How not to get your housing project approved

Here's a sure-fire formula for alienating yourself from the Carson City Board of Supervisors:

n Propose a slap-dash subdivision on minimal lot sizes in one of Carson City's prime mountain neighborhoods. Don't pay attention to the people who live there.

n When things don't go your way, toss in some make-believe "affordable housing" plans.

n When things still don't go your way, threaten to sue.

n When the chips are down, don't show up at the supervisors' meeting. Instead, leave your consultants to try to defend your project by themselves.

Carson City supervisors may still get sued over their denial of a 78-house subdivision in Combs Canyon proposed by Steve Selinger, and we're never good at predicting what will happen in court.

Nevertheless, the proposal is a lesson in how not to get something accomplished in Carson City - or anywhere, for that matter.

It's difficult enough to put together any kind of residential development, and it's especially tough to go against the character of an established neighborhood. Doing so means convincing the city's planning staff that what's being proposed will work well in the area, and then getting that message across to the people who already own homes there.

Until a developer has done that, what's the point in going before the city supervisors, except to waste their valuable time?

Carson City sometimes is criticized as being run on a "good ol' boy" network difficult for outsiders to crack. Well, if listening to your staff and to your constituents over the desires of an outside developer is an example of that, then let's have a cheer for the good ol' boys and girls.