RTC reviews Sierra Vista Lane project

The Regional Transportation Commission accepted donations of half a dozen easements and right of ways while they wait to receive others needed for the Sierra Vista Lane project.

The road project will reconstruct 2.5 miles of Sierra Vista Lane between Pinion Hills Road and Rio Vista Lane.

The $4.56 million project relies on federal funding, which the city jeopardizes losing if the project details aren’t finalized by Dec. 1.

The city needs right of ways from eight private property owners as well as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

On Wednesday, the RTC accepted property from six of the eight property owners, but only after discussing whether the commission should hold off until all the deals are in place.

“Why not wait to approve all of them (in November) to make sure we have a viable project,” said commission member Lori Bagwell. “I’m wary of accepting right of ways for the city and if one doesn’t happen we already accepted the others.”

Dirk Goering, senior transportation planner, said there was concern about waiting since issues have arisen that have delayed the agreements and could delay others past the December deadline.

In one instance, the city reached an agreement with one property owner who then sold the land before the city could accept the easement so the process had to start all over again with the new property owner.

In addition, the project, if necessary, can be scaled based on the right of ways acquired and, if all else fails, the city can relinquish the donated property back to the owners.

The project is now 100 percent designed, which the BLM needed before proceeding, and the BIA has accepted the appraisal so staff expects to move forward with those two parties as well as the other two private property owners and bring forward their right of ways at the RTC’s November meeting.

The RTC voted to accept the six right of ways but defer recording them until all the needed property is lined up.

The RTC also approved a $66,790 with Dynatest North America, Inc. for Carson City pavement management services, and a $26,560 increase to an existing contract with Lumos and Associates to cover the cost of additional survey work required to complete the connecting section of South Carson Street from Fairview Drive to Fifth Street.