The proposed Martin Meadows subdivision is surrounded by Chichester Estates on two sides, Gardnerville Elementary School and the Hellwinkel barns in the background.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
A developer is seeking a tentative subdivision map request for a 29-unit town home project on 4.45 acres next to Gardnerville Elementary School.
Gardnerville Town Board members approved the change that will go before Douglas County planning commissioners 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Planning commissioners meet at the Douglas County Courthouse in Minden.
According to Town Manager Erik Nilssen’s report, the Martin Meadows project consists of 29 parcels with eight single-family attached units and 21 townhomes called Martin’s Creek Townhomes.
One concern is that there is that the only access to the property is on Giles Lane through Chichester Estates.
In 2023, the town board voted to approve the project after the only public meeting then, and the approval remains in place.
However, the developer has since decided to change the ownership from one owner renting units to 30 parcels with different owners.
The project was originally planned for 20 units back in May 2023 due to a limit placed by the county on projects with just one access.
The original application was withdrawn after the town recommended denial.
Six months later the developer returned with a site plan that increased the number of units from 20 to 29. Nilssen said the code hadn’t changed but project representative Rob Anderson said he believes that the fire code adopted by the county may supersede the 20-unit limitation.
“I think we all jumped to the assumption that when it says single-family residence or unit, it’s encompassing multi-family,” Anderson told the town board. “That’s not what the statement says.”
Access in the county code specifically says that “at least two means of ingress and egress to county standards shall be provided to serve a subdivision or development of more than 20 single-family residents or units.”
Included in the update of the Douglas County fire codes was an exception when all the dwellings are equipped with an approved automatic sprinkler system. The code does place a 40-unit limit, which would prevent it from being used for other larger proposed projects like the apartments off Riverview next to Carson Valley Golf Course.
Nilssen said that the change in ownership shouldn’t affect the town, since none of the infrastructure in the project will be owned or maintained by the town.
He pointed out that there is still a conflict between the code and the design standards, but that’s something the county would work out.
“This will give the board of county commissioners the ability to interpret code based on over 20 units and only one access to the site,” Nilssen said.