Plan looks to stop declining property values in Carson's commercial areas

Carson City planning commissioners got a first glimpse Wednesday at an economic strategy to spark new retail investments in areas of the city that have experienced serious declines.

For the past three years, assessed property values and taxes in Carson's commercial areas have fallen, economic consultant Charlie Long told commissioners. Some were surprised by the news.

Long and a group of community, business and city leaders have developed an outline to redevelop three areas with public-private cooperation:

-- North Carson Street, north of downtown beyond College Parkway and including large commercial properties east on College Parkway.

-- Highway 50 East from downtown, including property east of Deer Run Road.

-- South Carson Street, south of downtown to the Douglas County line.

"The approach we're taking so far is to look at these as one new redevelopment area," Long said. "Even though they are three areas."

Redevelopment areas generate tax dollars to fund improvements by capping existing property values at current levels and skimming off any increased values resulting from private and public investment in the area.

The city's commercial areas suffer from the same issues other growing areas have, Long said.

"What is going on in Carson and Douglas (counties) is not dissimilar to what goes on in other developing areas," Long said. "The older core areas of the county need to do things to revitalize the core area and that's what we're doing."

One aspect of the redevelopment plan will be to find opportunities to consolidate small, oddly shaped pieces of land to create more attractive investment properties, Long said.

For instance, the new Wal-Mart site in Douglas County is nearly 30 acres, as is the adjacent property that will soon open with several national retail outlets like Best Buy and Borders Books.

Carson does not have areas large enough to attract those types of investments, Long said.

Another problem Carson has is that the commercial areas are "unattractive," with clutter and inconsistent public and private investment, Long said.

The work group is also looking at developing a way to create design standards. Part of the redevelopment plan also addresses landscaping and beautification.

Long and the group are meeting with school district officials to come to agreements on how the redevelopment funding will work to address district needs, Long said. Capping property-tax revenues in a redevelopment district can mean less money available for schools.

The group plans to move forward with a public campaign and have a draft of the redevelopment plan ready for the Planning Commission to review at its April meeting.

By mid-July, the group is planning to bring the plan before the city's Board of Supervisors for consideration.

"I think you guys are on the right track and we thank you very much," commission Chairman Richard Wipfli said.