Supervisors approve largest sign in Carson

Following a half-year of negotiations, the largest sign in Carson City is ready to be built.

Supervisors approved modified plans for a 65-foot-tall North Carson Crossing Shopping Center sign Thursday after residents of a neighboring subdivision told center manager Kent Witt they would accept the sign if he moved it 600 feet farther away from their houses.

A sign for the shopping center, home of Wal-Mart and the future Home Depot, should be built by the end of the year, Witt said.

A special permit for the 800-square-foot sign had originally been turned down by the planning commission in November. Witt appealed the decision to the board of supervisors, who split on the vote in January.

The shopping center, the largest in the city, had to have the permit because most city signs can be at most 30 feet tall without city approval.

Witt argued that the $200,000 sign was necessary to attract shoppers and stop the loss of sales tax money to north Douglas County stores. Many Northridge residents said the sign was unnecessarily large, would block views and would bother homeowners with bright light.

Two Northridge residents critical of the old sign plans told supervisors they supported the new plans.

Neither side got everything they wanted, said Gary Nigro, but people have to learn "how to play in the sandbox."

Rose Boyer also the new plans were something the subdivision could accept, pointing out that residents had suggested moving the sign from the beginning.

This size of sign will be rare, however, with new freeway sign rules in place. Harley-Davidson has the only sign along the freeway now, but the North Carson Crossing sign led city planners to develop rules to prevent future fights over signs.

The height of a sign can be at most 30 feet above the freeway - or its sound wall - and can be at most 600 square feet, depending on the size of the property the sign is built on.

The ordinance also does not allow flashing and animated electronic signs, though images can change every four seconds.

The first phase of the Carson City section of the freeway was finished in 2006, and the second phase was started in October 2007. It is scheduled to eventually cross U.S. 395 at the base of Spooner Summit.

• Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.

Pro and con arguments for ballot questions ready to be written

Carson City supervisors picked residents Sharon Taylor and Anne Keast to write the argument supporting the public safety property tax increase. Supervisors picked residents R.C. (Chet) Alexander and John Wagner to write the argument against the tax increase.

Since no one volunteered to write the argument against the V&T Railway sales tax increase, Clerk-Recorder Alan Glover and District Attorney Neil Rombardo will write arguments for and against the initiative.

Arguments will appear with the proposals on the November ballot.