County makes Valley Bar seek master plan amendment

A master plan amendment will be required to rebuild the Valley Bar. The zoning change, on just .44 acres of a 1.79-acre parcel, will be considered during a special two-day meeting of the Douglas County Planning Commission Tuesday and Wednesday.

Located at the corner of Centerville Lane and State Route 88 for more than a century, the historic bar was destroyed this year in a March 26 fire. Applicant and property owner Julian Larrouy said he was amazed when he found out that rebuilding would require a zoning change.

He considers this measure more of a master plan correction than a master plan amendment.

"I didn't know it was zoned A-19 (agriculture) until after it burned down," he said. "Someone missed the boat, whether it was my parents, or someone else when the master plan first came out."

Larrouy said his parents purchased the building in 1946 and he lived over the bar with his family until they built their own house in late 1940s or early 1950s.

"The bar was probably a business for 110 years," he said. "It started as a cheese factory and in 1902 it became a bar."

The small unobtrusive building reverted to a cheese factory during Prohibition and reverted back into a bar after it was repealed, Larrouy said.

He hasn't heard about any objections to the zoning change and if approved, construction could start as early as next spring. Plans include a slightly smaller building back a little further from the roads, Larrouy said.

In addition to several master plan amendments, commissioners could also approve the 10-year revisions to Douglas County's master plan.

The document, which provides guidelines for everything from agriculture and tribal lands to conservation and growth, has been the focus of detailed study for more than a year.

Released Nov. 3, the first draft of these revisions received criticism with respect to a number of issues, including proposed density increases and Douglas County's transfer development rights program.

Three hours have been slated for this review on Tuesday and if approved, the document will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners in December.

The following is a brief summary of a few of the agendized master plan amendment proposals.

n The Scossa brothers, long-time Carson Valley ranchers, have come up with a master plan amendment endorsed by 67 of their neighbors. The property is located at 601 and 651 Foothill Road in Gardnerville and most of the letters received came from from those most affected by the proposed change, according to county officials.

The proposal would change the land-use designation on about 125 acres of land just east of Foothill Road from agriculture, minimum lot size 19 acres, to single-family estates with a minimum lot size of .5 to one acre.

n Granite Park Holdings Co. is asking for a major variance to reduce the front-yard setback on property located at 1603 Esmeralda Ave. in Minden. The requestion also includes a reduction in the required parking spaces from 33 to zero.

n Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.

What: Douglas County Planning Commission meetings

When: Starting at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday

Where: Old courtroom of the Douglas County Administration Building, 1616 Eighth St. in Minden