North Douglas'changing face

Someone traveling into Douglas County from Carson City in 1987 would have a hard time envisioning the rolling desert hills as anything resembling the county's economic future.

But last week, it was time to accept that the land on the county line could funnel money into the county for decades to come.

Set aside the trouble Max Baer Jr. had getting his approval from the planning commission last week. Something big will end up occupying that land. And right next door, something big is already beginning to gather in the form of Georgetown, the 364-unit project retired Google software engineer Raymond Sidney is crafting. Sidney was the high bidder on the former Bureau of Land Management property in November 2005.

Completion of an interchange on Spooner Summit also opens the door for the start of work on the 366-home Clear Creek Project, also near the county line.

The final piece of the puzzle will be the completion of Interstate 580 from Reno and the Carson City bypass, which will allow commuters to Reno to travel from south Carson City to Reno without seeing a single red light.

The future is hard to predict and the present economic downturn certainly muddles the picture. But by 2027, northern Douglas County will be as foreign to us as it was to those who last saw it two decades ago.