Planning commission OKs Virginia Ranch changes

Changes to a 1,020-unit project was recommended for approval 5-2 by the Douglas County Planning Commission on Tuesday.

The only sticking point was the elimination of a 10.5-acre school site for planning commissioners Dave Nelson and Paul Bruno.

Bruno said he felt it was too early in the process to give up the potential school site.

With Gardnerville Elementary School around a mile from the proposed site, and a declining enrollment, district officials said they didn’t need the site. According to the Douglas County School District, there are 5,334 students attending school as of this month, down 1,000 from the 6,336 students listed in 2010.

The district would still have to pay for the land and to build a school if it did want the site. The additional land won’t change the number of units, which is set by both a development agreement and a court settlement.

The project was approved by the Gardnerville Town Board on March 7.

The first step for the project is to complete four lanes of Muller Lane Parkway between Grant Avenue and Toler Lane.

The changes to the plan still must go before Douglas County Commissioners for both a first and second reading.