Multifamily housing project planned for Brown Street site in Carson City

Another apartment development could be coming to Carson City.

The project is planned by Dwight and Sandra Millard, who were the only bidders on land auctioned by Carson City on Thursday.

The Board of Supervisors approved the sale of 2.78 acres on Brown Street for $300,000, the property’s fair market value and the lowest acceptable bid.

Millard said he has plans to build a multifamily project with as many as 80 units, maybe more depending on the density allowed. The property is zoned general commercial and will require a special use permit.

The land was originally slated for an affordable housing project, but the previous owner, Western Nevada HOME Consortium, could not find a developer and transferred the property to the city in 2013, which hasn’t been able to attract a project either.

The board also gave initial approval to an RV resort on Old Hot Springs Road. The supervisors introduced on first reading an ordinance to change the property’s zoning from tourist commercial to tourist commercial planned unit development.

The project, Sierra Skies RV Resort, features 227 RV lots to be sold and owners will be allowed to landscape and add a coach house, a structure up to 12x16 feet with a wet bar, restroom, washer and dryer or seating area.

Stays at the resort will be limited to 180 days, after which the RV and its owner have to vacate for at least 30 days. Owners will also be able to lease the lots to others through an on-site management office.

The resort will include clubhouse, tennis courts, pool, 9-hole golf course, and other amenities.

The supervisors approved an agreement between the city and the Carson City School District to add two more school resources officers funded by a Nevada School Safety grant. The two-year grant is $626,160.05.

Supervisor Brad Bonkowski said if more officers were approved, it was likely the city would want to keep the staffing even if the grant disappeared after two years, but Valerie Dockery, grants and special projects director, CCSD, said the state Legislature was committed to continue funding.

The board also heard an update on the motel task force, the city’s three-year effort to crack down on extended stay motels.

Several of the motels, including the Silver Queen and Fifty Flats, have recently been sold and the city is working with their new owners on issues found during earlier inspections. Another property, the Whistle Stop Inn, is in court and its ownership in flux.

“I’d love to see where we can make improvements (in the process) and speed things up,” said Supervisor Lori Bagwell.

Lee Plemel, director, Community Development, said citing the properties that miss deadlines to fix violations isn’t the remedy it might seem because the case ends up in court, which takes time to resolve.

Another issue is the tight housing market. Plemel said Health and Human Services, which works to relocate motel tenants if motels are shut down, has little to no available housing in which to place them.

The board agreed to discuss further options to deal with the motels, including revoking business licenses, mandating the motels provide certain services, and creating a city housing authority that would take over condemned properties.