Carson City Planning Commission approves Veteran housing project on Roop, Northridge
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Thu, 04/28/2022 - 10:54am
A proposed special use permit was discussed and approved at the Carson City Planning Commission Wednesday evening regarding a new veterans-preference workforce housing multi-family development on Roop Street near Northridge.
The proposed project, called Eagles Landing, includes 126 units total split between two parcels on either side of Northridge Drive off of Roop Street.
Eagles Landing has partnered with the VA and other veterans services for the project, according to Matthew Fleming, similar to the Valley Springs development on Hot Springs which was built in 2021.
The Valley Springs project was quoted as 85 percent veteran-occupied.
The north site of the project would include 63 units in 3-story buildings with 96 parking spaces. The property includes a community center building, a large open courtyard, barbecue areas, play structure and game areas, and path systems with sitting and garden areas.
The south side includes 63 units in 3-story buildings with 100 parking spaces and includes a large open courtyard, barbecue areas, play areas and similar path systems.
The three story buildings will not impede resident’s views to the mountains because the houses are placed much higher than the buildings on the hillside, according to staff reports.
Prices for the units are quoted as $735 for a one bedroom and $866 for a two bedroom, which includes all utilities as well as internet.
Vice Chair Teri Preston stated, “I know there are a lot of veterans but I didn’t know there were this many,” in reference to the already established veterans’ projects of Richard’s Crossing and Valley Springs.
Preston went on to say that in Reno, there were workforce housing developments in Reno that had so many parking problems that residents were parking at shopping malls because parking wasn’t available.
“Traffic is a concern, and parking is a concern,” said Preston.
Fleming encouraged the community to visit the site at Valley Springs that he stated Eagles Landing is simply a clone of.
“It’s the same population, same people, same makeup as Valley Springs,” said Fleming. “It’s an award winning project for the state of Nevada. It’s because we develop with all of these concerns in mind. If you go and look for yourself you’ll see, our parking is empty; our streets are empty; we aren’t contributing to crime. We’re serving the people who protected our freedoms and giving them a place to call home.”
Public commenters who were in favor of the project noted that many veterans are in desperate need for affordable housing and they are in support of even more of these projects.
One individual stated that Valley Springs had a waiting list of over 700, and 600 of those individuals were veterans.
Some residents of the Northridge neighborhood came to voice their opposition to the proposed project, stating that they did not believe that all of the residents were properly noticed, and those that were were not informed the project was “low income housing.”
Other residents stated they were concerned about losing their view, and the amount of units for the space.
Many noted what they were concerned about most was the decrease in property values, the traffic and the potentiality that people will come and park in the Northridge neighborhood.
Commissioner Paul Esswein stated the city did not fast track anything. The city has 65 days to review and submit it to the planning commission by state law.
Commissioner Richard Perry also stated that notice of the meeting is 10 days, which is the same amount of time that the commission itself receives material.
Commissioner Esswein spoke on discrimination issues.
“I heard some folks complaining this would be low income,” said Esswein. “I’m not a low income person but I definitely believe that discrimination against low income people should not be allowed.”
Esswein stated that he would not be voting the project down “just because someone doesn’t like low income housing.”
Commissioner Nathaniel Killgore said, “The red flags for this (project), it’s like a carnival over there,” in regards to traffic and potential winter conditions. “I’ve been all in favor of siding with the public opinion on these issues and it leaves me all alone up here. (...) I’m not going to be the clown in all those red flags.”
The Special Use Permit was approved with the addition of condition 11 with traffic sight requirements with Commissioner Killgore voting nay.
