Panel to decide whether rec center at WNCC will happen

Parks and Recreation commissioners will decide next month whether its feasible to move forward with a joint-use recreation center on the Western Nevada Community College campus.

More information will be available by the time members of the panel meet again Oct. 3, said Roger Moellendorf, the city's parks and recreation director, during Tuesday's commission meeting.

By month's end, the state Public Works Board will have established its spending recommendations for legislators to consider during next year's session. "Discouraging" is how he characterized the latest funding development for the state's share of the cost: Less than $300 million is budgeted for more than $1.4 billion in construction requests coming from across Nevada.

"Let's walk away," said Commissioner John McKenna of the plan that would have brought the city and college together as building and operating partners in a recreation center.

While the concept was "something we had to look at, obviously the state has other problems," McKenna said.

Carson City already plans to spend $8 million on the project, which would be north of Combs Canyon Road on the college campus. Any money from the state would be matching funds and would bring the total budget up to $16 million.

The joint-use proposal ranked 16th among 30 projects by the state board of regents in June: Within the $280 million spending ceiling but not so high that acceptance is assured, city and college officials have already admitted.

State finances will play a big part in whether the college gets the money, but it's "also going to be a political decision," Moellendorf said, as city and college officials continue working to convince state representatives that the project is worthy of state dollars.

If the joint-use plan falls through, the alternative site is JohnD Winters Centennial Park. This plan would cost an estimated $10 million.

The city has planned for a new center - at either location - to include a 10,600-square-foot multipurpose gymnasium, indoor walking track, leisure pool and splash pads. The joint-use site would also require classrooms and other school facilities.

In other business, commissioners also:

• Backed a plan by Muscle Powered to obtain a grant of more than $19,400. The money, from the Balance Bar Community, primarily would be used to develop a working group to create trails identified in the Unified Pathways Master Plan. This would include writing other grant proposals.

• Heard plans to educate residents about Question 18 Quality of Life funds and what this funding system has brought the community since voters approved it in 1996. Efforts planned: A celebration on Oct. 21 and a presentation about Q18 for use in classrooms. The quarter-cent sales tax has provided money for an array of parks, recreation and open space projects.