Meeting in Dayton on Highway 50 alternative draws large crowd

Dayton residents spilled into the hallways Wednesday night to get a look at maps of their community and talk about a new route around Highway 50.

"The meeting was a success," said Dayton Regional Advisory Council chairwoman Barbara Peck. "We had standing room only, with people lined up outside the conference room."

Western Nevada Development District planning director Bill Cadwallader said most people said they didn't want their existing neighborhoods affected by the new route.

"That was a considerable concern for those living in the Sutro area," he said. "There was also significant concern that some compromise be developed so a route goes through. People looking at the maps could see it is a question of dealing with the existing development and the mountains."

Cadwallader said the 12 maps displayed Wednesday night will be back on display next week at the Lyon County Library in Dayton.

He said he hoped residents will mark up a map with suggestions for a new route.

"There is an awful lot of interest in it," he said. "Have people mark up the map and tell us where they think the route should go. We want people to look at the issues and understand the constraints we are dealing with."

Information gathered at Wednesday's meeting will be taken to county leaders at the planning and county commissions for recommendations for a route through Dayton Valley around Highway 50.

"We will then go back through the process with a list of alternatives, take them to the public, then the county commission and give them our recommendations, an analysis and the reasoning why we picked a certain route."

Cadwallader said research done for the county's master plan indicates that by the time all the development is built along Highway 50, traffic it will be more like traffic on Carson Street, which handles 35,000 to 50,000 vehicles a day.

Contact Kurt Hildebrand at hildebrand@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1215.