The land use amendment was on the board’s agenda as an informational presentation, but the five board members who attended the meeting intended to be well informed. Chairman Vaughn Hartung and board members Ed Goodrich, Steve Grosz, Nick Zufelt and Greg Prough asked nearly an hour and a half worth of questions.
“What we are looking at tonight is not a project,” Hartung said. “We are looking at a land use change. This is not an action item but this will come back to us in a month.”
The CAB will be reviewing the proposed amendment for recommendation during it’s April 8 meeting.
Sader presented the CAB with boards that marked off the land in question and presented the situation: Hawco Properties owns most of the land on the west side of Pyramid Highway from Eagle Canyon Drive north, including the industrial park on Ingenuity Avenue.
“Hawco’s partners have owned the land since the early 1900s,” Sader said, adding the land was acquired during World War I. “In 1982 they started developing the land.”
He said that in 1992 the land was designated as industrial land but in 1999 Washoe County changed the land to specific plan use with the intentions of using more than 320 acres in the Boneyard Flat playa as part of the flood management plan.
Sader said that Hawco was seeking to change land northwest of Ingenuity Avenue from open land to industrial use. He said that initially the land was given to the county but after a series of meetings, a different parcel was donated in 2006. The new parcel, used for the flood management plan, is south of Calle de la Plata and located in the Eagle Canyon development.
“The public purpose for this (land) being open space no longer exists,” Sader said. “If this property is no longer needed for flood control, we would like it for rezoning consideration.”
The land is located in the Boneyard Flat area in Spanish Springs in near the Martin Merietta Quarry and a man-made wetlands area. It also backs up to the Mystic Mountain development, which is located behind the Pebble Creek development. Hawco has put Mystic Mountain on hold.
Hartung asked Sader if Hawco was able to use the land for residential use how many houses would be built. Sader said that 100 to 300 houses could fit on the 320 acres.
“We do not think this land is good for residential use,” Sader said, adding that Hawco would like to use it as industrial space since it so close to the existing industrial park.
Concerned, Hartung said that people who choose to purchase homes in the yet-to-be-built Mystic Mountain development could be surprised when a industrial park suddenly sprouts up.
Sader defended Hawco, saying the company had sent information to all 250 houses in the Pebble Creek development and held a meeting to discuss any concerns about the pending industrial park. Sader said only 13 people showed up from only eight households leading Hawco to believe the industrial park was not a large concern for Pebble Creek residents.
Hartung expressed his concern that Mother Nature could reclaim the land in question since it is near a flood plain. He said he was worried about chemicals contaminating the water supply.
“There is no heavy industry allowed in our business park,” Sader said, meaning that chemicals and pollutants would not have the chance to be washed into the Truckee River. “This project will be out of the flood plain when built. What we will have to do is do an application with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to do some no-cost cuts and fills.”
Additionally, residents and board members raised concerns about traffic issues at the “dangerous” intersection of Calle de la Plata and Pyramid Highway. Sader said access to the industrial park would be off of Ingenuity Avenue.
“It will use existing streets, existing access and existing turn lanes,” Sader said.
As residents and board member commented on the land amendment proposal and board members questioned Sader, it became clear that everyone at the meeting was concerned about the future of their ever-growing community.
“I don’t want to see any more houses out here than we have to,” said Hartung, who has lived in Spanish Springs since 1986. “But I don’t know if we can ask the landowner not to do anything with their land forever. I don’t know if that is fair.”
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