Carson City planning board recommends tentative Lompa plan to supes

The Carson City Planning Commission on Wednesday reviewed the first residential development for Lompa Ranch.

The commission voted to recommend the Board of Supervisors approve the tentative subdivision map for 189 houses on 44.55 acres of the 251-acre site.

Ninety-six houses are planned on lots sized a minimum of 6,000 square feet and the remainder on lots sized a minimum of 7,000 square feet.

The development by Blackstone Development Group Inc. will feature 10-acre and 3-acre parks and walking trails, and will include homeowners and landscape maintenance associations.

Lompa is one of four areas in Carson City that has a specific plan and the only one required to have a phasing plan that maps out water, sewer, stormwater and utilities for the entire property before any piece of it can be developed.

The developer is still working on the plan and as one of the conditions of the tentative map approval must complete the phasing plan before any building permits are issued.

Also, before a final map is approved a development agreement that details further requirements has to be approved by the supervisors.

The developer is now working with the Fire Department about building a new fire station on city-owned land in lieu of the $1,000-per-home impact fee to address the need for additional services.

And the developer is talking with the Carson City School District about developing land at the high school where buses could load and unload students. The buses currently do that on Robinson Street.

The development is planned south of Robinson Street, east of Saliman Road and just north of 5th Street, and would have two entrances/exits, on Robison Street and Saliman Road.

A traffic signal would be installed at Robinson Street and Saliman Road if and when traffic levels merited it.

Several neighbors to the property spoke during public comment, concerned about traffic, schools, and density.

Andrew Feuling, the school district’s director of fiscal services, said he anticipated the development would bring in 30-40 students per 100 homes.

“We think with this first stage we’ll be able to absorb that,” he said.

The commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval to the Board of Supervisors, with Commissioners Walt Owen and Daniel Salerno absent.

The commission also approved a special use permit for a freeway sign for Golden Gate Petroleum at 2651 Highway 50 East.

The applicant requested a larger sign than normally allowed — 57 feet 7 inches tall and 464 square feet, when code allows 45.7 feet in height and 274 square feet.

Much of the discussion concerned whether the sign — which will include changing gas and diesel prices and advertising space for several surrounding businesses — would be sufficiently visible from U.S. Highway 395.

Planning staff had recommended the sign be restricted to existing code, but the commission decided to allow the 464 square feet as requested by the applicant but restrict the height to 47 feet.

The approval passed 4-1 with Commission Chair Paul Esswein voting no.

The commission also voted to recommend to the Board of Supervisors an ordinance amending Title 18 and a zoning map amendment that will create a new industrial zone called General Industrial Airport for land near the airport.

The new zone will allow all general industrial uses but prohibit commercial uses otherwise allowed.

Another portion of land adjacent to the airport will be changed to General Industrial and prohibit uses such as marijuana production that aren’t legal under federal law. Finally, the commission voted to recommend to the supervisors modification of the definition of Dwelling, Single Family to remove references to Group Care Facilities, Residential Care Facilities, and Halfway Houses.