"Neighbors Talking With Neighbors"
|
|
|
Home
Featured Local Blogs
www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called
Washoe Valley. Make your own badge
here.
10 Things You Can Do To be involved in washoevalley.org 1. Send in a WV story or quip.
The county cable channel 17 has the county commissioner meetings, a news show, and various public info segments.
|
CAB Meeting Notes "The boards study and give counsel on public issues, but are
not responsible for the actual preparation of policies or programs. Their
purpose is primarily to communicate ideas and concerns of local citizens to the
County Commissioners, thus enabling them to better do the job to which they were
elected." East WVCAB
Meeting December, 2006
East Washoe Valley CAB Meeting, December, 2006 At 6 pm the official meeting was preceded by a holiday social hosted by the CAB board and included lots of excellent holiday goodies so thanks to them for providing a chance to get to know them and our neighbors a little better! At 7 pm the meeting began and I noticed that Dave Harrison is a new member of the East WVCAB board. Several members from the West WVCAB and Steamboat CAB were in attendance. Deputy Jeff Masten of the Sheriff's Office gave a summary of their activity in our area and in the county proper over the last month. He reported there were 2 false calls for alarm systems, 30 traffic citations, 4 accidents, 1 Grand Theft Auto (the car was found a short distance away), 2 dirt bike disturbance calls, 1 car/deer accident and a report of the sale of a bogus magazine subscription. He says this area is relatively quiet. He also says he is working on a project to identify illegal dump sites throughout the county and has come up with a list of about 50. The Carson landfill east of Carson City has raised its rates to $20 minimum for us-ed. He requests anyone with information of illegal dumping please call the Sheriff's office. The Reno Fire Dept gave the next report and Division Chief Joe DuRousseau gave a report on their activity and wants to remind residents to be mindful of the usual Christmas and chimney fire dangers that occur this time of year. Sara Tone, County Outreach Coordinator was next up and said the recent notice we put on the site soliciting volunteers for a county committee is for review of the new proposed nuisance ordinance. If you would like to have a voice in deciding what is or is not a "nuisance" in the valley, be sure to fill out the application. It can be found by going to this county website page, navigating down to the "Hot! Make a difference...." section and following the instructions. There is tentatively schedules a Junuary 22nd workshop open to the public then meetings in March and April to finalize it. There will be a presentation at a future CAB meeting. A report on a tentative study to see if Eastlake Blvd could qualify for "Scenic Byway" status was given. It is being investigated to see if such a designation could help in funding roadside improvements and help protect the character of the valley. A more thorough report is expected at the next East WVCAB meeting. The county is requesting the community submit a list of any capital improvements (over $100,000) be submitted. The deadline was December 1st (1st I'd heard about it and apparently many others as well). It was indicated though that suggestions will still be accepted. This is apparently a yearly request so you may start thinking of projects for next year. The question was raised as to whether trash cleanup would qualify. The contact person at the county is Anna Heenan (sp?) 328-2069. Bob Rusk of the West WVCAB wondered if an old plan to plant trees along the Hwy 395 freeway would qualify. During this discussion it was mentioned that NDOT has future plans to widen (or use the median) to expand the highway to 6 lanes and this would include sound walls. The discussion led to a feeling that reviving the tree plan now may make the sound wall unnecessary in the future. Old business included the announcement that the meeting day of the East WVCAB will stay the same for now, 2nd Tuesday of the month due to scheduling conflicts. I thought I heard during the meeting that the Parks Master Plan had been approved by the county commission and that catches me with my pants down, so to speak. I had not seen where that was imminent and was hoping to get some comments in. I have not and still don't see any notice of it on their website and I have an email in asking about it so will keep you informed. If this is true this highlights how difficult it is for the public to keep up on theses things and be informed even when you are trying as I am. It really emphasizes the importance of this website and especially the need for us to use it to keep everyone else up to date, including me the editor! The South Valleys Area Plan Draft Document was presented by Eric Young, planner for Washoe County. After working on the plan with input from citizen working groups for the past 3 years the county is giving us one month to review and comment on it. There are basically three ways to comment. 