Roop Street units back to drawing board

A controversial project for duplexes at Governor’s Square along Roop Street went back to square one, so to speak, on Thursday.

Carson City’s Board of Supervisors voted to send the proposal back to the Planning Commission rather than taking action. The board did it with four members because the amendment to the Governor’s Square planned unit development being sought involved property owned by Supervisor Brad Bonkowski and his partner, Andie Wilson.

The proposal was from Mark Turner, the developer, who would buy it and put up 12 units in six duplexes.

Riley Kerr, president of the Governor’s Square homeowners’ association, brought Gayle Kern, attorney, to the podium and she told the board parking in the development is owned by the association and it had provided an easement that would allow parking only for commercial buildings.

Turner countered a commercial entity with three or more rentals is commerce. He said after the board sent the project back to the commission for more work he would seek legal advice on his contention and then decide what tack to take.

The project was opposed at the planning commission level by seven written communications and several home or property owners who testified.

Planning staff had recommended approval, but the easement issue hadn’t surfaced so explicitly when the commission reviewed the project. There are 48 residential units at Governor’s Square now, and the planned unit development originally called for the property along Roop Street to have commercial buildings such as offices.

The board also delayed action for at least two weeks regarding a proposed tentative map for six lots of more than five acres each on land west of Costco and Clear Creek Road in the hills and southeast of Highway 50. Residents already living in that area were concerned about the private route off Clear Creek Road into their area being torn up by large construction vehicles for new houses.

The delay, at the urging of Mayor Robert Crowell, was to see if the Nevada Department of Transportation would allow such vehicles to come down from Highway 50 instead of using Old Clear Creek Road and the private extension.

In other action, the board met with the Charter Review Committee and decided the committee chairman or designee should accompany board representation in legislative lobbying affecting the city’s charter, renamed the Pony Express Pavilion the Marv Teixeira Pavilion, and chose three members for the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau’s board.

Renamed to that board were Jonathan Boulware of Gold Dust West Resort and Casino, the chairman, and Stan Jones of the Purple Avocado. The new member named to the board is Renee Plain, who has a marketing firm.