Silver Springs development back on track

The Villages at Silver Springs development project is still alive, thanks to the Lyon County Board of Commissioners' approval of two of three requests by developer George Peek.

Peek, of ERGS Inc., had requested an amendment to the county's master plan to allow high-density development on 250 acres he owns off of Topaz Street, where he wants to develop a 697-home, planned-unit development. He also requested a change in the zoning from a five-acre lot minimum to a 6,000-square-foot minimum for the same parcel. The final request was to approve the tentative map of his development.

The commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the master plan amendment and then the change of land use. At that point, the developer, at the suggestion of Commissioner Leroy Goodman, pulled the request for the planned-use development off the agenda.

Peek said he will take the proposal back to the planning commission to work out issues at the heart of some residents' complaints.

"We think it is prudent for us to sit down with the planning commission and work out the boundaries," he said. "We would like an opportunity to diffuse some of the tempers that might still exist."

Voting in favor of the master plan amendment and zoning changes were Goodman, Chet Hillyard and Don Tibbals.

Voting against the two requests were Chairman Bob Milz and Phyllis Hunewill.

The commissioners decided, on the advice of District Attorney Leon Aberasturi, to hear each request one at a time - the same advice he gave to the planning commission when it considered the same requests. The planning commission rejected the master plan change on a 4-1 vote in January, as did the Silver Springs Advisory Council in December.

"I am in favor of the master plan amendment because residents of Silver Springs need central services," Hillyard said. "We need infrastructure, business and industry like banks and good restaurants."

Tibbals said he believed the majority of Silver Springs residents supported the plan and Goodman called the change "a step in the right direction."

Hunewill said there are too many unanswered questions for her to support the master plan or zoning changes.

"The more I read, the more concerns I have," she said. "Also, the advisory council in Silver Springs and the planning commission denied this. I respect their opinion."

Milz said Silver Springs was going through the same growing pains Dayton went through, and should wait for the master plan.

"When you move forward without adequate planning, you play catch-up," he said. "It has been a problem to keep up with growth. I think the impact to the community is going to be devastating."

Lyon County Planning Director Steve Hasson acknowledged that the proposed development was in conflict with the master plan, but noted the master plan was 16 years old and would not likely be updated for at least two more years.

"The world has changed a lot since 1990 for Silver Springs," he said. "This area is ripe for development. You have developers knocking on the door. You have industry knocking on the door."

Residents, both for and against, filled the meeting room to debate the project.

"A big problem is the drainage that comes from the mountain behind the property," Robert Arndell said. "Who's going to pay for the sewer? The plant will have to be doubled in five years."

Rick Bell and Terry Donahue both expressed concern that residents of a high-density development will complain about those nearby who keep horses, and Laura Bell, a salesperson with Champion Mobile Homes, said she moved to Silver Springs "so they can have space for their kids and nearby public lands to recreate," she said.

However Kay Bennett, co-manager of the Silver Springs Airport, touted the possibility of business development.

"This is the type of quality development that is needed in Silver Springs," she said. "It is an incentive to attract commercial business like banks and grocery stores."

Bill Codick, president of the Silver Springs Chamber of Commerce, cited business opportunity as a reason for his support of the measure.

"In order to attract business, commercial and industrial, we need rooftops," he said.

Ray Johnson, the only member of the planning commission who voted in favor of the master plan change, said the community was ready.

"We have in place the infrastructure for this type of development," he said. "This is the proper place for this kind of development."

-- Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.