A planning document from Carson City School District showing a request and proposed location for electric bus chargers at the transportation yard that is part of the Carson High School campus.
At their Wednesday meeting starting at 3:30 p.m. in the community center, Carson City planning commissioners will review a request from the Carson City School District regarding new charging stations to support electric buses.
CCSD is seeking a special use permit to allow installation of electric vehicle charging stations at 1111 N. Saliman Road on property that’s zoned public and part of Carson High School’s campus. The school district is proposing four charging stations and related infrastructure be constructed this summer as the first phase of the project, and 10 additional stations in a future phase.
“We are looking forward to our electric bus project,” Spencer Winward, CCSD director of fiscal services, told the Appeal by email. “Partnering with the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection and NV Energy, we will be purchasing two new electric buses and charging infrastructure for them with grant funds.”
Winward said the project is an opportunity to pilot electric buses and “see how they will work in our normal operations.”
“We will be retiring two buses from our fleet,” he said. “In addition to replacing two older buses with brand new zero-emission buses, we will be reducing the emissions from the two retired diesel buses. The infrastructure is being prepped for future expansion, and we will have the opportunity to purchase future electric buses as well.”
According to CCSD’s special use permit application, each charger will have an IP address, “to be coordinated with the schools Innovation and Technology Department.”
“Future bus charging would be on a twice daily cycle,” reads the application. “Nighttime charging would serve the morning bus run with daytime charging for the afternoon bus run. The Nuvve chargers have a charge time of 3 hours for a complete charge and 1.5 hours for a half charge. This allows for three full cycles at night and three half cycles during the day.”
According to Carson City Associate Planner Heather Manzo, the project requires an SUP because the transportation site is in the public zoning district.
“All development within the public zones requires approval of a SUP,” Manzo said by email. “Staff is supportive of the request and is recommending approval.”
In the permit application, the district maintains the electric buses will improve local air quality by reducing emissions and will create “a healthier connected school system with the neighborhoods where the students live.”
“Currently, Washoe schools, RTC Washoe, and other transit districts are operating EV buses successfully along their bus routes,” reads the application.
In 2021, costs for two electric buses and training were estimated to be about $1.26 million.
• CCSD is also seeking a SUP for a 32-square-foot wall-mounted electronic display at Bordewich Bray Elementary School off Thompson Street. Permits are required for signs in the public zoning district. According to planning staff, the sign would have a changeable display.
• Planning commissioners will consider a SUP request that would allow a child care facility on property zoned single family 6,000 (minimum lot size in square feet) on Florentine Drive.
The applicant is Maria Arreola.
“The applicant is proposing to establish an in-home child care business to provide care for a maximum of 12 children,” reads a staff summary. “The request is subject to the approval of a SUP.”
• Planning commissioners will consider a SUP request from Aeon One LLC to expand an apartment complex from 22 units to 23 by “converting 320 square feet of unused space within the existing footprint of the building.”
The property is located off North Lompa Lane and zoned general commercial.
• Planning commissioners will hear special use permit requests from various applicants regarding existing billboards.
“Per Carson City Development Standards, an SUP for a billboard automatically expires five years from the date of approval unless a new SUP is obtained,” reads a staff summary.
Lamar Advertising is requesting four new permits for existing billboards located on Highway 50 East and Bennett Avenue.
Reagan Outdoor Advertising is seeking permits for existing billboards on Highway 50 East and South Carson Street.
Another applicant, Charles Kilpatrick, is requesting a permit to retain a billboard on North Carson Street.