Document Minden_doc_20e934a927

1 9-30-18 progress draft BR Minden and Gardnerville Plan for Prosperity ENVISION Minden and Gardnerville envision vibrant downtowns that are regional destinations and the hearts of their communities. Their town centers will be mixed-use, feature cultural facilities, have a full annual events calendar, and integrated arts programming. Their successful main street districts are enabled by a completed Muller Parkway allowing through-traffic to bypass Main Street. The Parkway supports redesign of the Main Street and historic Railroad Avenue portions of US395 as pedestrian-oriented experiences. Trails will connect the town centers with new parks along Martin Slough and Muller Parkway, which double as detention facilities that reduce flooding. Neighborhoods will have definable centers including parks, schools, libraries and their own namesake streets. New neighborhoods will include housing supporting the needs of existing and future residents. The Towns envision new types of housing including mixed-use development in the downtowns and agri-neighborhoods on the Towns’ edges. ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 Plan for Prosperity Citizens Advisory Committee Bill Chernock–CVCC Jan Vandermade–CVVA Renea Louie–Business Council Shannon Albert–Business Council/CV Medical Heidi Saucedo–CVVA Brian Fitzgerald–Arts Council Brian Trute–Gardnerville Rick Towner–Gardnerville Laura Mastin–Gardnerville Douglas Roberts–Gardnerville Steve Mauser–Minden Dave Brady–Minden Robert Pohlman–Minden Town of Minden Board Matt Bernard, Chair Glen Radtke, Vice Chair Bill Souligny Roxanne Stangle John Stephans Town of Gardnerville Board Cassandra Jones, Chair Linda Slater, Vice Chair Lloyd Higuera Ken Miller Mary Wenner Town Staff John (JD) Frisby, Town of Minden Tom Dallaire, Town of Gardnerville Consultants RACESTUDIO Bruce Race, FAIA, FACIP, PhD A. Plescia Company Andy Plescia Winter and Company Nore Winter Julie Husband ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: PURPOSE, PROCESS, AND PEOPLE SECTION 1: UNIFYING FRAMEWORK SECTION 2: ECONOMIC WELLBEING SECTION 3: LAND USE AND COMMUITY FACILITIES SECTION 4: CIRCULATION SECTION 5: COMMUNITY CHARACTER SECTION 6: IMPLEMENTATION ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- 5 INTRODUCTION PURPOSE, PROCESS, AND PEOPLE The towns of Minden and Gardnerville have embarked on an effort to update their Plans for Prosperity. The Plans provide guidance for their growth, economic prosperity, overall quality of life, and community character. I.1 PURPOSE The 2018 update to Minden and Gardnerville’s Plans for Prosperity was a jointly funded and managed effort by the Towns. The update was to provide an opportunity for the Towns to identify common solutions for policy issues that have transpired since the Minden (2003) and Gardnerville (2006) plans. Common Issues and Solutions The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) representing the Towns sponsored community workshops and acted as a sounding board for the update process, The communities worked with stakeholders to identify issues and craft policy proposals for both communities. These “high-level” issues are captured in Section 1 and provide a common long-range planning framework for both Minden and Gardnerville. Policy Update for Douglas County Master Plan The updated Plans for Prosperity are to be placed into the Douglas County Master Plan as a new Minden and Gardnerville Chapter. It replaces the policies in the existing land use chapter. The Plans for Prosperity are reformatted as a policy document with numbered goals and policies, which are then supported by an implementation section. I.2 PROCESS The planning process was organized as three steps: Analysis, Alternative Futures, and Preferred Plan Selection (Figure I.1). The CAC sponsored three community workshops, two meetings with each Town Board, a Douglas County Planning Commission review meeting, and a meeting with the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. A Technical Advisory Committee of Town County, and other Agency staff met twice in the process. A draft policy document was circulated to the CAC, TAC, Town Boards, and stakeholders before it a final draft was completed. I.3 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER POLICIES AND DOCUMENTS The Minden and Gardnerville Plan for Prosperity builds on previous efforts by the Towns, the existing 2011 Douglas County Master Plan and portions of the 2016 Draft and other countywide transportation plans. The Minden and Gardnerville Plan for Prosperity includes areas within the existing urban services, receiving, and