County revokes south Gardnerville map

A land division map on the former Carson Valley Garden Center south of Gardnerville was revoked by county commissioners on Thursday.

It has been six years since the land division map was granted on the 3.27-acre property. Part of the approval were conditions for access, water, sewer, drainage and power improvements.

Two years later, the owner posted security on the improvements so the maps could be recorded. In 2020, the security expired without the improvements being made.

Last fall, the Garden Center closed after the property was purchased by 1144 LLC.

Owner Gabe Gundling asked commissioners to give him another year to figure out a plan for the property, which is zoned general commercial.

“If there’s any way, we’d like to extend that period to give more time to work with the neighbor and the county to find a solution that maintains forward motion,” he said. “The property was designed for a very specific use and set of buildings I’m not intending to build.”

Gundling acknowledged there were a lot of details that still have to be worked out for the property.

Under county code, Gundling could return to the Administrative Hearing Panel to reconfigure the site.

“I would recommend going along with Jeremy’s (Huthchings) proposal,” attorney Sam Taylor said. “The developer is required to complete the improvements no later than two years for recordation of the final map. Those two years have come and gone. We and the board don’t have the authority under existing code.”

Of more concern to some is the parcel to the south of Gundling’s.

Gardnerville Ranchos resident and district trustee Jim McKalip said there’s a proposal to put 60 apartments on the 12-acre parcel directly south.

A company named Golf View Apartments purchased the property from Douglas County Health Care last year for $1.65 million.

There is an access to Riverview Drive from the property, that McKalip said would increase traffic near the intersection with Highway 395, which is a common spot for collisions.

“That’s one of the worst intersections in the county and that project will throw more cars on it,” he said. “Until the bridge (south of Riverview) is built or streets are widened, the county’s capacity doesn’t suit the one project being proposed.”

The zoning on the 12-acre parcel is office commercial, which will require a change to multi-family zoning.