Dayton boardwalk and gas light plan on hold

Old Town Dayton won't be getting boardwalks and gas lights, at least not in the foreseeable future.

County Engineer Dick Faber said he had to withdraw the application for a Nevada Department of Transportation grant because the state required surveys and other items to be done in three weeks, which he said wasn't possible.

He said he was also told the project didn't have a good chance for approval.

The project, called the Historic Dayton Streetscape Enhancement Project, would install boardwalks and gas lights similar to those in Virginia City on Main Street, from the intersection of Highway 50 about 620 feet to the Bluestone Building, which houses the Dayton court and sheriff's substation.

The grant was part of NDOT's Transportation Enhancement Act grant program.

He said the county had plans to enhance Main and Pike streets, which included a loop to the Dayton Depot, which will be refurbished into a visitors center and museum, and a walking trail along Gold Canyon Creek. Those plans are not going to happen unless funding can be found elsewhere, he said.

Mabel Masterman, secretary for the Historical Society of Dayton Valley, said some members weren't happy about the boardwalks anyway.

"People were upset with the idea of turning downtown Dayton into boardwalks and sidewalks," she said. "Many in the historical society feel it was a workingman's town."

Masterman said the project was part of an agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office that the county would spend $70,000 on historic improvements in Dayton. In return, the county purchased three lots near the Bluestone Building for $100,000. The lots were valued at $170,000. The county has until 2009 to spend that money or it has to be returned to the state historic preservation office.

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An anonymous caller left a message on my voice mail awhile back wondering why Lyon County Utilities vehicles gassed up at the Chevron station at Highway 50 and Dayton Valley Road, where the caller said gas was more expensive than some other stations.

Utilities Director Mike Workman explained that utilities and other county vehicles get a fleet discount there.

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I have heard a lot of talk about homeowners associations and whether or not they work for residents of a development.

I have never lived in an area with a homeowners association, but think it might be sort of an infringement to have your neighbors voting on what color your house can be or the size of your windows. On the other hand, it probably provides an orderly process to resolve neighborhood conflicts over perceived eyesores.

The closest I come to that experience is living in Virginia City, where the Comstock Historic District approves or rejects what color your house can be and what you can do with the exterior. They decide based on what was in the community during the Comstock era, and there were some beautiful homes on the hill back then.

The restrictions are also easy for most to live with because the town's survival as a tourist destination depends to a certain extent on it maintaining its historical accuracy.

But what if you live in a subdivision and want to put up a flagpole to fly Old Glory and your neighbor doesn't like it? Or if you put a fence around your house that's a little too different from the rest of the street?

Readers, if you have homeowners association stories to tell, call me at 881-2111 ext. 351, or e-mail me at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com.