Historic commissioners reject cell tower in Genoa

A faux wood cell tower disguised as a water tower in Nevada's oldest town was deemed inappropriate by the panel charged with preserving the town’s architectural style .

Genoa Historic District Commissioners voted 4-0 on Aug. 3, likely sending the effort back to the drawing board.

Because the 60-foot tower behind the fire station was located within the district, the commission was the first public stop in a process that would have gone to a variety of meetings.

Issues with cellular service in the town has the greatest impact during Candy Dance weekend when 30,000 visitors are in town for the annual craft fair. Vendors are often cautioned to prepare to conduct business in a way closer to when the Candy Dance was founded in 1919 than to rely on digital means.

A dozen residents turned out on to protest the tower, and there was some confusion as to why the issue hadn’t turned up at another public meeting before getting to the historic commission.

Under a new procedure for any commercial project within the historic district boundaries, the district commissioners will find themselves as first in line for public meetings.

One project that will likely turn up first at the historic district is for mixed-use retail space and vacation rentals on a 1.43-acre parcel at 2246 Main St., next door to the Genoa Post Office.

The site is in the Genoa Historic District and is presently in the pre-application stage for a zoning map amendment, according to county records.

A revised ordinance governing the historic district is expected to be heard by Douglas County commissioners on Thursday. Anyone seeking approval for a permit in the boundaries will have to go to Community Development first.

Before, anyone seeking a permit to alter the architectural character of a commercial structure in town had to find the chairman of the district commission to seek a certificate of appropriateness.

But outcry over the 2021 painting of a commercial structure in the district prompted the county to work on the ordinance to ensure applicants knew the process.

Town Manager David Qualls told planning commissioners that he didn’t realize that the town had to undergo the process, as well.

Last week, historic district commissioners approved certificates for the town to repair the fence surrounding Genoa Park and installing a new swing set. In June, the town got a certificate to repair the church on Nixon Street.