1. At the next CAB meeting, 2. by contacting Mr. Young directly (775.328.6100), or by attending an interim meeting if one is scheduled. He said he is expecting the CAB to vote on the draft in January and then he will forward it to the county commission in February and he expects it to take 3 months to a final vote. Mr. Young said many agencies including government and utilities will get a copy and be able to comment. He explained how to analyze the document by reading the the vision and character statements and everything else follows that. He said to look at the "commercial use" tables as they are generic and will change. Within the plan the Weston/Lowden project is specifically covered and the basic configuration laid out as a compromise between what the developer wants and what the planners think is best for Washoe Valley and Washoe County as a whole. so, even though it is generally accepted that a 5 acre minimum is best for holding development to a minimum in Washoe Valley, the planners feel that "clustering" is better for the whole county, and in this case, the Weston/Lowden project. The planners think it is better, for example (by the editor), for 150 homes to be clustered on 40 acres of a 750 acre parcel with 710 acres of open space and a buffer than for each home to have 5 fenced acres effectively marring and closing off the whole 750 acres. Eric explained this might not be what we want on an old pasture on the Washoe Valley flat but it is the way they want the rest of Washoe County developed. He explained that the open space in such a project could be protected but also that anything in any plan can be changed through review processes later. Eric went on to say that the real limiting factor in the plan for Washoe Valley is the limit on new subdivisions to 75 homes on the east and 75 homes on the west over 20 years (or the life of the plan). That does not include existing vacant lots. Questions were raised about the mention on "commercial units" within the Weston/Lowden project and Mr. Young stated that the businesses would have to only serve the development and he did not think that the size of the development would not support any. I asked about the section that promises "regulatory relief" in the the case that the development could not provide water and sewer service under existing restraints. He explained that was worded poorly and that it meant that there have been technologies developed to provide those services to small communities in other water-poor states as stand alone facilities but that is not allowed in the regional development code. The CAB expressed interest in having the regular individual CAB meetings next month and then a joint meeting of the three "South Valleys" CABs to discuss the issue further. To read a copy of the plan in PDF format, go the the county website here. Editorial by washoevalley.org: If you have ever driven through an area like Kingman, Arizona on the freeway and looked out over the immense plain to the mountains in the distance and noticed how the trailers stretch out almost to infinity over that plain, you may, like me, see the wisdom in the planning departments thinking. If the cluster method gets into the plan, and our plan is used as a model for the rest of the county, it could really help to keep public access, wildlife habitat, and the feeling of wide open spaces and scenic vistas in our area. Or will it leave every parcel open to argument by the developers that quarter acre lots are allowed everywhere? If they come with mandatory open space of a percentage of parcel size, then maybe there is built-in compromise but it would take even more diligence by the community to make sure that the guidelines are followed. washoevalley.org welcomes all viewpoints. East WVCAB Meeting Notes, July 2006 by a WV resident who attended the meeting. Remember that these notes are our interpretations and observations and don't substitute for your attendance or the official minutes. Karena Miller: June East
WV CAB Meeting Notes The first report was by the sheriff's department deputy who reported there have been a few burglaries in the area in the last month. Kruse's store on Eastlake and one in Washoe City were reportedly hit with small losses. The deputy spoke a little about the "motor" division- the motorcycle deputies. There are six on traffic detail and they write about 1,000 tickets a year. Next up was Joe with the fire department and he reminded us that wildfire season is in full swing. He said we need to be especialy careful this year as the air resources are slim. We have only two small planes and one large one for fighting fires in the region. A question was raised about the Pagni fire last week over near St. James Village and he said it was caused by the construction workers welding. He said they will be billed for the cost of putting out the fire. I learned that Pagni is pronounced Paw-nee. so much for phonics. Another question was asked about clearing 150' of defensible space around the perimeter of New Washoe City and whether this would protect the homes from the wildland or vice versa. It was said there was a meeting on this previously but it was unknown where the project stood. Kareena Miller, Outreach Coordinator with Washoe County, broke the news that she will be leaving after a couple more months. She said that the county is looking for poll workers for the August 15th and November 7th elections. These are paid positions. Young people 16-18 years of age are encouraged to apply for paid trainee positions. A great way to expose a young person to the election process and community involvement. She reminded us to send in the property tax questionnaire we all received to avoid tax bill errors. The county commissioners are asking to log on to the county website and fill out a short questionnaire called the "County Priorities Survey". Here's