Carson City supervisors take on growth management

The Board of Supervisors on Thursday will consider Carson City’s growth management ordinance.

The annual ordinance sets a limit on residential building permits and commercial water consumption to ensure the city’s population doesn’t overtax its resources.

In May, the Planning Commission, meeting as the Growth Management Commission, voted to recommended a cap of permits for 659 residential units, which could be a single-family house or apartment, and allow up to 15,000 gallons of water per day for industrial and commercial users in 2019.

The number of permits issued each year haven’t come close to the growth management cap since 1996.

But, development in Carson City has picked up this year, especially multifamily projects, which could consume permits at a faster rate. The Carson Hills Apartments around the Galaxy Theatre, for example, which is doing site work now, is a total of 370 units.

The supervisors will hear on first reading an ordinance to refinance bonds used to pay for the acquisition of water rights in Minden. The refinancing will save the city $3.3 million.

As a condition of the refinancing, the city has to reinvest the savings in another water project. If the refinancing occurs, the city will issue $7 million in new bonds as soon as possible to finance the east/west transmission line project, which will extend the water line bringing water from Minden to the Quill Water Treatment Plant.

The board will also vote whether to transfer its annual allocation of tax exempt loans to fund industrial development and affordable housing projects, totaling $2,921,587.73, to the Nevada Rural Housing Authority for its Home At Last program, which provides assistance to families buying their first home.

The board will vote on a resolution to suspend for one year the assessment for the Schulz Ranch Maintenance District.

The assessment pays for maintenance of a park being built there. Seventy percent is paid by residents and 30 percent by the city. The assessment for fiscal year 2017-2018 raised $28,403.04, which is sufficient to fund maintenance needs through fiscal year 2018-2019.

The supervisors will also consider extending for another four years the Schulz Investments Tentative Subdivision Map, which will expire in August unless a final map is submitted.

The project map consists of six single-family homes, each on five or more acre lots, on 32.68 acres between U.S. Highway 50 West and Old Clear Creek Road.

According to the staff report, the applicant wants an extension due to unresolved access issues on Old Clear Creek Road.

The Board of Supervisors meet at 8:30 a.m. in the Sierra Room, Community Center, 851 E. William St.