long-term growth areas (Figure I.2). Existing Plans for Prosperity The Plan for Prosperity 2018 Update is a combined effort by Minden and Gardnerville. Their pervious plans were developed independently. Minden’s plan was adopted in 2003 and Gardnerville’s in 2006. ---PAGE BREAK--- 6 Gardnerville also prepared design guidelines (2006) and a parking district study (2007). The Towns used their Plans for Prosperity as consensus documents to advocate for better planning and development. Portions of these plans were inserted into the Douglas County 2011 Master Plan land use chapter by County staff. The existing Minden and Gardnerville Plans for Prosperity emphasize extending the traditional scale and block pattern into new development areas. Key common policies expressed by both Minden and Gardnerville include: • Preserving their cultural identity and community character; • Building on traditional downtowns; • Protecting natural features and natural setting; and • Extending and connecting neighborhoods. Both towns expressed business-friendly policies in the existing plans, where Minden leaned towards economic diversification and attracting “clean-tech” businesses and Gardnerville focused emphasized maintaining a business-friendly atmosphere. Figure I.1 Planning Process ---PAGE BREAK--- 7 Douglas County Master Planning The 2018 Plan for Prosperity Update took into account the 2016 Draft County Master Plan land use and circulation elements, 2014 Douglas County Bicycle Plan, 2003 Douglas County Comprehensive Trails Master Plan, and goals of stakeholders and property owners. I.4 ORGANIZATION OF DOCUMENT Following the Introduction, The Plan for Prosperity is organized into five goals and policies sections and an action plan section. These sections include a over unifying framework for the Towns that provides a long-term road map for growth and urban services (Section economic policies (Section land use and community facilities goals and policies (Section circulation (Section and community character (Section Section 6 includes implementation strategies and policies. Figure I.2 Minden and Gardnerville Planning Area ---PAGE BREAK--- 8 SECTION 1 UNIFYING FRAMEWORK: High-Level Issues, Goals, and Policies The Towns of Minden and Gardnerville have been the center for Carson Valley governmental, cultural, and commercial activities for over 120 years. The prosperity of the Valley is inexorably linked to their progress and ability to provide services for people that farm, build, and now lead in advanced technology innovation. The Unifying Framework Section contains goals and policies for high-level issues facing both Towns in terms of how to better manage and provide urban services for growth, the future of their downtowns, becoming more environmentally and economically resilient, and focusing on the quality of growth. 1.0 BACKGROUND The Towns of Minden and Gardnerville are communities with a rich history of growing slowly compared to the rest of the region. There is a lot of market pressure on housing and young people find it difficult to secure housing in the communities in which they grew. To overcome these challenges, the plan takes a long view, particularly as it pertains to infrastructure, urban services, land use, and fiscal sustainability. The Towns and the County, and in some cases the State of Nevada, must collaborate in planning and funding transportation and stormwater infrastructure in the area to support prosperity. Minden and Gardnerville: Carson Valley’s Social and Cultural Centers The origins of the towns are their most valued and legible features. The historic downtowns and contiguous traditional porch-forward neighborhoods have the scale and design attributes the community wants to build from. Their importance goes beyond being a design reference for new investment, the Towns are Carson Valley’s traditional cultural centers inextricably linked to its identity and social traditions. Minden’s Historic Pattern Minden serves as the Douglas County seat and the traditional center of commerce. Minden was originally developed to serve H. L. Dangberg’s ranching and farming operations in Carson Valley. H. L. Dangberg was instrumental in bringing the Virginia & Truckee Railroad to the Carson Valley, which provided access to his regional markets (Maule, 1993). H. L. Dangberg prepared the original plat map for Minden in 1905. Minden’s town plan indicated a small “main street” community with areas for commercial, residential and public uses. The plan subdivided the town into 250’x225’ blocks with 15’ wide alleys and 25’x105’ lots. The plat maps identified the Town Square and the