Carson City Planning Commissioners approved a request Wednesday by the Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada to change a three-acre parcel of land in Silver Oak to allow neighborhood businesses.
Fearing future convenience and liquor stores and increased traffic, neighbors of the site at the corner of Oakridge Drive and College Parkway opposed the change.
After two hours of discussion and public comment, six commissioners approved the decision. Commissioner John Peery was the only member to vote against the zone change. He said he didn't agree with the idea of changing the designation to make the property more valuable.
The commission's decision will be discussed at the March 20 meeting of the Carson City Board of Supervisors.
The Boys & Girls Club was given the parcel by Silver Oak Development Co. so the club could sell it and use the funds to help build at a new site on the corner of Northridge Drive and Lompa Lane.
Originally, the organization wanted to build in the Silver Oak neighborhood, but met with heavy opposition from neighbors.
The three-acre parcel is designated for public use, but by changing its use to neighborhood commercial the club is hoping the land can be sold for a better price.
When sold, the club will give $200,000 to the Carson City School District and the rest of the money will go to the new site, said Boys & Girls Club board member Marv Teixeira, a former Carson City mayor.
Teixeira said he was "taken aback" by the neighborhood opposition to selling the land for commercial use after he said the organization has tried to please them already by moving the club's location.
"Yea, I'm a little prejudiced about kids," Teixeira said. "I have a little problem when they are referred to as "those kids" and "not in our area," he said about the opposition the club first encountered.
"I'm a little taken aback to see the problems we have to sell the land," he said.
Neighbors of the property, originally meant to be developed as a park, had several concerns. They said they feared changing the zoning would invite "all aspects" of Carson City residents to drive through the neighborhood on Oakridge Drive to what could be bars or liquor stores.
Some commissioners disagreed saying the future school that one day will be built next to the parcel will bring far more traffic.
The site is not conducive to attracting convenience stores and bars because its entrance will be off Oakridge Drive and not College Parkway, said Carol Dotson, director of planning for Lumos and Associates who represented the organization.
