Carson City Airport Authority OKs zoning changes

The Airport Authority gave its OK to proposed zoning changes on property near the Carson City Airport the Planning Commission looks at next week.

Member Maurice White cast the sole no vote.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to spot zone,” said White. “I won’t support this unless it comes along with a review of the master plan.”

The proposed changes are on property north and east of the airport, which are now zoned air industrial park and limited industrial.

On the north portion, a new zone called general industrial airport would be created to allow for general industrial uses but exclude retail and commercial uses otherwise allowed in general industrial, and prohibit uses that aren’t legal under federal law such as medical marijuana.

The parcels to the east would be rezoned general industrial.

The changes require a zoning map amendment, which must be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

The proposed changes were initiated by Supervisor Brad Bonkowski in an effort to expand the amount of available industrial land in Carson City, said Susan Pansky, special projects planner, who presented the item at the Airport Authority’s meeting on Wednesday.

Bonkowski sent a letter to the property owners in that area in December 2015 asking for feedback on the idea and then he and planning staff met with about 20 of them in January 2016.

“The general consensus was supportive,” said Pansky, as long as some limitations such as excluding retail were included.

Vice Chairman Phil Stotts asked if anyone opposed it.

“There were a lot of questions about what it would mean, but I don’t remember anyone being adamantly opposed to it,” she said.

Pansky also said 759 property owners were sent letters Feb. 3 notifying them of the proposed changes and upcoming meetings to decide on them.

The Planning Commission will vote whether to recommend the changes to the Board of Supervisors at its meeting Feb. 22.