a chance to give some feedback on your county governance. Sierra Reflections will be heard by the Regional Planning Commission to see if it conforms with the regional plan. If you want a last chance to provide some input on this project the meeting will be tonight at 6:30 pm at the TMCC Dandini Campus. The agenda is here (PDF). In the public comment section, Patrick Flanagan announced his intention to run for District Court Judge. New business started with Christine Bunnell of Washoe County Parks who gave a presentation on the status of the Washoe and Pleasant Valleys Parks Master Plan which is in draft form. She says it should go before the Parks Commission in 60 days. She distributed handouts of the Master Plan and we will provide a short review in the near future. The plan includes identification of existing trails and the pursuit of new ones, upgrading some existing park facilities, and acquiring more private land in the valley for the park system. A meeting will be held at the NDF building on June 22nd at 6:30 for further work on the draft. Representatives from NDOT tried to explain their position in regards to the Sierra Reflections project and its impact on the 395/Eastlake intersection. They said they cannot control or dictate where the developer places his roads and that is a land use decision under the control of the county. NDOT's responsibility is to accommodate the development and make sure the access is safe and does not impede the flow of traffic by placing those stipulations on the developer. One aspect of making the intersection "traffic signal friendly" will be to cut off the top of the hill to make the intersection flat for safe sight distance among other things. It was asked how that could be accomplished without a major disruption in traffic especially since it does not look like the new freeway will be built before this work is done. NDOT replied that the developer would have to do it without impeding traffic. Other options were discussed such as an onramp on the new freeway or moving the proposed intersection and these have been ruled out. the delay on the new freeway was discussed and NDOT said they expect to fast track a new construction contract by November with a new contractor with bridge building expertise. He said several large firms had called already expressing interest. The project is 500+ days behind schedule but they think combining the bridge work with the final phase will bring the project in about a year behind schedule. The Washoe Valley Cooperative Weed Management Area Committee (WVCWMAC) folks gave a presentation on local noxious weeds and their control. It was explained that there are several weeds that make up the "Dirty Dozen" or the worst of the worst that the committee is focusing on. These weeds out-compete native plants and can cause various kinds of economic loss and fire hazards as well as other concerns. One example given was a pasture in Pleasant Valley that was rented out for grazing but through neglect has been taken over by a noxious weed and cannot be rented anymore. The group brought examples of several of the weeds and it was very informative. They encouraged everyone to become familiar with the weeds and report their sightings to the weed hotline at 687-1041. See our Washoe Valley Weed Page for more information. The next meeting of the WVCWMAC is at the NDF building on June 27th at 3 pm.
Short synopsis of
West WV CAB meeting May 19, 2006:
Short synopsis of
East WV CAB meeting May 9, 2006:
April 2006 East WVCAB Meeting Notes By the editor, April 13, 2006 The meeting at the NDF building was well attended with standing room only but the topics discussed outlasted just about everyone. First, Deputy Jeff Masten of the Sheriff's Office gave his report saying things were pretty quiet here in Washoe Valley. He did caution residents, however to not leave checks in your mailbox as thieves have been stealing them, changing the payee and cashing them in the county. He suggested using the blue box at the Postal Cafe for outgoing checks. He also said they have a spiffy new website at www.washoesheriff.com that residents should visit and utilize. The information on the site includes the Congested Area Boundary Map to be used by with a gun hobby in finding legal areas to shoot. Whatever the boundary map says however, shooting is prohibited within 1,000 feet of a dwelling for a shotgun and 5,000 feet for a handgun or rifle as I understood it. Next, JoAnne Deane, Community Outreach Coordinator gave a report on the 911 system. She warned that changing over to an internet phone service may cause problems with 911 response as the 911 center can't automatically identify your address as with a normal "landline" phone service. As with cell phones, the caller has to be able to communicate their location. JoAnne announced that they are accepting applications for a "Dispatcher Academy" starting in August as there will be several full time 911 positions open after graduation. Successful applicants will be paid to attend the school. In March the call center processed 37,221 calls with 10,186 being emergencies with a staff of 47. Reno Fire Protection reported things have been quiet with 22 minor calls. Burn permits are now available at the Eastlake Blvd station. Ann gave the liaison report on what transpired at the last West WVCAB meeting. These notes are here and also the minutes are now online (pdf). Karena Miller gave her update on the goings-on at the county.
