Money rolling towards Mills Park parking

By this time next year, Carson City residents should see parking - the legal kind - along Highway 50 East at Mills Park.

A project to add spaces and relocate a bike path has found its first funding source thanks to a gift of $16,000 from the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Carson City supervisors committed to the construction of 57 parking spaces along the park fence in October. The temporary spaces will cost almost $53,000, and changing the spaces to permanent ones with landscaping will add $113,200 to the cost.

"I think those 57 parking spots are some of the greatest advertisements for events down at Mills Park," said CCCVB Chairman Don Quilici. "When people are parking out there it catches your attention, and it cause other people to stop."

The visitors bureau had some unexpected revenue this year left over from money set aside for work on the Pony Express Pavilion, said CCCVB Executive Director Candy Duncan. The money to move the bike path should be available in March, she said.

"If we can add parking to make events better, if it's something within our realm that we are able to do, we support it," Duncan said.

Mayor Ray Masayko said he was thrilled the visitor's bureau would join the city on the project.

"The piece I asked them to do was the critical part to moving the project forward," Masayko said. "If we can get moving on this it will show the Nevada Department of Transportation our resolve to move forward."

One of the largest objections to allowing parking along the stretch of road was the location of the bike path, Masayko said.

About $37,000 is still needed to fund the temporary parking, which Masayko said the board of supervisors will consider in December when money may be available.

"For the rest of it, the timing is probably better during the city's regular budget process, but we'll look at it in December," Masayko said.

The city approved the parking plan as a good faith effort so NDOT would allow special-event parking along the road.

Thousands of visitors crowd Mills Park yearly to attend the special events there. NDOT officials once said the Fourth of July was the last time the department would approve a special use permit of the area, and some motorists received tickets at subseqent events.

Carson City came up with a permanent parking plan, and a permit was issued for Nevada Day festivities.

Carson City Park and Recreation Commissioners will receive an update on Mills Park parking today as well as updates on the status of several projects including the Carson City Aquatic Facility, Edmonds Sports Complex, Carson River Park and the Linear Park Bike Path.

If you go:

What: Carson City Parks and Recreation Commission meeting

When: today, 5:30 p.m.

Where: Community Center's Sierra Room, 851 E. William St.