By Karen Woodmansee
Appeal Staff Writer
Several Silver Springs residents have convinced the Lyon County Commission that Ramsey Weeks Road would be a great location for commercial development.
The Ramsey Weeks area is not zoned for commercial development, and is near the Silver Stage High School, Silver Stage Middle School and Silver Springs Elementary school.
Vida Keller, owner of the 25 acres over three parcels, said other land already zoned commercial was priced too high to purchase and Silver Springs needed a supermarket soon.
A master plan amendment for the three parcels, which border Ramsey Weeks and White Oak roads, changing the designation from low density residential to commercial has been approved by the Lyon County Commissioners. The commission also approved changing the zoning from five-acre lots to limited commercial.
Lyon County Planner Paul Esswein said his department opposed the changes because the request was inconsistent with the master plan. It was two miles from water and sewer infrastructure and Ramsey Weeks was not built to handle as much traffic as a shopping center would attract.
He also said a planned-unit development, Villages at Silver Springs, has already been approved for the area, leading to about 7,000 more drivers when it is completed. Construction on the development has not been started yet.
Melissa Lindell of Wood Rodgers Engineering said the project would be on a major roadway that was designated as a special planning area.
Resident Bud Adair, who has commercial property for sale in the area, said it would be unfair to change the zoning of Keller's property when there was plenty of commercial property, with water and sewer already available, for sale in the area.
"When I bought commercial, I bought it to develop commercial," he said. "When I buy residential, I play residential. If everyone buys residential property at lower costs and then changes it to commercial, you're going to see a hodgepodge of commercial.
But Commissioner LeRoy Goodman supported the change.
"I think it's an opportunity for the people in Silver Springs to see something happen," he said.
Kay Bennett said the benefits outweighed the obstacles.
"If not now, when?" she asked. "There are lots of people restricted, who can't do a 30-, 40-, 50-mile commute for food or prescriptions. We need a grocery store now. We need a bank now."
Milz and Commissioner Phyllis Hunewill opposed the changes.
• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 881-7351.