Yerington onion farmer in no hurry to sell south Gardnerville land to Wal-mart

Almost 183 acres near the Carson Valley Medical Center could become a Wal-Mart and an addition to a south Gardnerville hospital's land, but the property owner said he is in no hurry.

Land owner Butch Peri of Peri & Sons Farms Inc., a Yerington company that grows and exports onions worldwide, is considering selling a piece of the Gardnerville land to Wal-Mart and giving some of it to the adjacent Carson Valley Medical Center, or just letting someone else purchase the entire property.

"We're just looking at our best options," he said. "Right now Wal-Mart is just looking at it. They were looking at it pretty seriously. We've been in negotiations."

Wal-Mart representatives had said they were interested in purchasing more land than what Peri would like to sell, said Peri.

"One of the things Wal-Mart does is they pick a property bigger than they need," said Peri. "What they do is buy 20 acres when they really only need 15. Then they sell the other ground (to other businesses). We were hoping with Wal-Mart that we could be the real estate agent, not them."

Another person has shown interest in buying all 183 acres, he said.

But, Peri said no matter what happens, he is in no hurry to make a decision. He doesn't owe anything on the old Matley Ranch property south east of the hospital and north west of Pine Nut Road, that he purchased in 1997.

"I want to sell it, but I want to sell it when the price and time is right," said Peri. "It's a nice piece of property. It is on the highway and it's not on a flood plain."

Peri expects to make his decision by June 1.



-- Jo Rafferty can be reached at jrafferty@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 213.