Large county developments in the works

By Becky Bosshart

Staff Writer

Churchill County development has mostly been limited to homes on one-acre lots, but with news that the county is pursuing its own water and sewer facilities, a new crop of subdivisions is slowly working through the system.

One local developer said he is working on four Churchill County subdivisions that could add 500 new homes in the Reno Highway area west of Fallon.

Developer Mark Hyde, an owner of Truckee River Ranch, has a hand in Sage Springs, a planned unit development on Gummow Drive, upscale homes on the Golf Course at Fallon, and two phases of a subdivision on Casey Road beside Pine Grove.

Hyde said he has ideas for several future developments on property that is currently in escrow.

Truckee River Ranch is developing 23 lots off Casey Road, which will begin grading and cutting roads in three to four weeks.

Lumos and Associates Principal Aaron Guillen said Friday that the Casey Road development is the first phase of a larger project, and "we don't have a solid lot count on the second half yet."

The tentative map was approved by the county planning department. A special use permit was not required because the land is zoned for residential development with a density can go as low as one home per 7,000 square foot lot. Guillen said their plans are to keep each home on one-third of an acre.

County Planning Director Eleanor Lockwood said she believes the interest shown by developers is a good sign.

"There has been a response to the county moving forward with developing its own water and sewer system," she said.

The county commission favors a plan to develop the first county water facility and a separate waste water treatment facility in the area of Gummow Drive and the Reno Highway.

The county received about $2.4 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the water system. County engineers estimate phase one and two of the water system and phase one of the waste water system will cost $12.98 million.

Golf Course at Fallon

Guillen said a lot is riding on the Coleman Road golf course development. Housing sales are expected to be the principle funding of the county water distribution system and the septic. The development on about 93 acres was given the first round of county approval back in October. Matt and Kenia Biddinger, the golf course owners, propose to have about 140 custom built houses and about 20 high-end townhouses. The number of townhouses was decreased because Guillen said there was some doubt if the townhouses would be a big sell in Fallon.

"The houses out there are going to be superb," he said.

The map has been tweaked so that the golf course is accentuated by the new homes. Guillen is confident that the single-family homes will sell and total density could go as high as 180 residential units. An early proposal had the majority of homes on 12,000 square-foot lots.

"The houses are a funding mechanism for the golf course," he said.

The Biddingers plan to double the size of the golf course to 18 holes and add various improvements, such as a walking trail and wildlife area.

Guillen said the tentative map - which is the next step - will probably go to the planning commission in July.

Sage Springs

Symbiotic relationships have already developed between these subdivisions. Guillen said Sage Springs, the planned unit development of 270 homes, is dependent on the golf course because it will finance the water and sewer infrastructure. This week county commissioners approved the first Sage Springs map. They favored hooking the first homes to a county sewer system, instead of a temporary septic.

Hyde said Sage Springs will develop in 50-home phases. (See related story.)

"Our goal is to tie into the county water system," he said. "We are a promoter of that system, and as a developer we will be contributing some capital."

Hyde said it was part intuition and part luck that their property is located near the proposed site of the county's water and sewer facilities.

"I know the county is looking to us as a major player," Hyde said. "We want to step up to bat and be a player."

Churchill County will drill the first test well for its water system on the golf course near the Carson River. The county is looking for the best water quality and quantity.

Discussions with the Biddingers on acquiring the property won't happen until after the well is drilled and the water is tested, officials said.

"Upper Hazen"

The plan to develop more than 2,000 homes and commercial and industrial property near Hazen in an unincorporated part of Churchill County has garnered a lot of interest because of the pure scope of the project.

So far it has not cleared any county planning hurdles. Guillen said Developer John Verner is holding off on the residential planning and will instead focus on the industrial. The developer has about 2,300 acres and is seeking more from the Bureau of Land Management.

"We realized with the magnitude of the project the county is naturally apprehensive," he said. "So we want to take the time and give them any information they need for them to make a solid decision."

At the Wednesday night planning commission meeting Verner will request a special use permit to develop aggregate processing. Warehouses are slated for that area.

"We have a big hill there and if we mine the hill we'll then be able to build on it," Guillen said.

According to county planning records, Verner bought the 49 parcels in October 2003 for $6 million. One part of the property is zoned industrial, most of it is rural resource with a small section of A-3 agriculture. It has about 1,700 acre feet of water rights.

Verner's Hazen development is billed as a master-plan community.

Becky Bosshart can be contacted at bbosshart@lahontanvalleynews.com