locations of public buildings. The plan featured 10-1/2 blocks of residential, 3 blocks of commercial and 1-1/2 blocks of public uses. The Town later expanded to the west in 1915. The 10-block expansion included the land where the Douglas County Courthouse stands. Gardnerville Social and Commerce Center for Agriculture ---PAGE BREAK--- 9 Gardnerville has a 140-year history as the commercial center for Carson Valley farms and has evolved into the commercial service center for South Douglas County. It was established in 1879. Named after John Gardner, the Town’s development was influenced by Danish and Basque settlers. In 1879, Lawrence Gilman bought the Kent House and had it moved from its site south of Genoa to land on the east fork of the Carson River and converted it to a hotel. A blacksmith shop and saloon were added. The hotel was the center of the hay- and grain-producing community for many years. Gardnerville was named for Gilman’s friend John Gardner. The J.T. Basque Bar and Dining Room is near the original site (visitcarsonvalley.org). The black- smith shop and a saloon ensured Gilman’s town utility and popularity with the ranchers. As the town prospered, a number of hotels, shops, and saloons sprang up. By 1899, Main Street was lined with two livery stables, a woodworking shop, a boarding house, a tin shop, three general merchandising stores, a hall, four saloons, one meat market, one furniture store, a drug and confectionary store, and two hotels. The Valhalla Society-a Danish organization whose purpose was to disseminate information to immigrants- was formed in 1885, making Gardnerville an important social center in the valley as well as a commercial center. Because of its location, Gardnerville came to serve as feed stop for the 24-horse freight teams passing between Carson City and Bodie (Dangberg, 1972). Planning for the Long Term Prosperity Best practices for community planning requires taking the long view, particularly as it pertains to infrastructure planning, urban services, and fiscal sustainability. Long term planning also requires a strategic approach to managing growth, economic revitalization, and fiscal resilience. Growth Management Policy Context Minden and Gardnerville are in the path of California and Reno/Sparks spillover growth into Carson Valley. However, they are growing slowly as compared to other parts in the region. Douglas County has a 22-year policy for growing responsibly. This includes a development transfer policy, implemented by the 1996 Growth Management Ordinance. The Ordinance protects agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas by transferring their development potential to receiving areas, which are contiguous to the Towns, where they have access to urban services and can contribute to a cohesive sense of community. The draft Douglas County Master Plan Update 2016 includes these factors related to growth: • Douglas County’s Building Permit Allocation and Growth Management Ordinance were adopted in 2007 (Chapter 20.560). • The ordinance established a two-percent growth rate (compounded annually) for the County over a 50-year period. • The total number of annual residential allocations was set at 317 permits in 2007, and gradually increases to 837 annual allocations by the year 2056. There are 386 residential allocations available for 2017-18. • For the Minden and Gardnerville community plan areas there 2,586 approved residential units with 606 built unit (23%) and 1,980 units (77%) remaining to be built in designated Receiving Areas. • There is approximately 261.47 acres of undeveloped residential acreage in Minden and Gardnerville community planning areas. ---PAGE BREAK--- 10 Economic Revitalization and Housing Competitive communities align jobs and housing profiles in their economic revitalization strategies. Their housing policies focus on accommodating the workforce of existing and future businesses and industries they want to retain and/or attract. Due in part to the existing Growth Management Ordinance, new residents and retirees are experiencing a shortage of workforce and lifecycle housing. This is forcing young residents and service workers to relocate to other communities. Housing Gardnerville and Minden’s young people and the workforce are facing a shortage of housing choices because of a disparity in incomes to housing costs: • Almost one-half of the renter households and 30% of ownership households in Gardnerville and Minden are spending at 35% or more of their income on housing costs. • The extent of rent ($1,100) or a unit sale price ($240,000) supported by an average annual salary ($44,122) in Douglas