New residential construction has its best year in nearly a decade

More residential permits have been issued by the Municipality of Carson City in 2016 than any other single year in almost a decade, said Carson City Community Development Department Director Lee Plemel, AICP.

"So far in 2016, we’ve issued building permits for more residential units than in any of the last nine years," he said.

There have been 83 residential building permits issued by the city so far this year, more than any other single year since about 2007, a growth management chart from the Community Development Department shows.

These numbers do not include permits that have been submitted but not issued, Plemel said, including a new 90-unit apartment complex slated for G.S. Richards Blvd. and bordering Country Club Drive. There is also the Bella Lago Apartments at 1600 Airport Road, which is seeking a 64-unit addition to its current 175-unit complex.

Developers of those properties have up to one year from the date of permit submission to pick up their building permits, Plemel said. Once that happens, the projects will be counted toward the total allocation of new residential units cleared to begin construction.

This month's Community Development Report shows the building permits for both those projects are under review.

In 2006, the city issued 274 residential building permits before the real estate bubble burst, sending Nevada spiraling downward into a major recession.

The fact that permits are on the rise is a good sign for the local economy as developers appear to be anticipating growth in Carson City. The number of permits issued in 2016 is nearly double the amount from last year, Community Development data shows.

In fact, over the past five years from 2011 through 2015, the city averaged only 25 residential building permits a year, and 61 per year over the last decade. This year's number is significantly higher than any of those averages.

These numbers are still down sharply compared with the city's 20 and 30-year averages of 191 and 255 permits per year, respectively.

The number of permits issued also remains well below the residential property allocations available throughout Carson City, the growth management graph shows.

There's a city cap of about 640 allocations that are made for residential construction this year, but the number of issued permits remains only a fraction of what is available, the data shows.

The upward trend, though, is promising for city growth and future investors.

"Residential construction has been well below long-term averages for the last nine years," said Plemel, citing numbers from a 30-year historical time table dating back to 1986. "We are seeing residential construction increase recently towards these averages, and we expect that to continue through the remainder of 2016 and into 2017 with the new subdivisions coming online."

There are a number of new residential communities currently planned in the Carson City, including some that have already broken ground and are under construction. Others, meanwhile, are still pending permit or zoning approval by the city.

Among the new subdivisions currently under construction are Canyon Vista Estates and Schulz Ranch, both located in southeast Carson City.

Canyon Vista, located at the corner of Hillview and Clearview drives near South Edmonds and backing to the new I-580 freeway bypass, is a 20-acre, 18-lot single family home development.

Developer Scott Smith, owner of Scott Smith Real Estate in Gardnerville, said he purchased the 20-acre parcel in June of last year and had all permits in place for the subdivision by October 2015.

He said the lots have been selling fast since the first two sales last December. Since then six more have pre-sold in the last four months.

Seven lots remain on the market, Smith said, and he hopes to be sold out by the end of this year.

A model home is expected to be finished by the end of this month, he said.

Four spec homes are currently under construction and should be on the market later this month, Smith said. But most of the elevations and floor plans are Crafstman-style bungalows that are built to suit.

"It's a semi-custom deal," he said. "The customer can pick the lot and the floor plan, and work with the design team on interior and exterior finishes."

Each lot is roughly about one acre in size, according to the development's Facebook page. Elevations for Canyon Vista Estates are starting at just under $400,000.

Schulz Ranch is a master-planned community of more than 90 acres located near the southeastern boundary between Carson City and Douglas County. It is accessed from Center Drive and Topsy Lane.

As of the Carson City Planning Division's August Community Development Report, Schulz Ranch has building permits for nine single-family units. Some of these homes are currently under construction in the development.

The subdivision has space for as many as 434 individual single family homes, the report states, with 100 lots already platted out for the first phase. An additional 105 lots will be platted in the second phase.

Ground was broken last month for the new commercial and residential project, financed by the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation, in the downtown historic district.

A three-story Victorian architecture-inspired building will occupy the space hemmed in by Curry, Proctor, Nevada and Telegraph streets.

Once completed, the property will feature more than 10,000 square feet of first-floor retail and restaurant space. The second floor will house 11,000 square feet of office space. And the third story will be home to 10 upscale apartments.

Site work has begun for Jackson Village, a 41-unit single-family detached residential community located behind the Raley's Shopping Center at 250 Eagle Station Lane in South Carson City, the August Community Development Report shows.

Richard's Crossing is a new 39-unit apartment complex situated on 1.7 acres at 430 Jeanell Drive in North Carson City. Structural framework is already up for this multi-family project. At least nine military veterans and/or their families will be eligible to move in as soon as construction is finished.

The Mills Landing project, a planned unit development north of East William Street along State Street, was approved by the Carson City Board of Supervisors on July 21, 2016, and is now pending a building permit, the August report shows. This multi-family development features 105 single-family attached residential lots to be built upon.

The August Community Development Report also shows that Arbor Villas, a 147-unit single-family town home development on Little Lane, was approved June 16, 2016 and is currently pending a building permit.

Two other properties featuring smaller apartment complexes have been approved by the Carson City Planning Commission and are pending their building permits, including a seven-town home project at Anderson and Robinson streets near downtown and an eight-unit apartment building located at 1770 Nichols Lane.

Under site improvement review is the Silver Oak Planned Unit Development across from John Mankins Park on Oak Ridge Drive. Developers there are seeking an amendment to add 31 more single-family lots to the subdivision.

A zoning amendment was approved March 17, 2016 by the Board of Supervisors for the Lompa Ranch Specific Plan Area along Fifth and Saliman streets and flanking either side of the I-580 freeway bypass.

Currently under zoning review by the Planning Commission is a multi-family project that has requested a variance of reduced setbacks for four new quadriplexes located at 510-540 Linda Kay Court off East Fifth Street.