Planning commission OKs Matley master plan change

The area in south Gardnerville historically known as the Matley Ranch, that corner of grazing land across the street from 7-Eleven, is one step closer to becoming a large commercial shopping center.

On Tuesday, planning commissioners voted 6-0, with commissioner Rick Ross absent, to approve the following:

n A master plan amendment changing the land use designation of 37.75 acres of receiving area, 20.15 acres of agriculture and 1.79 acres of public right-of-way to commercial; amending the Minden/Gardnerville and East Valley community plan areas to include the entire site in the town service area; and amending master plan transportation figures to reflect a new location for Pinenut Road as it intersects with the future Muller Parkway.

n A zoning map amendment to change 57.9 acres of agricultural land (19 acre minimum parcel size), 3.67 acres of office commercial and 1.79 acres of public right-of-way to general commercial.

Specific developments for the property were not discussed Tuesday, but a conceptual site plan included in the application shows a realigned Pinenut Road swinging out behind roughly 60 acres of commercial land with three large anchor buildings and 10 smaller buildings clustered on the site.

"The project increases commercial services by providing up to 653,000 square feet of commercial floor area located on the corner of U.S. Highway 395 and Muller Parkway (South)," RO Anderson Engineer Keith Ruben wrote in the application. "The site will improve commercial services by providing a regional retail destination, services and employment opportunities for local residents at this unique, accessible location."

Douglas County Senior Planner Brandy McMahon said the applicant, Peri Enterprises, LLC, entered into a development agreement with the county in January that states the developer will dedicate 6 acres of land for the realignment of Pinenut Road, 5.8 acres for Muller Parkway, and will build approximately 3.75 lane miles of the new roadways within seven years.

The agreement states that "the owner would be required to provide significant public improvements, in lieu of providing Transfer Development Rights."

TDRs were designed to develop receiving area by conserving ranch land elsewhere in the Valley. Approximately 378 TDRs would be needed to develop the subject receiving area, McMahon said; however, changing the land use designation to commercial would nullify the requirement.

McMahon said the development agreement does not constitute approval of the master plan amendment. She said realignment of Pinenut Road is necessary to meet state and county requirements when Muller Parkway is built. Collector and arterial roadway intersections must be a quarter mile apart.

"The purpose of Muller Parkway is to alleviate congestion on Highway 395," McMahon said.

Consequently, she said, the agricultural designation of the site would no longer be appropriate once Pinenut is wrapped around.

Project spokesman Rob Anderson said nearly 12 acres of dedicated right-of-way is not an insignificant contribution.

"They're regional improvements to serve not only the property owner but the community," he said.

Anderson said improvements stipulated in the agreement may cost the developer as much as $10 million. On other hand, he said, if the county were to realign Pinenut Road without the agreement, they may be facing the high costs of property condemnation.

"Overall, this a good project for the community," Anderson said.

No one spoke during public comment at the meeting, and only one letter was submitted to the county in opposition to the project.

"With the economy in the bad condition that it is at this time in history; and with the Nevada economy one of the worst in the nation; and with so many developers already in our area hurting from old and new developments and not being able to find lease tenants, we see no reason at this time to change the zoning on these parcels of land," wrote John Vogelheim of Riverview Drive.

Jon and Paula Corley of the Corley Ranch, which lies just south of the project, submitted a letter in support of the master plan amendment.

"While we are concerned about the loss of the 37.75 acres of receiving area, we believe this loss is outweighed by the need for Douglas County to encourage business investment for good long-term economic growth," they wrote.

McMahon, in her staff report, acknowledged the controversial approval of a Walmart Supercenter north of the Peri project. She drew parallels between the two.

"The approval (Walmart) was highly controversial because of the impact it might have to the Gardnerville Main Street Program and existing small business owners," she wrote. "One of the drawbacks of approving the subject request to add 20.15 acres of commercial land use is that it would expand the commercial area in Gardnerville and could draw customers and resources away from downtown businesses."

In the development application, Ruben estimated future commercial development of the site could provide 680 employment opportunities, not including temporary construction jobs.

Planning commissioner Jim Madsen raised concerns about what kind of jobs would be created. Retail, he said, doesn't translate into high-wage jobs.

"If you take Walmart, it's the perfect example. Those are hardly high-paying jobs," he said. "It's so minuscule as to be a joke."

On March 2, the Gardnerville Town Board unanimously approved the Peri master plan and zoning map amendments.

n Scott Neuffer can be reached at sneuffer@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 217.