Park Ranch files motion to stop Muller Parkway work

Even as Gardnerville Town Board members were approving a parcel map that would clear the way for developers to build the southern portion of Muller Lane Parkway, the conflict between the owner of the land for the northern portion and the county heated up.

On Thursday, Park Ranch Holdings filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent the county from beginning work on Muller Parkway.

According to the motion, the county’s plan for building the route north of Minden and Gardnerville are “fatally flawed and will cause irreparable harm to Park Ranch” and encroaches on Park Ranch property.

The motion was filed in the lawsuit between Ashland Park and the county over the construction of a small portion of the parkway north of Toler, with Park Ranch Holdings listed as a real party in interest.

The latest move was preceded by the county’s Aug. 2 award of the bid for the portion of the parkway north of Buckeye Road.

“The county has been obligated to build Muller Parkway since we first entered into an agreement in 2005 and they haven’t built the road,” property owner David Park said in April. “They know they have an obligation to build the road by 2025. They know it’s coming, and they’ve been sitting on their hands. And at the last minute, they think they have everything under control.”

The county awarded the segment between Buckeye Road south to the north end of Ashland Park after soliciting for bids in March.

Qualcon Construction received the winning bid of $11.58 million.

County officials said that due to the pending injunction the project is at a standstill.

“The county has already addressed many if not all of the concerns expressed and will continue to address their concerns going forward,” Douglas officials said on Friday afternoon. “However, the county will not allow Park Ranch Holdings to use Muller Parkway as a means of leverage to obtain more than Park Ranch Holdings is entitled to, especially when Park Ranch Holdings’ demands would more than double the cost for the residents of Douglas County.”

The final right-of-way for construction of Muller Lane Parkway was granted to the county after the 2,218-unit project was approved in 2020. The first phase of the project was approved March 7 for 304 single family homes and 20 multi-family units.

The entire project is on the market for $110.9 million.

Some sort of bypass around the towns of Minden and Gardnerville has been discussed for as much as half a century. One version or another of the parkway has been included on maps even before the name first appeared in The Record-Courier on Feb. 10, 1991.

A hearing has yet to be set in connection with the injunction. According to the Douglas County Court Clerk’s Office, a pre-trial conference is scheduled for April 21, 2025.

The county has until Dec. 31, 2025, to complete the road.