Minden multi-family projects move ahead

In a twist on the concept of putting up a fence to keep new people from moving to Carson Valley, one man suggested turning Winhaven into a gated community.

Douglas County commissioners approved a half-dozen requests related to projects master planned for multi-family residential last year.

Lowell Craig said that if all the projects go through, either the county or the developer should pay to gate off Winhaven.

Craig said he went to the Minden Town Board to get the speed bumps on Lantana.

“It didn’t do a darn thing,” he said. “People slow down for the first speed bump and then speed up for the second, or they go up on the sidewalk.”

Craig said that people are using his street as a means to get to Buckeye for the traffic light.

“This development happening on Lucerne and Ironwood is going to add to what is already a dangerous situation on my street,” he said.

Minden resident Leslie Hokenson made a Nevada-shaped sign to protest what she felt was too much multi-family residential approved for her neighborhood.

Prior to last year’s master plan change, the property located north of the intersection of highways 88 and 395 owned by Carson Valley Inn owner Mike Pegram was slated for a hotel casino and 400,000 feet of commercial floor space.

County Planner Louis Cariola said the property was downzoned from tourist commercial to neighborhood commercial, single family and multi-family residential.

Thursday’s action corrected two master plan error corrections, three zoning consistency suggestions and a change to the motif, Cariola said.

The prior project had enough square footage to house 2-3 Walmarts.

The property is approved for 5 acres of multi-family and 19 acres of single family with 135 units west of Lucerne.

Access to Pegram’s project would be through the extension of Highway 88.

Commissioners also approved introducing an ordinance on a neighboring 6-acre parcel, located north of Ironwood between Lucerne and Monte Vista. The county changed the master plan on the property from commercial to multi-family residential last year.

Thursday’s action approved zoning to match the change in the master plan.