Parks commission gives go-ahead to Lakeview plan

After three hours of discussion, the Carson City Parks & Recreation Commission voted Tuesday to recommend to the board of supervisors that staff be directed to develop a conceptual plan for Lakeview Park and that all potential users be included in the planning process.

More than 100 people filled the Sierra Room of the community center, overflowing into the hall Tuesday for the first step in a process intended to determine what the community wants for the 40-acre park site.

The trailhead into public lands is located at the end of Hobart Road in Lakeview Estates, and many homeowners there are opposed to horses using the park. The site, though, is a popular equestrian site, particularly with the All State Trail Riders.

"We aren't a partner to this project," Richard Schneider, president of the 100-member homeowner's association, told commissioners at the beginning of the meeting.

He said equestrians who use the trailhead now park their trailers in front of homes and some shovel the manure into the streets.

"Manure is a problem, there isn't even a trash can up there. Our CC&Rs (covena-nts, conditions, and restrictions) don't allow horses," he said.

Schneider said the consensus of the association was to retain the wildness of the park and to continue to let it recover from the Waterfall Fire. It also doesn't want the area to become a public nuisance.

He suggested other areas where an equestrian trailhead would be more suitable such as Kings Canyon and Ash Canyon.

Other concerns he noted were the steepness of the terrain where a parking area for horse trailers would have to be built and the close proximity to people's homes. Homeowners also are worried that the problem with bears would likely increase if a park were developed, he said.

Commissioner Pete Livermore said he would insist that any future planning include homeowners and Commission Chair Donna Curtis reminded homeowners that the park was for the use of all Carson City residents.

Scott Dutcher, who lives on Deer Run Road and is president of the 50-member equestrian group said the road to Hobart Reservoir has been there for decades and called the area "legal and desirable use."

He also pointed out that many other users enjoy access to the area, including hikers, mountain bikers and fishermen.

The All State Trail Riders have offered $20,000 as seed money for grants to develop the park. The cost of hiring a design consultant will be paid for from Question 18 Quality of Life funds, said Parks and Recreation Director Roger Moellendorf.

"All we asked for is a gravel road," Dutcher said. "We're not asking for a parking lot. We don't want to be a nuisance. The question here tonight is, 'Does this proposal have merit or not?' Our mission is maintain trails."

John Paul Kiel from State Parks read his statement into the record saying in the 17 years he's been using the trailhead, he has always seen it clean and that opposition presented by homeowners was nothing more than an attempt "to keep this existing primitive trailhead to themselves."

Commissioner Sean Lehmann said that there are "55,000 other residents that would like to use that park."