County is significantly less than the current average rents or listing sale prices. • Existing and projected annual increases in rents and sales prices are outpacing projected annual salary/wage increases. • The lack of ownership and rental housing variety could become a negative factor related to retaining existing and attracting new desired businesses and industries. • There is an extreme shortage of workforce housing inventory priced at rent levels or sale prices affordable to the employees of the four largest job categories (hospitality, transportation, trade and utilities, and government). Fiscal Resilience In the community planning process, a reoccurring discussion topic was how to assure the fiscal sustainability of the Towns. The Towns and County are creating economic opportunity for their private sector partners. However, they also need to maintain their fiscal capacity to deliver urban services. This includes maintaining a balance between revenues and expenditures in the long term from commercial, residential, and institutional land uses. Stormwater Management as Placemaking The towns are located at the confluence of the East Fork of the Carson River and Pine Nut and Buckeye washes. New hydrological models indicate the Carson River’s likelihood of severe flooding has been underestimated. A rare event of a spring snowmelt storm that also drifts over the Pine Nut Mountains could introduce historic levels of flooding in the Valley. The solution to reducing current nuisance flooding and potentially more dangerous events will likely require a three-tier approach to detention. This includes: detention in the upper reaches of the washes, detention at the edges of the towns, and larger culverts in the towns. Rather than approaching this solely as a detention volume solution, the Towns want to turn these potential responses into placemaking opportunities that can become wetlands and be part of the community park and trails system. Main Street and Muller Parkway are a Connected Project The Muller Parkway project has been in the Douglas County Master Plan for 20 years. Until the parkway is completed, US395 will shoulder increased traffic, primarily from regional growth. Traffic models indicate the level of service (LOS) will fail on US395 by 2025 without a completed Muller Parkway. Muller Parkway’s implementation is directly connected to the success of Gardnerville’s Main Street and Minden’s Railroad Avenue. The Town’s aspirations for pedestrian-oriented downtowns cannot be achieved without considering Muller Parkway and Main Street as a single, connected project. ---PAGE BREAK--- 11 Trails Policy Context The County and community stakeholders also have been planning trail systems for the past two decades. The 2003 Douglas County Trail Plan was updated in 2013 in a collaborative effort with the State of Nevada DOT. The plan strives to overcome a current lack of connectivity in the County and roadways without providing basic accommodations for bicycles, shoulders or bike lanes. Trails also located to connect future detention/wetland parks, Muller Parkway neighborhoods and the downtowns. The 2013 trails plan includes these objectives: • Objective 1: Increase Local Support of Bicycling • Objective 2: Increase Bicycle Tourism • Objective 3: Accommodate Appropriate Bicycling Facilities on all Roadways in Nevada Open to Bicycling • Objective 4: Increase Motorists’ and Bicyclists’ Compliance with Laws Associated with Bicycling The 2013 plan envisions joint use paths along Martin Slough, Buckeye Road, portions of Muller Parkway, and US395 north of Ironwood Drive. High-Level Issues The Minden and Gardnerville Plan for Prosperity update process focused on four high-level topics. These include: • HOW WE GROW • VIBRANT MAIN STREETS • HEALTHY AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES • MAKING GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS These high-level topics were identified by the communities in the planning process and are viewed as key drivers for success. The plan is organized around four overall goals and supporting policies for development as a means of providing a unifying long term planning framework for the Towns and County. 