Planners to discuss proposed Vicee Canyon development

A workshop is set Wednesday to review a master plan proposal that would enable a residential development between Timberline and Western Nevada Community College.

The proposed Vicee Canyon Specific Plan Area is one of several mini- master plans being done in conjunction with Carson City's overall master plan.

The issue at hand is 226 acres of state-owned school trust land in Vicee Canyon. Under the Nevada Constitution, the trust lands must be sold or leased to generate revenue to support public schools.

The Division of State Lands has requested that Carson City's master plan permit residential development of about 100 acres of that property. The remainder of the land would be reserved as open space.

The analysis by city staff shows the development would permit a maximum of 160 residential units. Wednesday's workshop is intended to get public comment and commission comments on the plan. State lands officials will answer questions. But no action will be taken.

According to a staff memo to the planning commission, notices were mailed to about 280 neighbors of the property, inviting them to the 7 p.m. meeting in the Community Center's Sierra Room.

A primary issue, according to staff, is vehicle access to the area. At present, Timberline Drive is the only paved access to the area. That road already is the only access to the Timberline Planned Unit Development.

"This single-access point does not meet current city standards and is an emergency-access risk," according to the report. "If the road becomes impassible, there is no other way to evacuate residents or for emergency vehicles to access the neighborhood."

One of the key goals of the proposal is to develop secondary access by extending a road through the college campus, thus improving emergency access for both existing and proposed residential neighborhoods.

The draft plan also addresses housing design, environmental issues, parks and trails, recreational access utilities and wildland-urban interface issues.

n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.

If you go

What: Carson City Planning Commission workshop on Vicee Canyon Specific Plan Area

Where: Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday