City puts pressure on raceway owner

Carson City supervisors could make it harder for developers to sell the city's largest but undeveloped subdivision project if they don't pay to clean up a hazardous abandoned raceway on their property.

Representatives for the developers of the proposed 521-home Schulz Ranch told supervisors Thursday they will probably sell the property, but it will be less desirable if supervisors strip the land of the permits it has.

The project has tentative approval, but developers have not turned in final plans to city staff. They want a one-year extension to turn in those plans so they, or whoever buys the land, won't have to re-start the long and expensive process to meet city requirements.

The city approved the Schulz Ranch project in 2005, the same year the Champion Motor Speedway in South Carson City closed after opening 42 years earlier.

But supervisors said they have asked the developers to clean up the raceway for months and are skeptical that developers don't have the money to do so.

City staff can start cleaning up the property next month and later bill the owner, Sacramento-based developer Reynen & Bardis, supervisors said. Cleaning up the track, which has dilapidated buildings and stands covered in trash and graffiti, will cost about $140,000 and take about three weeks to clean up, said Joel Benton of the city district attorney's office.

If the city bills Reynen & Bardis for the work, it would have three years under law to pay it back.

Mayor Marv Teixeira said he was "damned disgusted" with the developers because the city shouldn't have to risk taxpayer money to do something Reynen & Bardis or its partners in the project should have done a long time ago.

Teixeira said the track was an obvious blight and "nobody can come up with $140,000?"

But Reynen & Bardis would clean up the raceway if it could, said Ted Erkan, company division president, and is trying to get the money to do so.

But the city should give developers an extension to turn in final plans, he said, because that way Reynen & Bardis can attract a buyer more quickly who can pay off the cost of the clean-up.

"We are not proud of the condition of the property out there," he said.

" In other news, the city will now charge vendors at city parks $200 per event or $400 per program to operate their businesses.

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.