Public Comment: In the public comments section we were advised to check our property information at the assessors website here and click on the Property Assessment Data link (if you haven't done this before you will be shocked then have hours of fun-ed). Anyway, the reporting residence related how she checked and found she was paying extra taxes for a pool she didn't have which the assessors office gladly rectified. Josh Wilson of the Assessors office was in attendance and verified that in a software switchover some mistakes did enter the database so it would be a good idea to check your data. Elisa Maser introduced herself as a candidate for David Humke's Commissioner position in the upcoming election. Her website is www.elisamaser.com Bob Webb of WC Community Development distributed a handout on the proposed changes to the Administrative Enforcement Process and Nuisance Regulations in Washoe County. It was explained that several different county departments handle these issues in their areas of responsibility and each has their own procedures. This is the editors understanding of the issue: It is being proposed that a set of standard procedures be adopted so the county addresses all the Enforcement and Nuisance Regulations in a consistent way. Right now, the only remedy is to go to court which is inefficient, slow and could result in a criminal record for a silly infraction. The county is proposing, for one thing, and independent "hearing officer" to arbitrate nuisance citations. One of the big steps is creating definitions of nuisances and violations. (This is an issue that some fear may threaten our "do your own thing" way of life here in East Washoe Valley so citizens should study the proposal and submit comments before the Commissioners receive a final draft at their meeting on May 23, 2006 at 5:30pm.-ed) I am looking for more info on this and will alert washoevalley.org free subscribers when it becomes available. A lengthy report was given on the Regional Water Management Plan as it pertains to Washoe Valley. Concern has risen lately with the suggestion by the Sierra Reflections mass development project north of the Hwy 395/Eastlake intersection that they can take water out of our valley for their project. The representative of the county water department explained the situation. She explained the differences in water rights pertaining to surface water and underground water and how most water rights in the valley are surface water for agriculture and it is difficult for these to be converted for domestic use. Only about 62 percent of the water converted can actually be used- the rest is reserved for environmental purposes, i.e. groundwater recharge, minimum flows in creeks, etc. The new water plan states, in effect, that areas rezoned for development aren't automatically entitled to water. Another impediment to high density subdivisions is a septic system minimum of 5 acres in the valley although existing lots are grandfathered in. In summary, the message was we are in good shape in the valley when it comes to our water supplies and it will be difficult for outside areas to corral them for their own uses. This is a complex subject that bears watching and beyond the scope of your humble editor at this time. If anyone out there can write a better explanation, please do and I will print it. Josh Wilson of the Assessor's office gave a presentation and explained that the property tax cap will expire this year and the legislature will consider what to do next at the next session. He explained that there are pros and cons to every tax method and he explained the problems that can develop with the tax cap. He asked for citizens to submit comments to the assessors office. A group then asked the CAB to support a Washoe Valley Public Information Campaign to draw attention to the things the valley has to offer in the areas of recreation, open space, parks, scenic beauty and (a living history of what western Nevada used to look like-ed). It was noted that David Creek Park recorded 134,000 visitors, Bowers Mansion Park, 106,000; WL State Park, 108,000; and 65 school field trips. The group is submitting a nomination for listing as a Nevada Scenic Place by the Scenic Nevada organization. The motion carried. The meeting adjourned. March 2006 West Washoe Valley CAB Meeting Notes By Ann York, March 27, 2006 Few people there. Jeff Masten, sheriff's Dept., said someone here on the East side has had money taken out of his bank account, so do not put that kind of mail in your mailbox. Shooters can access www.sheriff.com & find out where the congested areas are now to avoid them. 911 Dispatch, addressed by Paul Hefner & Vince Thomas. The antenna for voicemail dispatch on Slide Mt. broke down, so a new one is being installed. Problems with a shadowing effect affect areas close to the base of the mts. They are trying a new type of responder. DOT district engineer, Thor Dyson, addressed Old 395 bicycle event problems residents are facing. Event coordinators are supposed to get a temporary or permanent permit for the event, but not all do. This means participants are facing unnecessary liability issues. Hans Struffert asked him to address: 1- 1 lane only for the events 2- tables & paraphernalia to be off the road completely 3- use chalk instead of paint to line the roads 4- put people on both ends of the event This is to keep one lane open for residents & emergency vehicles to get through at all times. Thor said he would work on those issues. Thor also said the roads & intersections of Sierra Reflections project need an encroachment permit for NDOT. They then review, comment on those, & mail that to Washoe County. He heard some