's open space plan as a protection priority.

"There's a large degree of mutual interest," said Chuck Zimmerman, chairman of the Carson River Advisory Committee. "The committees are integrated in a lot of ways. We need to look at how open space and the Carson River Advisory Committee's goals correspond to create more open space along the river."

The Carson River committee members have expertise in river matters, while the open space committee has an obvious interest in finding river parcels to keep open.

"The river is the number one priority for the community, so it's important both CRAC and open space devote their attention to it," said Steve Hartman, open space committee chairman. "The partnership is the culmination of some of the stuff they've done that will help implement some of our goals.

"There is a lot of synergism that works for the community in all these little groups. The river is an area where we all have a definite interest."

City Park Planner Vern Krahn, a city adviser to both committees, said the potential to draw from each others' expertise will be a good exercise for both committees. The group will tour parcels of land south of Riverview Park and north of the Nevada State Prison river property as well as some parcels east of Deer Run Road Bridge.

"I think it really helps to physically see the property," Hartman said. "Land is such a unique concept. Every parcel has a different view. Just looking at maps, frankly, I don't think is good enough. You really have to go to the ground, see it, see its benefits and detractions."

Krahn said the committee is short on dollars and can't afford to purchase a lot of land. Fortunately, many land offers have come before the committee with no price tag attached. The committees will also look at ways to acquire land without spending a lot of money. One potential, Krahn said, is for the Bureau of Land Management to work with the committees and property owners on land trades. Hartmen said conservation easements, where development rights are purchased and the land is left open, may be a tool to use in the future.

Hartman said the open space committee is delighted to finally be working after years of planning.

"It's starting to come together like we thought it would," he said. "We put the projects through the matrix we built, and its amazing how that works. I think it's been kind of gratifying to see the what we did working, even though we took longer than we thought to get it started."

The meeting between the two committees starts with a ribbon cutting ceremony for Carson River Park.

Construction on the $95,000 project on the west side of the river included the addition of a 490-square-foot wheelchair accessible fishing place, a portable restroom and several trails and trailheads including trails for those in wheelchairs. The park has been done since early spring.

"Since it is a celebration of the park out there, too, the public could join us," Hartman said. "It would be good if they showed."

If you go:

What: Joint meeting of the Carson City Open Space Advisory and Carson River Advisory committees

When: Monday, 6 p.m.

Where: The meeting starts at the Carson River Park on Carson River Road. After a river parcel tour, the group will return to the Cooperative Exentions Conference Room, Suite 12, 2621 Northgate Lane.