1.1 HOW WE GROW How will the Towns provide urban services for future growth? Minden and Gardnerville strive to build on their traditional roles as the urban centers for the Carson Valley. These traditions include the railroad, which connected the Valley’s agricultural production to the markets of the western states and was a catalyst for development of Minden’s traditional main street district on Esmeralda Avenue. Minden also is the traditional Douglas County seat with over 500 government employees who contribute to the vitality of the downtown, as well as a significant number of visitors who use County facilities. Gardnerville has been a commercial service center for agriculture whose role has expanded to now include contemporary local and regional shopping services for the Carson Valley. Both towns continue to build on their history as places central to community life. Growth Management Goal and Policies GOAL 1: To provide for long-term orderly growth and planning for urban services. ---PAGE BREAK--- 12 Figure 1.1 Long-Term Growth Strategy ---PAGE BREAK--- 13 P1.1 COORDINATE INVESTMENTS Cooperate with the County to continue to jointly plan and manage strategic urban growth that supports the Towns’ aspirations as the Valley’s principal central places. P1.2 INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT View infrastructure investments as “big moves” that connect economic, community image, and environmental strategies. P1.3 MATCHING HOUSING AND JOBS View housing availability as an extension of the Towns and County’s overall economic development strategy in order to meet the needs of existing and future workforce and residents. P1.4 LONG RANGE GROWTH Establish long-term Town growth boundaries for the purpose of planning for future development and related demand for urban services (Figure 1.1). P1.5 TOWN REVIEW OF LONG RANGE GROWTH AREAS In cooperation with Douglas County, expand the charge of Town Boards to include participation in review of development and infrastructure projects within their designated long-term growth areas. P1.6 COTERMINOUS SERVICE AND TOWN BOUNDARIES Realign the Towns’ boundaries and urban service boundaries to reflect incremental growth identified in approved growth management policies. P1.7 JOBS-HOUSING BALANCE Craft land use and development regulations that support ownership and rental housing that is needed by the Towns to retain existing and attract future employees. 1.2 VIBRANT MAIN STREETS How can the main street districts maintain their essential role as cultural and commercial centers for Carson Valley? Minden’s Esmeralda Avenue and Gardnerville’s Main Street are the traditional social and economic centers for the Carson Valley. US395 is the principal transportation facility for the Sierra’s eastern slope communities. It has pressed into service across the road’s full right-of-way for carrying traffic. The types of on-street parking, sidewalks and amenities that are essential for making a pedestrian-oriented retail environment work have been removed to accommodate that traffic. The Towns want their main streets to be pedestrian friendly and be conducive to successful commercial, social, cultural, and art activities. They seek a comprehensive solution to manage truck and peak automobile traffic that supports their ambitions for mixed-use, walkable destinations on their main streets. Vibrant Main Street Districts Goal and Policies GOAL 2: To invest and promote the towns’ Main Street districts as cultural, economic, and governmental centers. ---PAGE BREAK--- 14 Figure 1.2 Muller Parkway and Main Street ---PAGE BREAK--- 15 P1.8 MULLER PARKWAY View the Muller Parkway’s function, design and implementation as an interconnected strategy for establishing and sustaining vibrant main street districts (Figure 1.2). P1.9 MIXED-USE DOWNTOWNS Pursue residential infill development in and adjacent to the downtowns to provide economic support and help to enhance vitality. P1.10 DEVLELOP A CULTURAL AND ARTS PLAN Develop support, and implement an annual art, social, and cultural program that attracts residents and visitors. P1.11 MULLER PARKWAY FUNDING Pursue funding to complete the parkway as a facility capable of providing a bypass for traffic and trucks off US 395 around Minden and Gardnerville. P1.12 MAIN STREET IMPROVEMENTS Invest in improvements that will enhance both downtowns’ pedestrian-oriented experiences, including on-street parking, landscape and lighting, and sidewalks. P1.13 MIXED-USE DOWNTOWNS Promote multifamily housing and employment facilities in, and contiguous to, downtown Minden and Gardnerville by allowing multi-story mixed-use buildings. P1.14 COORDINATED TOWN PROGRAMMING AND PROMOTION Prepare a plan that connects the promotion and event programming that is managed by the Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Gardnerville, and the Towns. 