Gardnerville tackles 1,020-unit Virginia Ranch project

While town board members discussed locations of four parks within the 1,020-unit Virginia Ranch Specific Plan, the real question was whether the developer was even required to get their approval.

At issue was whether the several changes sought in the project located behind and northwest of the Gardnerville Walmart were major of minor modifications.

Project attorney Mark Forsberg argued that the changes were minor and subject only to review by Community Development Director Tom Dallaire. The District Attorney’s Office disagreed, bringing the project to Gardnerville on Tuesday night.

Under the original plan approved in 2004, the project includes four parks each situated at the center of one of the proposed neighborhoods modeled on Minden Park.

Chris Baker of Manhard Consultants said that when the county approved removing a requirement for rear-loaded lots, that meant the town square parks would be less desirable due to the driveways.

The previous week, Minden Town Board members voted to continue collecting trash in the alleyways in old Minden, which was initially designed with access for vehicles from the back yard.

Baker said the new proposal would be to move the parks to locations that would be visible from Muller Lane Parkway.

He said that would also break up the fence line along the main route through the project.

Four lanes of that segment of Muller Parkway between Grant Avenue and Toler Lane will be constructed by the developer.

Town Board members recommended approval of the changes with the condition that vinyl fences not be allowed along the parkway.

Dallaire was at the meeting and was taking notes. His decision on the project could be appealed to the Planning Commission.

Projects across the size spectrum were recommended for approval by the Gardnerville Town Board on Tuesday evening.

Litigation over how much a segment of Muller Lane Parkway will cost resulted in a request to delay the recording of the first phase of the 190-unit Ashland Park.

The new route travels along the east side of the property and developers must build half of it, under an agreement with the county.

The town board approved recommending the delay 4-0.

That was also the vote for a 29-unit apartment project proposed for a site off the end of Giles Lane in Chichester Estates.

Town Manager Erik Nillsen expressed concern that county code limits the project to 20 units due to there being only one access. The design review for the project was approved in May with 20 units.

Project representative Rob Anderson said that since then, his office has been reviewing the county code. He argued that the code specifically addresses single family zoning and doesn’t apply to multi-family zoning.

Town Board members voted to recommend the changes if the county agrees with Anderson’s analysis.