Developer Dwight Millard got the green light to begin preparing for a development of an eight-plex apartment buildings near the new fire station on Six Mile Canyon Road in Mark Twain.
Despite reservations expressed by Lyon County Sheriff Allen Veil, the commissioners approved a master plan amendment and zoning change from commercial to high-density residential.
Veil expressed concern that high-density residential would mean more growth without comparable increases in the sheriff's office staff.
"Our resources are spread extremely thin," he said. "It's our experience that apartment complexes have a higher need for services in those areas. If we bring more people in without the tax base that comes along, I don't know how we are going to respond without spreading ourselves thin."
County Planning Director Rob Loveberg said the proposed apartments would provide a buffer between single-family residential and commercial developments.
Millard said the area was a good place for multi-family to fit in with the commercial and single-family residential.
He said it was important for the county to have affordable housing that apartments represent.
"I'm not sure that I know there is more crime in apartments, but you have more people so the count would be higher in a concentrated area," Millard said. "But it behooves us as a county to start providing affordable housing, as we bring development to the area we must bring housing."
He said the apartments would provide housing for workers in entry-level manufacturing and service area jobs.
• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-7351.