Dayton hospital wins appeal of parcel's road condition

The Carson Tahoe Dayton Hospital got a break from the Lyon County after appealing a condition for a parcel map approval attached by the Lyon County Planning Commission.

The Lyon County commission last week approved an agreement that the hospital could postpone improvements on Medical Center Road until after Phase II of the hospital construction had been completed. All improvements to the road, including paving, curb, gutter, sidewalk and lighting, must be completed before a building permit or certificate of occupancy for the proposed 15-bed hospital would be issued.

The hospital had been required to improve Medical Center Road, complete with curb, gutter, sidewalk and lighting all the way to the eastern border of the property, in accordance with county code. The improvements were to be done or the hospital would have to put up 150 percent of the cost, or about $300,000, in financial security before construction could begin.

Don Smit, project manager for the hospital, called the condition an undue burden and appealed the planning commission's condition, set in November.

Initially, Lyon County Planning Director Rob Loveberg recommended denial of the appeal, saying it wasn't the building department's responsibility to ensure basic public access.

He said county law required that a developer post 150 percent of financial security prior to the map recording, and the requirement was consistent with past county practice.

Smit argued that only the hospital will be using Medical Center Road, located off of Fortune Road, between Highway 50 East and Corral Drive, at the north end of the hospital's lots along the highway.

"I don't think I should have to dedicate a public road that's entirely on the property," Smit said.

"I worked very carefully and closely with the planning department," he said. "The road serves only the hospital and the Dayton Professional Building."

Commissioner Bob Milz recommended the arrangement, saying the hospital was in partnership with the county to provide medical care to Dayton residents.

"We do need this hospital," he said.

Smit said construction on the hospital would begin in four or five months.

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