Bill Kern/For the Nevada Appeal A flooded Buzzy's Ranch is seen at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 1, looking west across the Carson River. Among the reasons residents oppose changing zoning on the property to allow high- to medium-residential development, is that the ranch is in a flood plain and is a historic property.
"Envision," Carson City's master planning process, which is still undergoing fine tuning, provides an array of descriptions about how the city should develop during the next 20 years.
In the area near the Carson River known as Buzzy's Ranch, the city seeks to change its land designation from low-density, rural, suburban and open space-recreation-rural, to conservation reserve, as part of this vision.
The property owners, the Robert Lorin Andersen and the Jimmie Pete Jarrard children's trusts, would prefer to keep the residential designations that allow for density levels from one home for every three acres to one home for every 40 acres.
Under the city's preferred designation, one dwelling unit will be allowed for each 20 acres on the 480 acres near the river.
A large portion of Buzzy's Ranch is within a floodway.
"Any development within the area would be very difficult and would not be advisable," according to a finding made by Robert Fellows, Carson City's stormwater engineer and flood-plain manager.
Neighbors, nature enthusiasts and others are concerned about future development of the ranch. The group advocates public acquisition of the land by the city.
The topic was first scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission in December, but was postponed until today. Heavy rain caused flooding throughout the city during the New Year's weekend, which opponents to development of the site have documented, and added to their list of reasons why the area should remain undeveloped.
"Removing and filling the flood plain will cause more serious flooding down river and subject the city to large damage lawsuits," wrote Willard Kern, who has lived in Carson City for 30 years.
The owners of Buzzy's Ranch "deserve a return for their ownership," he also said, "but not at the expense of a lot of other people."
This east Carson City property is bordered on the south by the Silver Saddle Ranch.
The Silver Saddle is owned by the Bureau of Land Management 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 the Mexican Ditch.
Other properties undergoing zoning reviews related to Envision during this meeting are: a site near Highway 50 East, east of Drako Way and southwest of the preferred V&T Railroad site, and four parcels near Arrowhead Drive and Northgate Lane.
The site near V&T is now zoned as general industrial, but the city would like to see it zoned as mixed-use commercial. The owner seeks to keep the industrial designation.
The Arrowhead parcels are zoned as single family one acre while the city seeks a low-density residential use. Its owner seeks a medium-density residential zoning.
Envision is expected to be approved by supervisors later this year.
-- Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.
If you go
What: Carson City Planning Commission meeting
When: 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Where: Sierra Room, Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.
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