Residents complain of Carson-Tahoe traffic

For about 30 years, residents of Tahoe, Marlette and Topaz drives near Carson-Tahoe Hospital have complained of a parking problem in their neighborhood.

The residential area west of the hospital is also home of the Carson Medical Complex. Although there is a dispute over who actually parks on the streets, an average day sees the sides of the narrow streets full of cars.

Marlette and Topaz drives are both small cul-de-sacs that exit onto Mountain Street. Residents say the area is congested and parked cars have created a dangerous situation. They would like to see the cars banished from the front of their homes.

"It's like playing Russian roulette making a left turn (onto Mountain Street)," said Topaz Drive resident Bill Paul. "Cars come down that street, and it's not at 25 miles per hour, believe me. You can't see the cars when you turn onto Mountain. You stick the nose of your car out as far as you dare and then go. I've had some awful near misses."

Carson City supervisors will take up the issue Thursday. Street Operations Manger John Flansberg met with residents in December to come up with a solution to the problem.

Supervisors are being asked to approve "resident parking only" signs on private property along the three streets. The curbs on Marlette Drive will have to be painted green. The north edge of Marlette Drive and the south edge of Tahoe Drive belongs to the Carson Medical Center, so parking along that part of the street will not be restricted. The total cost of the project will be about $1,000.

"There is other parking available," Flansberg said. "We feel there is enough parking (in the area) that restricting the parking on Tahoe and Marlette won't be an inconvenience

"It's almost like we're trying to enforce people's manners. There's adequate parking, and people are still parking there eight or nine hours a day and they don't care about it."

Carson-Tahoe Hospital recently spent about $600,000 adding more than 200 parking spaces for use by employees, patients and the public. Residents praise the hospital for trying to alleviate the problem, but say that people want to be as close to the Medical Complex as possible.

"There are nine parking lots in the area," said Tahoe Drive resident Evelyn Shewan. "You may have to walk a ways, but so? I'm really weary of our street looking like a used car parking lot.

"My problem is I remember when. I remember when we didn't have this problem. I know I can depend on change. But some changes are not for the better, and this is one of them. We're all in this together, and I know there can be an amicable solution to this."

Flansberg said it would be up to residents to enforce the parking restrictions, but after 30 years, he said that probably wouldn't be a problem.

"Are we going to set a precedent with this?" Flansberg asked. "I don't know but I have no other place in town where I have a 30-year-old parking problem."

If you go:

What: Carson City Board of Supervisors and Redevelopment Authority

When: Thursday, around 10 a.m.

Where: the Community Center's Sierra Room, 851 E. William St.