1.3 HEALTHY AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES How can the towns work with their partners to coordinate investment that improves the residents’ quality of life and reduce the risks of environmental disasters? The Towns are the centers of social, educational, and healthcare activities. Their economic and environmental resilience is key to the quality of life for all of Carson Valley’s population. They are the traditional centers for commercial and institutional services. They provide residential neighborhoods for Carson Valley employees and, more recently, retirees. Located at the confluence of the East Fork of the Carson River and Pine Nut and Buckeye Washes, some areas are subject to periodic flooding (Figure 1.2). New hydrological models indicate the Carson River’s likelihood of severe flooding has been underestimated. A rare event of a spring snowmelt storm that also drifts over the Pine Nut Mountains could introduce historic levels of flooding in the Valley. Economic and Environmental Resilience and Community Health Goal And Policies GOAL 3: To invest in a more healthy and economically and environmentally resilient community. P1.15 ECONOMIC RESILIENCE ---PAGE BREAK--- 16 Figure 1.3 Flooding Risk and Opportunities for Joint Use Detention Parks ---PAGE BREAK--- 17 Maintain the focus of economic energy on the Towns and surrounding areas to create synergies that expand, strengthen and balance the local economy, thus making it less susceptible to economic downturns. P1.16 COMMUNITY HEALTH Provide healthcare services and develop trails and open space systems that support healthy, active lifestyles. P1.17 ADAPTING TO FLOODING Mitigate and adapt to higher risk of flooding by developing new detention facilities and reducing the impacts of new development on the watershed (Figure 1.3). P1.18 FISCAL CAPACITY Balance residential and commercial development to create a more sustainable and resilient tax base that enables the Towns to provide needed urban services. P1.19 OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION Designate easements and rights-of-way (ROW) to accommodate a continuous network of pedestrian routes and bikeways that connect community destinations and recreational facilities. P1.20 JOINT-USE FLOOD FACILITIES Plan stormwater detention facilities as recreational and visual amenities (Figure Include special district partners (the school district, Towns, Douglas County, MUDs, and others) in the programming, planning, and implementation of these facilities. 1.4 MAKING GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS How can new investment reflect the Towns’ design character aspirations? Minden and Gardnerville’s existing Plan for Prosperity emphasize growing from, and connecting to their downtowns. Existing policies emphasize extending the traditional grid patterns of streets and blocks and street-oriented building design that result in socialable and safe streets. The plans insist on designing great neighborhoods rather than simply engineered subdivisions, where the scale and development patterns reflect the moderate pace of growth mandated in the 2007 Douglas County Building Permit and Growth Management Ordinance (which allows up to a 2% annual residential growth rate for the County over a 50-year period). Great Neighborhoods Goal and Policies GOAL 4: To invest in development of high quality, well designed neighborhoods. P1.21 CENTERED AND CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOODS Design neighborhoods that are connected by walkable streets and trails, and are organized around central parks and other community facilities, that feature cultural and natural assets (Figure 1.4). P1.22 JOINT DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES ---PAGE BREAK--- 18 Figure 1.4 Centered and Connected Neighborhoods ---PAGE BREAK--- 19 The Towns and related special districts should pursue joint development opportunities for parks, schools, storm water detention, trails, and buildings/facilities that minimize costs and add value to neighborhoods. P1.23 SITE AND BUILDING DESIGN Design new neighborhoods to respect their context with buildings that reflect the scale and orientation of the traditional town centers, and with plans that feather development into rural and agrarian landscapes, and that use block patterns to accommodate the County’s future moderate pace of growth. P1.24 NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING Develop a neighborhoods element in the Plan for Prosperity to be included in the Douglas County Master Plan. The element should include the name and location of existing and future neighborhoods, places, connections concepts, and development concepts guidelines. P1.25 DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW Require new subdivision development to submit for neighborhood design