Combs Canyon ll housing plan not as welcome as its predecessor

The second part of a housing development plan for North Carson City will be heard by the planning commission today.

Combs Canyon ll would consist of 19 single-family homes on 25 acres north of Timberline Road and east of Combs Canyon Road. Combs Canyon l, approved in September, will bring 25 homes to a 57-acre site.

This second plan isn't being as warmly welcomed by some residents, partially because 15 of the homes would have driveways that come out onto Combs Canyon Road.

"The most critical safety issue is automobile access to and from the proposed lots," said Bruce Kittess, who lives nearby.

Another resident, Gil Yanuck, questions the validity of the traffic report submitted by Lumos & Assocs., who represent the owner, Combs Canyon LLC.

"The survey was conducted after 7 a.m.," said Yanuck, who is outside every morning between 6 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., walking his dogs.

The number of vehicles used by Timberline residents who travel Combs Canyon Road to reach the freeway entrance at East Lake Boulevard at that time "has increased four-fold in the past year," he said.

Combs Canyon Road also provides Western Nevada Community College students access to the campus day and night, Yanuck said.

The two construction projects would bring 44 homes to the area. The Nevada Department of Wildlife expressed concern about how more homes would add to the number of animals routinely wandering into west Carson neighborhoods.

"People need to understand that they are moving into an area historically very important to wildlife, and that they must take exclusionary precautions as related to wildlife attractants before we will respond to wildlife complaints," said Carl Lackey, a state wildlife biologist.

He'd like to see the developer provide information to homeowners about how not to attract these animals, especially black bears and mule deer, he said.

Both sites, 82 acres total, once were combined and going to be the site of 78 homes.

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

If you go

WHAT: Planning Commission meeting

WHEN: 3:30 p.m. today

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

Also on the agenda:

• Potential approval of a project at the Carson City Airport called "Jet Ranch," which would add one large and a dozen smaller hangars to the 175 already there.

• Whether to allow the Nevada Children's Foundation to have some if its land rezoned from conservation reserve to retail commercial. It's a roughly 10.5-acre site and located at 2300 Eagle Valley Ranch Road, next to Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.

• Consider amending the city's municipal code regarding display and security lighting.