Continuance in dispute over rural Nevada development

MINDEN -- Douglas County planning commissioners have continued action on a 156-unit time share development in historic Genoa over objections of neighbors who wanted the project denied.

"When the applicant comes in, they have the burden to satisfy all the conditions. They knew access was a problem," said Steve McMorris, a resident of the Genoa Lakes subdivision that overlooks the project site. "A continuance gives a person another bite of the apple."

After three hours of public comment in opposition to the project at the Golf Course at Genoa Lakes, commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to grant a continuance requested by multimillionaire golf-course owner Mario Antoci.

Antoci wants to put 156 time-share units and an 18,787-square-foot fitness center on 34.5 acres within the development.

The project would be located in the southeast corner of the golf course -- in an area that periodically floods when the Carson River jumps its banks. Antoci says fill earth would be used to raise the building sites for 39 four-plexes above the flood zone.

Critics of the plan expressed concern about the location, the prospect of heavy traffic, addition of an access road through an adjacent quiet neighborhood, water demands and the project's ill fit with Genoa's rural atmosphere.

Residents of the nearby Pioneer Trails subdivision were concerned Meadowlark Lane, a dirt road favored by horseback riders and walkers, would be paved and become heavily used as the project's access road from Genoa Lane.

Planning Commission Chairwoman Valida McMichael said Antoci wasn't specific about the type of time share or where the access road might be located.

"I don't think the project is ready," she said. "There are too many unanswered variables: What kind of time share? Where is the road going to go? How about the water? There are too many maybes."

"We were kind of blind-sided by all the complaints," said Jeff Rahbeck, lawyer for the developer. "This will give us time to satisfy the concerns."

Critics said the "blind-sided" comment was laughable, since Antoci kept his plans quiet until last month and county planning officials didn't notify many area residents who would be affected by the project.