Vicee plan to go to supervisors in April

Opinions about the Vicee Canyon Specific Plan Area report have been mixed as it has made its rounds through various Carson City commissions. Now it is scheduled to be scrutinized by the Carson City Board of Supervisors in April.

"It's not that we don't want a plan - just not this plan right now," said resident LeAnn Saarem.

The state has controlled the Vicee Canyon Specific Plan Area since the 1960s. The property used to be owned by the Bureau of Land Management until the state School Lands Trust obtained it in 1963 as a result of a land swap. Discussion about creating a development plan for Vicee began about a decade ago. Actual development of the plan started as part of the city's master plan process.

Saarem presented to the commissioners a petition stating their opposition against the plan. Nearly 240 signatures were gathered in less than a week, and she intends to continue this effort until it reaches the supervisors.

Members of the Planning Commission recommended denial of the plan Wednesday. All of the commissioners said they appreciated the effort put into the 37-page document created by city and state employees, but said the plan was premature and needed more fine tuning.

"The state has no immediate plans to sell this land," explained Pam Wilcox, administrator of Nevada Division of State Lands. Sale would require approval by the State Board of Examiners and the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee before sealed bids and an eventual auction occur, Wilcox said.

"I think we've got the cart before the horse," said Commissioner Roy Semmens, who initially suggested postponing a decision about the document for a few months. "We need to protect the people."

So the commission recommended shelving it until the state decides to seek bids. The document focuses on uses for 267 acres in west Carson City, next to Western Nevada Community College and accessible from Timberline Drive. Up to 160 acres would be suitable for low-density residential development - no more than three units for each acre - according to the city's current master plan. The specific plan for Vicee Canyon, however, seeks a lower density of 1.4 homes per acre.

School trust lands can be used for a variety of purposes while in possession of the state, such as grazing, mining and gravel operations, oil and gas exploration, and residential development.

Members of the city's Open Space Advisory Committee recommended the proposal to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. The Parks and Recreation commissioners, however, asked supervisors to seek a change in state law that would ease this type of transaction rather than recommend the plan.

"I do believe there's going to be development there someday," said planning commissioner Bill Vance. Believing otherwise is "silly."

"What I don't understand is pigeonholing us into an exact plan when the area is changing. What about the future needs of the college and observatory?" Saarem asked. "This might not be the best use for the land."

Assembly Bill 312, signed into law by Gov. Kenny Guinn last year, was created after land adjacent to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas was swapped to a real estate developer, who then sold it for a hefty profit. The law requires government land sales be conducted by public auction, though all bids would be sealed until an auction begins.

"No plan is a recipe for disaster," said Juan Guzman, the city's open space manager, after the meeting. He said he would like to see residents become more involved with the planning process while a change in state law is pursued.

-- Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.