options that could work well, & said they would consider those. March 2006 East Washoe Valley CAB Meeting Notes By the editor, March 15, 2006 A small group of about 20 showed up at the Pleasant Valley School to go over the items in the agenda. The first section is reports and several scheduled people didn't make the meeting due to illness. So there was no Sheriff's office report this month nor a report from Joanne Dean, the representative from the 911 system and public safety dept. She did send along some numbers: Washoe County received 34,097 911 calls with 293 coming from East Washoe Valley in February. As with most statistics there is a caveat, that number includes a call for each sheriff's traffic stop, as I understood the explanation. There was no report from the Reno Fire Department either. The Liaison report on the February West WV CAB meeting was given and we have that text here. Kareena Miller, WC Public Outreach Coordinator, had alot of stuff to go over including some things that will merit separate articles giving more information on this site so keep an eye out for those.
Public Comment of items not on the agenda. A question was raised about the bike trial around the lake that was supposedly planned, approved and paid for several years ago and what happened to it? The board recommended inviting a representative of County parks and rec to the next meeting to explain. There was no new business to discuss. A highways update was given by Jerry of the CAB board and he expounded on the freeway progress including the beginning of the installation of the steel trusses on the big bridge this spring. It was decided to invite Parks and Rec in April to give a talk on the progress of the Parks and Rec Regional Plan. A question was brought up about an awareness campaign initially dubbed the "Washoe Valley Public Information Campaign" which would involve letting the region know what Washoe Valley is about and therefore saving the current traditions. (I found this idea very interesting. It is expected that there will be many thousands more residents in Washoe County and neighboring counties in the next 20 years. So it goes to reason that there will be many more people in Washoe Valley. Will it be better to preserve our open space and have many day visitors or develop subdivisions and have more permanent residents? In other words, do we want to be a giant park or a suburban community? Something to think about.-editors rambling) The next East WV CAB Meeting will be April 6th. The agenda will say it starts at 6pm but this will be a training session for holding meetings (public welcome) and the usual CAB meeting will begin after, at 7pm. February 2006 West Washoe Valley CAB Meeting Notes (Editors Note: I wasn't able to attend so another resident was kind enough to take some notes and submit them. Neither your editor nor most of our submitters are professional reporters or experts on all the issues. These accounts are not intended to substitute for your first hand observations or the official minutes but rather to give general information and spark your interest. Thank You Submitter for taking the time!) The meeting had good attendence! Judith Saum, District Health Dept. provided and update on the mosquito/West Nile Virus issue. She want residents to call if they see any mosquitos, 328-2434. Paul Hefner, Fire Services Coordinator, reported on the possible takeover of the Sierra Forest Fire Protection District by Washoe County. We were informed that the Weston/Lowden project attorney is always asking for the TMSA to be extended for that project whenever he can. (The TMSA or Truckee Meadows Service Area, sets up the framework for annexation by Reno; ed). We must speak against this! Roger Pelham, Planner for Sierra Reflections, presented tentative Subdivision Map TM06-001, consisting of a 938 lot single family residential, common open space subdivision.. Lots are from 8,000 sq ft to 43,445 sq. ft, including 147 townhouses on a footprint of 1102 sq ft. ( I have heard from another resident that the townhouse concept provides for more open space; ed). Special Use Permit SW06-001 is a request to grade within sensitive & critical stream zone buffer areas of Browns Creek and Steamboat Creek for roads over those creeks. Kevin Roukey, State Co. of Engineers, said a tiny portion of that project is in the W. Washoe Valley CAB area. The sewer interceptor is at the corner of US 395 & Pagni Lane & we were told that only has capacity for that subdivision and none for any extensions. Bob Rusk asked for that in writing. Kevin told us 990 homes were allowed by the Comprehensive Plan Amendment and that the zone changes have occurred already. The water for the project is being supplied by 4 existing wells from that hydrologic basin. More water rights are being searched for , which could come from Washoe Valley! We were told 62.5% of those can be exported (if anyone has more info on the water situation in Washoe Valley, let me know; ed). Ingress and Egress and traffic issues were also discussed regarding a proposed stoplight at Eastlake and 395. It was mentioned that having trucks start and stop on the hill (slowing things down for everyone). The comment was made that more accidents occur at stoplights. Another mentioned that intersections cannot be closer than 500 feet to one another. Other concerns were about removing huge amounts of dirt from hilltop(s) & Washoe Hill to level some of the project and infill a roadbed through the project. The CAB members unanimously disapproved the project because it doesn't conform either to the present South Valley Plan, nor to the plan currently being worked on and also because of the water issues.
