Roundabout landscaping topic of public meeting

Residents can provide input concerning landscaping for Minden's roundabout at Highway 88 and County Road, at a special meeting hosted Wednesday by the Nevada Department of Transportation.

"We're inviting the public to look at our drawings and give us their ideas," said Scott Magruder, spokesman for the Department of Transportation. "Eventually, we'll be back with a landscaping plan."

A conceptual plan has been submitted by PLACES Landscape Architecture, but no timeline nor cost estimate has been established for the project, Magruder said.

Located near Douglas High School at the intersection of Highway 88 and County Road, the roundabout is seen as an opportunity to acknowledge the area as a gateway to the town of Minden. Aesthetics are important, but the landscaping also provides a shield against the oncoming traffic lights at night, Magruder said.

"We want an attractive plan that requires a minimum amount of maintenance, probably a desert landscape plan consistent with the environment," he said. "Grass has to be cut."

An open forum format will be used for this meeting to increase the opportunity for public comment, providing one-on-one discussion with consultant and staff members involved in the project, NDOT officials said.

The Minden Town Board narrowly approved access for the roundabout in April 2006, ending a 10-year debate over the busy intersection, which provides access to a number of entities including Douglas High School, Carson Valley Swim Center, East Fork Fire & Paramedic Districts station, the library, a school, church, fitness center and several office buildings.

Construction on the project, which cost about $1 million, started in the summer of 2006 and was completed by the Nevada Department of Transportation last fall.

The meeting will be 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at the CVIC Hall, 1604 Esmeralda Ave. in Minden.

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

What: Public meeting concerning roundabout landscape design

When: 4-7 p.m. Sept. 26

Where: CVIC Hall, 1604 Esmeralda Ave., Minden