Douglas County planning commissioners OK Zerolene development

What is now little more than a beaten track will one day be the main route into a 600-home subdivision along the northern side of Minden and Gardnerville.

That may happen sooner than later if developers of that portion of The Ranch at Gardnerville are able to get a plan for Zerolene Road approved that includes six culverts and a dip.

There isn’t even a street sign at Zerolene today, which starts at the driveway of Testa Racing across from where Mono Avenue meets Highway 395.

Eventually the road will be the boundary between Minden and Gardnerville. However, to get to the project that’s been proposed for the last dozen years, it has to cross a 100-year floodway on Martin Slough.

County Engineer Eric Nilssen and Community Development Director Mimi Moss said the road requires a minimum of eight culverts and maybe 10 to get water across the road in a 100-year flood. Nilssen said county standards required that the road should have at least one dry lane in a big flood so residents can escape.

Developers argued that six culverts and a dip section would allow the water to pass without raising upstream levels into at least one structure.

Douglas County Planning commissioners narrowly agreed in a 4-3 vote on Dec. 13.

Led by Frank Godecke, the board decided that the proposed six culverts and a dip were sufficient. That agreed with votes held last week at the towns of Minden and Gardnerville.

Douglas County commissioners will have the final say over which way will be best to get residents in and out of the project.