Development flags, signs and sales office irk Silver Oaks residents

Approximately 30 residents and homeowners of Carson City's Silver Oaks subdivision showed up Wednesday to express disapproval of a plan by Landmark Homes to erect flags, signs and a temporary sales office around a planned development.

Despite the objections, commissioners approved the special use permit , saying Landmark meets legal criteria. Developer Glen Martel, the company's director of development, said he would compromise, agreeing to erect 10 flags instead of the 17 that were first proposed.

"We are a rather isolated development," Martel said, arguing in favor of the permit. "We try to be consistent with what would be 4-by-8 plywood signs."

The Landmark development, a 60-lot parcel currently in escrow, is located on the golf course island that connects with Grass Drive in the northeast end of Silver Oaks.

The company plans to start construction of model homes by February, and will use a temporary "commercial coach" as a sales office until model home construction is done. The flags and signs will be used to direct potential buyers to the site while subdivision homes are sold starting next year.

Resident Glen Larson cited traffic as his concern when sales of the homes start. He said a crush of home shoppers might be hazardous to the residents who already live within the community.

"Whether its one car, 20 cars or 200 cars, when you come in there it's a real mishmash -- and it will affect pedestrians," he said.

Richard Moore, also a Silver Oaks resident, objected to the noise and spectacle potentially created by the flags.

"With 17 flagpoles and five directional signs, it's going to look like a carnival down there," he said.

Residents who want to file written appeals to the board's decision may do so by writing to the Carson City Planning Department. For more information, call planner Skip Canfield at 887-2180.