The R-C Evening News

Despite concerns over the increase in transfer development rights when zoning is changed from forest and range to agriculture, commissioners approved the change on almost 2,200 acres east of Minden-Tahoe Airport.

The request was one of four presented Wednesday for James Usher and the Bently Family Trust. They presented three other requests to the commission and all were denied.

Zoning changes from forest and range to rural residential on separate 80-acre parcels in Fish Springs and East Valley were denied. A third zoning change, from forest and range to agriculture on a 248-acre parcel, part of Kirman Tract east of the Carson River and north of Stephanie Way.

Deputy Leland Love was awarded the Douglas County Sheriff's Office life-saving medal Wednesday, credited with saving the life of a 17-year-old girl unconscious from accidental drug overdose.

In presenting the medal to Love, Sheriff Ron Pierini said the Stateline teen would have died or suffered irreversible brain damage without the deputy's intervention.

Love said when he and deputy Tim Johnson responded to the call Aug. 30, the teenager was lying on a bed.

Contractor Mike Jarrett will be allowed to convert a 4.82 parcel from commercial to multi-family residential at 806 Tillman Lane in the Ranchos.

He said the building, formerly Cottonwood Care Center, had been vacant for a number of years when he purchased it and in recent years has been difficult to rent, Jarrett said.

"I saw an opportunity to turn a derelict building into something positive," he told Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday. "I haven't been successful in attracting commercial business in the last few years and to finish it off, I'd like to put in apartments and condominiums."

The units will be reserved for seniors, Jarrett said at a recent planning commission meeting.

Commissioners approved a zoning change for long-time Carson Valley Rancher Russ Scossa and his family, converting the zoning on 125 acres of prime ranch land from agricultural with 19-acre parcels to single-family residential with a minimum two-acre parcel size.