Sesquicentennial fair parking a concern

Nevada 150 Fair parking, always a concern, ratcheted up to consternation status when Carson City’s ad hoc fair planning unit met Thursday.

Many of the other planning matters were falling into place, according to discussion during the 90 minute informal session in a City Hall conference room. But city Transportation Manager Patrick Pittenger reported he had just learned from a contact at the Nevada Department of Transportation using state land just north and across from Fuji Park and Fairgrounds for parking isn’t likely,

Interim City Manager Marena Works, who heads the city staff and volunteer planning group, voiced her disappointment despite the fact there are fallback plans for parking at other locations.

“This is definitely the prime location,” she said, adding her frustration that others seem cooperative but NDOT was holding back. “I have yet to get turned down by anyone but NDOT.”

Pittenger reported he had just gotten off a call in which he learned things didn’t look good “even though nothing will happen for a year on the site.” The site in question is near Western Nevada Supply, a spot where dirt has been moved for the eventual linkup of the I-580 bypass freeway with Highway 50 toward Lake Tahoe across south Carson Street/U.S. 395 at the city’s south edge. The Fuji facility is just south of there near Bodines and across from Costco.

Fuji has spaces for just 123 vehicles, perhaps a few more if there are no recreational vehicles signed up to be on site. Much of the fair and park footprint will be taken up with such things as fair vendors, a carnival with rides and those exhibiting livestock or other agricultural projects.

The plan all along has been to shuttle people from parking places to Fuji for the fair, but Pittenger said the nearby state land could hold 1,000 vehicles and the shuttle would have been short. If efforts to persuade NDOT to reverse itself don’t work prior to the July 30-Aug. 3 fair, parking will wind up at various locations.

The committee learned there are 36 non-food vendors and 13 food/drink vendors lined up, though some must still meet liability insurance requirements. The same is true for Wold Amusements, the carnival vendor, but Works said she had a backup vendor lined up for that as well should Wold not meet a deadline for the insurance.

Musical, rodeo and other entertainment events are falling into place. A headliner event features the Comstock Cowboys, a popular area group, which will play Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. with tickets costing $15 per person.