Developers and residents seek changes for neighborhood

Carson City planning commissioners on Wednesday will consider a zoning change that could alter the character of an 11-acre piece of Carson City that area residents say is in decline.

The land between Graves Lane and Brown Street in East Carson City, now filled with mobile homes on lots ranging from 12,000 square feet to a half acre, is surrounded by commercial and a mix of single and multi-family developments. A couple of property owners in the area are considering apartment or condominium projects, and the city says there is an unmet need for high-density housing.

The two-block area, with commercial ventures like SlotWorld and Silver Dollar Casinos to the north, mixed housing areas to the east and south, and vacant commercial property to the west, is awkward, said Carson City Principal Planner Lee Plemel.

"It's an area we would have looked at through the Master Plan process anyway," even if property owners hadn't requested a zone change, Plemel said.

So far, nearby homeowners have shown support for the idea.

When the planning commission first heard the proposal at a meeting earlier this year, a few residents showed up to urge the commission to do what they could to encourage changes of the area, citing noticeable drug activity and a general lack of yard maintenance.

Under the proposal up for consideration, the northern edge of the neighborhood closest to the casinos would become commercial property. The rest would change from low-density mobile home housing to high-density residential.

"At this time, we're looking at just the residential aspect of it," Plemel said. But in the future, the neighborhood could become a mixed-use activity center where apartments and condominiums reside alongside shops and offices.

Changing zoning of the entire area, rather than just the land of specific property owners, would ensure future development in the neighborhood, follows a consistent concept, according to the city planning department.

If the planning commission approves the zoning and master plan designation change, the proposal will go to city supervisors for final passage.

n Contact reporter Cory McConnell at cmcconnell@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.