Carson City Board of Supervisors approve changes to Lompa Ranch plan

Clarification: This story has been updated to make clear that there was no public comment against the transient occupancy tax increase.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors approved changes to a plan for the Lompa Ranch development that allow a mix of higher-density residences, including apartments, condominiums and single-family homes.

With the change, a maximum of 2,500 residential units are expected to be built on the 251-acre site, according to Michael Railey, partner with Rubicon Design Group, who was representing the property’s developer, Blackstone Development Group.

The new specific plan area also calls for mixed-use residential, neighborhood commercial, such as grocers, mixed-used commercial and open space.

Preliminary designs for the development, which have to receive board approval for each project, include a 10-acre park on the west side, a 3-acre park on the east side and a dog park, recommended by the city’s Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department.

The development covers now vacant land north of Fifth Street, east of Saliman Road and on both sides of I-580.

Initially, the city and developer had worked out a $1,000 impact fee to be charged for each residential unit and for each 1,000 square-feet of commercial space to create a fund to cover the cost of building a new fire station.

But Supervisor Lori Bagwell said she didn’t want to earmark the money because the development will likely take years to build and may create unforeseen problems that are more urgent.

“I’m proposing we say the board of supervisors reserves the right to use the impact fee for the cost of other facilities,” Bagwell said. “I think we need to not bind a future board in case other issues come up that we need to mitigate.”

Aaron West, CEO, Nevada Builders Alliance, said his organization is working with the city to develop a citywide impact fee for construction that would be used specifically to fund the fire department’s needs, but that is still being ironed out and would need to come before the board for approval.

In the end, the board of supervisors kept the $1,000 fee specific to the Lompa Ranch development, removed the term “impact” because it comes with restrictions, and stipulated the board could decide to use the money for other purposes, including drainage, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, street and water projects.

They also added a requirement to use low-impact design standards throughout the development.

Zoning changes for Lompa Ranch — from agriculture and single-family one acre to single-family 6,000, multi-family duplex, multi-family apartment, neighborhood business and general commercial — were introduced.

The supervisors also approved adoption of the Carson City Arts and Culture Master Plan as an amendment to the city’s master plan.

A 1 percent hike in the transient occupancy tax will cover the cost of implementing the plan, including hiring an arts and culture coordinator.

The money will be managed by the Carson City Visitors Bureau.

Joel Dunn, the bureau’s executive director, said he met with 24 lodging properties who pay the bulk of the tax and all except one were in favor of the tax bump. One property was neutral, he said, because it was in the process of being sold.

The item received no public comment against the measure.

The increase will sunset after five years.

The board also approved an agreement between the city and Lopiccolo Investments LLC for a permanent easement needed to build the Bob McFadden Plaza on Third Street, between Carson and Curry streets.

In exchange, the city dedicated six parking spaces, the location of which is to be determined later, for residents of the property.

Other board actions included:

Approval of a contract not to exceed $173,125 with Andritz Separation Inc. for repair and rehabilitation of a centrifuge at the Water Resource Recovery Facility

Direction to the Utility Financial Oversight Committee to discuss possible modifications to the committee’s duties for recommendation to the board of supervisors

And the acceptance of several reports from the city’s Health and Human Services while convened as the Board of Health.