February 2006 East
Washoe Valley CAB Meeting Notes The CAB meeting was well attended. The major issue was the Application for a tentative map & special use permit for Sierra Reflections, ie, St James Village. The residents attending were mainly concerned about: 1- traffic intensification 2- escalating school populations 3- police & fire response times We also found out the real
possibility of the development’s future purchasing We strongly felt we should
have been approached with this much sooner than last night since it has such a
great impact on We strongly suggest all of you who are interested, go to the West Washoe Valley CAB meeting at 7:00PM next Tues. Feb. 21st at the Bowers Mansion volunteer fire dept., 3905 Old Hwy 395 to address your concerns & ask any relevant questions you might have, & also to support our issues. We need to preserve this valley as much as we can! The Citizens Advisory Board unanimously did not support this project based on it not conforming to neither the old South Valleys Regional Plan, nor does it conform to the newer plan which has been worked on over the last year & ½, & also on behalf of the citizens present who also did not support it. January 2006 West Washoe Valley CAB Meeting I wasn't able to attend this meeting but these are the high points from the minutes. I encourage you to read the complete minutes to get the whole story and better yet, attend the meetings. There was some discussion of the form and function of previous meeting minutes. Lieutenant Forbus of the Washoe County Sheriffs office reminded residents that the Sheriff's Office has to sign off on events that take place on the public roadways. There was discussion regarding the proper coordination of 911 calls and of the coordination of the various fire organizations in the valley during an emergency. the NDF gave a presentation on the NDF Western Region Wildland Fire Management 2005 Accomplishment Report, fuels reduction in the valley, a state mutual aid plan, a probable arsonist in the area last year, the involvement of firefighters in the recent flooding episode and the status of the project to merge the local firefighting agencies. Citizens are encouraged to take part in the planning process for fire services. Kareena Miller, Community Outreach Coordinator for Washoe County gave an update on County business and urged anyone with flood damage to contact the county Dept. of Community Development at 328-3600. If you suspect that your well may have become contaminated, contact the county Health Dept. Ms. Miller stated growth in the county will impact all areas of the county and that an update to the Weston/Lowden project has not been received by the county. It was commented that it appears the county has "dropped the ball" on the Area Plan Update. It was mentioned that Washoe Valley has 18 months to approve the update. Elisa Maser announced her candidacy for Washoe County Commissioner District 2. Don Jacquet, Assistant Field Manager, BLM, brought a copy of the Winters Ranch Interim Management Plan for review and said more copies will be available soon. He will be the community liaison and point of contact with the BLM. Bill Elliot announced the introduction of www.westwashoe.org by the West Washoe Association property owners. January East Washoe Valley CAB Meeting Notes The meeting was held at the NDF building on Eastlake Blvd. and a good sized crowd showed up so it was standing room only for the second month in a row. Several Washoe County departments gave reports but most comment and questions from those in attendance concerned the proposed Weston/Louden Development. It was announced that the second hearing of it before the CAB would be next month (March 15) at a joint meeting with the West Valley CAB. During the public comment period I gave a brief announcement of the availability of this site and encouraged everyone to contribute. In other business, a report was given on the West Nile virus as it pertained to Washoe Valley. There was one case on the west side but it isn't certain if the person got the mosquito bite from the valley or at another location. A pretty aggressive trapping and spraying program went on last year and the mosquito population and the disease in Washoe Valley is reportedly under control. Those with horses were advised however, that their animals should be vaccinated and if vaccinated previously, given booster shots. Also, it is not productive to call in about dead birds. That was used to locate the virus bearing mosquitoes but as they are all over the area now, that program is unnecessary. For further information, contact mosquito control at 785-4599. Something prompted several people to compare how long they had been valley residents and some have been here quite a while, up to 35 years. Being here only 4 years, I offered that my house has been here 30 years. Someone else commented however, that these