Home Depot project OK'd by Carson planners

Plans for a Home Depot store near the intersection of College Parkway and Market Street were approved Wednesday by the Planning Commission.

Distance between homes on Northill and Ridgefield drives and the back of the business will be at least 60 feet total, with 15 feet between the retaining wall and residents' back fences.

Patrick Hartman, who lives in the same neighborhood but behind the Wal-Mart, said he "really feels" for residents now wondering about what impact Home Depot might have.

He said that while there are rules Wal-Mart is supposed to follow, deliveries sometimes start an hour earlier. Sometimes he can hear trucks "jockeying for position at 4:30 a.m."

That the rules are broken "is reality," he said.

Gary Nigro, whose home will be behind where Home Depot product deliveries will occur, would prefer the wall to be farther away from homes to "lessen reflective heat and sound," he said.

He's happy there will be landscaping extending 15 feet deep to help lessen those factors, but is concerned it won't be enough, especially if the plants and trees require years to mature, he said.

Hours for delivery of products, trash compacting and lumber off-loading will be restricted to those sought by the Planning Department.

Regarding the space in between the business and homes, "we can do a little better," said Steve Pappas, site-development coordinator for Galloway, Romero and Associates, the company working on the project.

This could include moving the building a little farther away from homes, he said.

Pappas also said the retaining wall would be put up as early as possible so construction noise and debris from blowing into the neighborhood. But some preliminary work on the building's grading and drainage needs to be finished first.

Members of the Planning Department and building designers will continue discussing details when the project commences.

The 134,000-square-foot home-improvement center on about 10 acres near the Wal-Mart in the North Crossing shopping center is expected to be complete in March 2008.

Some residents living near the site also complained about not being notified about the meeting. The city is only required to notify properties within 300 feet, however, and many homes in the neighborhood are beyond that distance.

People also can request they be contacted by the Planning Department as specific projects are being developed. Call 887-2188 for details.

Complaints about noise emanating from businesses can be directed to Carson City Code Enforcement at 887-2190.

Forecasts indicate the Home Depot would add $400,000 in sales tax revenue and up to 175 new jobs, according to Carson City officials.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.

In other business

Planning commissioners postponed deciding whether Goodwill Industries could operate a second donation center and a store at the 13,000-square-foot former Roger's Carpet One building. The site in the 3700 block of North Carson Street is zoned retail-commercial, where sales of second-hand goods aren't allowed. The nonprofit considers itself a career-training organization first, with the retailing business as its curriculum. The Planning Department will look at nearby communities' zoning rules to see if there is a way to allow for this type of operation, or if changes in the rules would be required.