Carson City Supervisors approve Mills Park master plan draft, including debated new park road
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Thu, 03/16/2023 - 11:31am
Carson City Supervisors voted Thursday to approve the Mills Park Master Plan proposed draft, which included many additions and rehabilitations of the park including new pickle ball courts, a dog park, splash pad, and the most debated addition: a road connecting east and west sides of the park through the arboretum.
Public comment mostly discussed the potential of the road, named Foley’s Forest Lane, which could run through the park to connect each side.
When the property now known as Mills Park was purchased, the group of trees was called “Foley’s Forest.”
Topics discussed were safety for children, walkers and dogs from the proposed dog park, noise, parking and more.
Supervisors generally noted that they approved of the road; however, Supervisor Lisa Schuette said that while she would vote to approve, she would like to see a “robust” conversation about how to make the road truly a lane within a park instead of a typical vehicle road that might encourage drivers to utilize it as a shortcut.
Schuette also said she would like to see the removal of the parking spaces along the proposed lane, which could cause vehicle traffic within the park.
“A park should be about being a park, not a convenience for vehicles,” Schuette said. “That said I could be comfortable with this with the traffic calming — if it becomes a lane, and get rid of parking along that.”
Schuette said she would also encourage the inclusion of roundabouts with artwork installed in the center to further slow traffic.
Supervisor Maurice White said that he supported the road, and did not understand what the public’s issue with the road would be.
“This is a pretty good plan,” White said. “I’d like to say in regards to that pass through road goes I’m 100 percent bought in. I’m not sure what the other folks saw are seeing that we’re not seeing but I’m bought in for that.”
Supervisor Stacey Giomi said that he supported the road from a public safety standpoint, and said he approved of the 30 additional parking spaces proposed along the lane.
“Mills Park is the centerpiece of our park system — it’s right in the middle of town. It’s in need of refurbishments, and I love the ideas,” Giomi said. “I support the road through from the public safety standpoint. I support parking because I think we need more parking.”
Following the Parks and Rec commission meeting where the plan was first introduced, plan presenter Nick Wentworth said he met with sheriff’s office who are very supportive of the road, and that the addition of it would bring better patrolling of the park.
“It really brings access to our park rangers, our public safety officers, to access that part of the park that you just can’t see from a vehicle,” Wentworth said. “You have to get out and walk to it. I think that it will greatly improve the presence of those officers and park rangers to where they’re able to — even if its just cruising through there a couple times a day — put their eyes on the area that we do have problems with right now, with the unhoused population and shady activities. It’ll help bring the public into the park more and make it a safer place.”
Mayor Lori Bagwell said specific designs could be undertaken to make the connection a lane rather than a roadway.
“You can design it to not be a roadway,” Bagwell said. “You don’t want to see people using it as a cut-through.”
With the rest of the proposed additions, supervisors were generally supportive, and applauded the plan creators.
“I know it’s difficult; you ask 20 people their opinion and you get 20 different answers,” Schuette said. “Sometimes they overlap, and sometimes they’re completely opposite (to each other).”
Schuette said that she “applauded” the introduction of not only a new playground but an adaptive playground.
“There really the right thing to do is to truly meet the needs of everyone. I just wanted to say thank you because kids of all ages are struggling and it’s important they have opportunities just like the rest of us.”
For more information regarding the revamp, including the 22 new proposed additions, please see our previous reporting here.
Approval of the draft was unanimous.
