Apartment complex planned for south Carson City

A new eight-building apartment complex is planned for the fast-growing area in south Carson City near Highway 50 west.

The Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a special use permit for the project located on 6.67 acres bordered to the north by Overland Street, to the east by Cochise Street, and by Voltaire Street to the west. The property is adjacent to four single-family homes on Appion Way to the south.

Plans for the complex include 143 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, 76 garages and 196 parking spaces, and a swimming pool and clubhouse. The property is owned and being developed by Steve Dontcho and Robert French.

At the commission meeting, several people spoke during public comment, mostly with concerns about traffic.

“If you park on a two-lane, busy street, you’re going to have trouble with first responders,” said one neighbor. “The Waterfall fire started back there.”

The project is relying on street parking, including Cochise Street, for guests.

The developer will be kicking in 2.5 percent of the cost of installing a traffic light at Appion Way and Carson Street, not to exceed $30,000, if and when a traffic signal becomes necessary.

The developers will also be required to work with the Carson City School District to include a school bus stop inside the complex if it’s needed.

At least two commissioners were also concerned about traffic in this area undergoing rapid development. The vote to approve was 5-2 with members Paul Esswein and Hope Tingle voting no. Esswein said he couldn’t support it until there was a plan to mitigate growing traffic in the area and Tingle said she couldn’t make several of the necessary findings to approve it, including the project would have little to no detrimental impact on traffic and services such as fire protection.

In an uncommon occurrence, the commission voted unanimously to deny an SUP.

The application was for a dog boarding and daycare facility at 3101 S. Carson St., which is zoned retail commercial, requiring an SUP. The building is near apartments and Carson Chrysler Jeep Dodge car dealer.

The city received more than 30 letters in opposition to it and nine people spoke during public comment, six against it and three in favor.

The overriding issue was noise from barking dogs. The conditions of approval recommended by staff included noise mitigation measures and restrictions on outdoor use. The commission discussed tabling the item until a noise study could be done to ensure noise could be addressed, but, in the end, decided the property wasn’t suited for the project.

“I think it’s a great business and the wrong place for it,” said Paul Sattler, chair.

The commission also voted to modify the conditions of approval on an already approved tentative map for Blackstone Ranch Phase 1, the first development approved on Lompa Ranch.

The change will allow the developers to build two rather than three flood conveyance channels before starting the project. The third one, the Vicee Canyon channel, “… must be constructed concurrently with the first phase of any development that occurs north of the Ash Canyon Channel …,” according to the revised condition. A deed restriction is being placed on several parcels outside the Blackstone project requiring the owner to build the Vicee channel before developing those parcels.

The commission voted 6-1 to approve the change with Esswein voting no.