same faces were new at the CAB meeting. The point was, being involved is as important, or more important, as being an "old timer" with whatever honor and respect that conveys. It's an old adage that "anyone new to a cause is the most passionate". We learned a new word from the board members: bumfuzzle. This seems to be the when the bureaucracy tends to muck up an otherwise good intention. As in "Once our plan got to the county, it became a bumfuzzle". Kristine Bunnell was kind enough to give up her evening and give a report on the WC Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update. She mentioned that there are plans over in the Galena/St James Village area that would affect our area if implemented. Apparently over on the north side of 395, adjacent to our valley, there is a lake and "indian rock" area that may be dedicated as open space with trails, even a trail connecting to Little Washoe, if I understood correctly. Other trails involve the west side of Washoe Lake and on up to Virginia City. She had a very interesting looking map rolled up that she did not get to share so I'll have to try to get some more info on this project. Jerry Howry of the board reported on area traffic and safety concerns. He reported that when the sign lights up on 395 down near the new hospital, shutting the highway down to truck traffic due to high winds, many trucks use Eastlake Blvd as a bypass. Even though this is illegal and "Old 395" is the legal route (except when it is windy). He said there was even a truck blown over on that during the windstorm over New Years. The complaint is that the Highway Patrol seems to turn a blind eye to these infractions and have for years. I have wondered why the sign is past the last opportunity to turn off the highway forcing trucks and RVs to drive into the valley anyway. It was also mentioned that construction on the new freeway to the north (I-580) is continuing as best it can with the weather. The website for this project is on our links page and several people mentioned what a great site it is with the webcams, etc. I especially like the computer generated flyover over the entire route. Check it out if you have a fast connection. For more information, look for our announcement of the posting of the meeting minutes.
November 2005 East Washoe Valley CAB Meeting Last month I went to my first Community Advisory Board Meeting and
learned quite a bit. The main thing I learned was that us average residents mostly fall into two categories- uninformed and misinformed. Thus the inspiration for this website. The community center was packed as word had gotten around that a 700 plus acre housing development for the area bounded by East Lake Blvd, Hwy 395 and Skinner Lane was on the
agenda. The property owners representative from Summit Engineering tried to explain the project and keep his cool amidst the outrage. One of the
things that struck me was that he seemed to say that they would keep the character of the development similar to that of New Washoe City where
they share a border at Skinner. This would mean the homes would be low density, about 1 per acre. Later it came out that the placement of homes was dependent on the topography (slope) of the property. A map was then produced that seemed to show the highest concentration of homes near
Skinner where the topography is flattest. Huh? Several people in the audience, including me, thought that homes were limited to 5 acres in the valley. After all, didn't the Nevada Supreme Court say that in the case of the Serpa development in southeast Washoe Valley? Well, a county planning dept. staff member informed us that the supreme court only ruled that Washoe County had the authority to limit that development to 5 acres. So any future development can ask for whatever they want. Other questions came up about water. The developer says they have some, but not all the water rights they need. A question was raised about where the actual water would come from. Another audience member mentioned a study that determined the valley was judged to be tapped out. The developer didn't have an answer to that at this time. For, he explained to us, it is not necessary to know if a development is possible before you get permission to build it. So apparently the way it works is you make up a plan that makes you happy, get it approved and if it comes to pass that you don't have the water, sewer, compatible slopes, etc. you go back and get the rules changed because after all, the project has been approved! The minutes of this meeting were taken and are supposed to be posted on the county website but haven't been as of December 7th. The meeting was quite long and the minutes should be too. I'll post it on the home page when they become available This development (called the Weston/Lowden Development) requires a
change in the Washoe County Comprehensive Plan and this will be taken
|
