In a three-day open house on the future of Fuji Park and the Carson City Fairgrounds conducted by Carson City staff, 163 comments were recorded.
Of those, nearly 84 percent - 136 - supported keeping the park and fairgrounds in their current location. Almost all of the 27 comments noting support for development at the site were couched with a note to develop the fairgrounds but preserve Fuji Park.
"Develop downtown."
"Save Fuji. I'm sick of all this new building stuff. Save Fuji Park. We don't need anymore buildings."
"Carson City needs a much better fairground than what's at Fuji. Any alternative is better than what we have."
"Raising property tax 10 cents is OK by me. Carson City has one of the lowest property tax rates in the state. To raise it by 10 cents for $1 million lost in sales tax is palatable and not asking much in exchange for a park."
"Preserve the park, but move the fairgrounds. As is, an eyesore for the city when entering the city."
"Let's forget the legal aspect of the situation. This is purely a matter of our trusted elected city officials ignoring the popular will of the people. This is a breach of ethics."
"Use the area for common sense commercial development. Increase our tax base, but save the trees, creek and green areas. The fairgrounds should move."
"The sale of Fuji Park will be a mistake for the future of this community. We have had promises before and they have been broken. You say the park will remain, when only last year we were told the fairgrounds were not being threatened. Now they are. How long before the park goes, too? What about all the empty stores now? Box stores move in, pave over then leave the empty space behind. Let's concentrate on filling or improving existing stores instead of building new. That intersection is a bottleneck now -- it will only get worse. Kmart's new development is empty. Supply One is empty. Wal-Mart will be empty. Fill them first; save what little there is that is green in this town."
"Upscale commercial image? Next to Costco and a trailer park?"
"I'm hoping the Board of Supervisors will act on the opportunity to instruct parks and recreation to find another site for the fairgrounds that users will approve, and the city manager can get on with talks with developers who like this area and will come here and we will get the money needed that sales taxes will generate, not raise property taxes and lose services."
"Saving the park is important to the vitality of our community. Environmental and quality of life reasons far outweigh any possible short-term economic benefit. The citizens have spoken on bond issues to save and improve the park and fairgrounds. Our wishes should be adhered to."
"Let's have a public vote."
"Move the fairgrounds, it's in bad shape. Save the trees."
"The city fathers should not be in the realty business."
"Don't let commercial interests dictate the way our town develops. It is our home, let us decide."
"What an excellent, economically sound way to have something really beneficial for Carson City and the whole area."
"We appreciate the fact that the leadership of Carson City, including the city staff, are such progressive thinkers in their consideration of all the issues concerning the City of Carson. We are in favor of a relocation of the fairgrounds portion to a more advantageous location and open up the opportunity for more tax revenues to benefit all the citizenry."
