Carson City Planning Commission OKs hotel and marijuana facility

The Planning Commission approved a special use permit (SUP) for a hotel on Curry Street and Clearview Drive.

The proposed hotel is a four-story TownePlace Suites by Marriott comprising 95 units with kitchenettes designed for longer stays, but stays still less than 28 days.

The hotel project needs an SUP to exceed the permitted building height of 45 feet and to put a hotel in a mixed zone of Multi-Family Apartment and General Commercial.

The design calls for a varied roof height up to 55 feet to create a more interesting-looking building and provide cover for equipment such as air conditioning units on the roof.

“As an architect I’d rather see this than a flat 42 or 45 foot roof that did expose the air conditioning,” said Commissioner Daniel Salerno at the Wednesday meeting.

Joan Bondiett, a nearby homeowner, said she opposed the increased height, saying the site was a hill which would already elevate the building.

“It would be like if Courtyard Marriott were 10 stories,” she said, referring to the hotel at 3870 S. Carson St., next to the Casino Fandango and east of the proposed project.

The commission unanimously approved the SUP with the conditions from staff and added a condition restricting construction hours on Sundays. Construction is allowed 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Chairman Paul Esswein and Commissioner Elyse Monroy were both absent.

The commission also approved two SUPs for a marijuana cultivation and production facility at 3493 Arrowhead Drive.

The building had already been permitted for cultivation, but the permit had lapsed.

In the meantime, the business, WSCC, Inc., acquired a certificate for production from another medical marijuana establishment and now plans to operate both cultivation and production.

Salerno cast the lone no vote, saying marijuana businesses violate federal law.

The commission also voted to recommend amendments to two ordinances to the Board of Supervisors.

One amendment would clarify that common open space requirements for multi-family developments don’t apply to single-family or duplex developments in multi-family apartment zoning districts, and the second amendment adds a new section to Title 18, Zoning, Chapter 18.02, Administrative Provisions concerning reasonable accommodations consistent with the Federal Fair Housing Act.