Land sales to federal government will preserve open space

Carson City's Open Space department is planning how to spend the more than $3.4 million it received recently from land sales to the federal government.

"Now we're just celebrating," joked Juan Guzman, the city's open-space manager. "Really, we still need to be very careful and judicious to achieve maximum results."

The department can only use the money for purchases of open space and recreation land.

The sales will be discussed at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Thursday.

The 40-acre Gilbert property was sold for $1.12 million to the U.S. Forest Service, and the 62-acre Bernhard land was sold for $2.3 million to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Both sales will preserve the sites as open space, Guzman said.

The Gilbert property is in the southeast corner of Borda Meadow near Kings Canyon and is surrounded by USFS property on its south, west and east sides. It was purchased by the city in April 2003 for $740,000 to protect it from development. A small portion of the Gilbert property is in Kings Canyon Creek and part of the area burned during the Waterfall fire. Carson City Utilities owns the 40-acre parcel to the north.

The Bernhard property, 62 acres west of Carson River Road, bordered on three sides by Bureau of Land Management property, with Silver Saddle Ranch to the south and west, was purchased by the city in 2001 for $1 million after its owner wanted to build houses on it.

Land acquisitions now being considered by the city include:

• The Robert Lorin Andersen and the Jimmie Pete Jarrard children's trusts, owners of 480-plus acres known as Buzzy's Ranch, agreed in January to consider selling the property to the city for use as open space, instead of developing it. This east Carson City property is bordered on the south by the Silver Saddle Ranch. The ranch is owned by the BLM and serves as open space, allowing access to the Carson River and Prison Hill area. The northern boundary of Buzzy's Ranch is Carson's City Riverview Park. The property is bordered to the east by the river and west by Mexican Ditch.

• The John Serpa property, 373 acres along the Carson River is east of the Deer Run Road Bridge, and is sought by the city for several reasons. It not only has recreational potential; it's a riparian area, contains a flood plain and is needed right of way for construction of the planned Virginia & Truckee Railway tourist route. It's also a Superfund location because of past mining practices that caused mercury contamination. Developers would have to cleanup the site; public uses wouldn't be held to the same standards.

• The Patricia Porter Family Trust owns 25 acres near the corner of Ormsby Boulevard and Kings Canyon Road sought by the city. It is the site of historic gravesites linked to the Indian Wars and is used for hiking. It also provides a nice view of the city. The Open Space Advisory Committee in late 2005 authorized the city to begin negotiations for the land.

The city cannot use eminent domain to obtain land for open space, and must pay fair-market value for it. Voters approved a quarter-cent sales tax called Question 18 for parks and open space in 1996, which helps to fund these purchases, Guzman said.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.

If you go

What: Carson City Board of

Supervisors meeting

When: 8:30 a.m. Thursday

Where: Sierra Room, Community Center, 851 E. William St.