Carson Bridge Club buys new home

Bridge club members will be on the right side of the law in Carson City within two months -- this time at their own clubhouse.

Carson City Bridge Center directors have decided to purchase a building downtown, between the Park Inn and Children's Museum, as a permanent home for the club.

Members of the mostly senior card group got the boot from a rented space in the airport industrial area after the city found the club was operating in a zone that did not allow such uses.

Following the decision, city staff and local business officials quickly worked to find a new place for the club to rent while allowing it to continue operating, but the Andersons found their own answer by purchasing the building.

The Andersons recently entered into escrow on the new building and hope to move into it within two months, Robert Anderson said. The club plans to teach bridge and use part of the building to rent out to other clubs, this time with the blessing of city officials and the proper license, he said.

"Everybody is really excited to have a permanent place for us to play," Anderson said.

The city has been good about working with the club and allowing them to continue playing at the illegal site in the airport industrial park on Conestoga Drive until the new site is available, Robert Anderson said.

City planning officials did not return calls Tuesday.

The 60-member club rented the building on Conestoga Drive 18 months ago as an affordable and easily accessed site. Members were unaware they were violating city codes, the owners said. City staff required the club to apply for a business license after they spied an newspaper advertisement the club had placed meant to attract bridge students.

During the application process, the city noticed the club was located in an industrial zone and asked the club to go before the planning commission for permission to operate. The commission denied the request in January.

The bridge club plays three times a week and members compete in tournaments all over the country.