Summerhawk would add more homes on west side

A large residential development in southwest Carson City will be considered today by planning commissioners.

The project would add 201 homes near Curry and Rhodes streets. The homes would be within a roughly 48-acre section of 548 acres with the rest of the property serving as open space, parks and trails.

Officials will decide today whether to approve the project's tentative map and a variance for some smaller lots than allowed now.

One nearby resident, Mark Deverse, said he looks forward to connecting to city sewer, and "hopes to see sidewalks, curbs and storm drains on Betts Street."

Much of the area now is described as conservation reserve and 472 acres alone are designated as open space. Homes will be built on the property from the back of Greenhouse Garden Center, which faces Curry Street, west and north toward the canyon near the end of Rhodes Street.

The plan was presented to members of the Carson City Parks and Recreation Commission and Carson City Open Space Committee recently. Both groups recommended these specific aspects of the plan but didn't consider such things as lot sizes, construction specifications or the overall development concept.

Stanton Park Development Inc., and Hanser LLC own the property. The city will manage the open space surrounding the subdivision and three proposed parks connected by trails. Special districts for fire and open space management might be created as a way to offset these costs, said Juan Guzman, the city's open space manager.

Mark and Bonnie Robinson, who live on Crain Street, also nearby, asked in a written correspondence to the city, "Do we need another 200 new homes built?"

The couple, who lived in Riverside, Calif., until 2003, said they watched that community take "just about all of the open wilderness once used for biking, hiking and nature's habitat to over-build the area." They urged Carson City not to "make the same mistakes."

The homes would range in size from 3,000 to 4,200 square feet each. Areas where homes can be built must be on lots of at least 12,000 square feet now. The developer wants to see that requirement reduced to a minimum of 8,000 square feet, though larger homes will be built on 17,000-square-foot lots.

"They've gone to great lengths to meet our requirements," said Walt Sullivan, the city's development director. "Its density certainly isn't pushing it, and they've concentrated development to least affect the environment."

The commission's recommendation will be given to the Carson City Board of Supervisors, who make the ultimate decision whether the project can be built.

• 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. today

WHERE: Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.