review with the Towns. The submittal requirements should include overall neighborhood land use program concepts for placemaking, connections, and design character. P1.26 JOINT DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES Plan and implement community facilities, including future flood control facilities, as neighborhood and community-building opportunities. Include an opportunities map for joint facilities in the Plan for Prosperity. ---PAGE BREAK--- 20 SECTION 2 ECONOMIC WELLBEING The Towns strive to improve the quality of life for residents through careful stewardship of land use, infrastructure, and urban services. Minden and Gardnerville aim to grow responsibly and provide economic opportunities for existing and future businesses that diversify their economies. The Economic Wellbeing Section focuses on goals and policies for fiscal sustainability, attracting new knowledge workers, and matching economic goals with housing. 2.0 BACKGROUND The Towns have been the traditional economic centers for Carson Valley. They have provided commercial and institutional services for new residents, agriculture, and new industries for many years. Population and Demographics The Towns have been the traditional economic centers for Carson Valley. They have provided commercial and institutional services for new residents, agriculture, and new industries. Population Trends and Growth The population of Douglas County has continued to increase since 2000, however the rate of growth declined between 2010 and 2016. It is anticipated that Douglas County will continue to grow, attracting retirees from California and or parts of Nevada (e.g. Carson City) who view the valley as an attractive place to live. The population of Douglas County was 41,259 in 2000 according to the Rural Nevada Housing Needs Assessment 2016 by Vogt Strategic Insights. Between 2000 and 2010 the population within the County increased by 5,738 to a total of 46,997, which represents a 14% increase or annual rate of increase of approximately 1.4%. However, between 2010 and 2016 the population of the County only increased by an estimated 1,238, or 2.6%, to a total of 48,351. Table 2.1 presents the projected total population for Douglas County to 2030. As indicated the rate of population growth is projected to decline for each five-year time segment between 2016 and 2030. Table 2.1 Total Population for Douglas County, 2010 to 2030 Total Change from Year Population Previous Period % Change 2010 46,997 2016 48,351 1,238 2.6% 2021 49,298 1,063 2.2% 2025 49,945 647 1.3% 2030 50,659 714 1.4% Source: Nevada State Demographer; Nevada Department of Taxation ---PAGE BREAK--- 21 The current (2017) populations of Gardnerville and Minden are 5,656 and 3,001, respectively, – for a total of 8,657. Projected populations for Gardnerville and Minden could reach 9,250 by 2040 if the projected rates of population growth for Douglas County as a whole are applied. Age Distribution Population projections for Douglas County indicate increases among four of eight age segments (Table 2.2). The under 19, 20 to 24, 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 age segments are projected to decline over the period from 2016 to 2021; and projected to continue to decline from 2021 to 2030 according to the Nevada State Demographer and Nevada Department of Taxation. The most significant population growth for the County is projected to be in the 65 to 74, and 75 and older age segments. Area projections among these two age segments account for an increase of approximately 2,477 from 2016 to 2021. The number of persons within these two age segments is projected to constitute 28.1% of the total County population in 2021, which is an increase from 23.8% in 2016. Therefore, the population is projected to continue to get older over the period from 2021 to 2030. Table 2.2: Total Population by Age for Douglas County, 2010 to 2030 Age Segments 2010 2016 2021 2025 2030 19 & under 10,480 10,003 9,862 9,090 9,194 20 to 24 1,989 2,205 2,077 2,310 2,307 25 to 34 4,242 4,474 4,733 5,423 5,020 35 to 44 5,093 4,807 4,950 7,087 7,282 45 to 54 7,715 6,793 5,869 5,921 6,701 55 to 64 7,999 8,580 8,384 6,691 6,050 65 to 74 5,635 7,048 8,358 7,578 7,302 75 & over 3,844 4,441 5,608 5,523 6,367 Total 46,997 48,351 49,841 49,945 50,223 Source: Vogt Strategic Insights, 2016; RACESTUDIO Households The number of households in Douglas County was 16,401 in 2000 according to the Rural Nevada Housing Needs Assessment 2016 by Vogt Strategic Insights. Households increased 3,237 (19.7%) within the County between 2000 and 2010, and increased by an estimated 834 or 4.2% between 2010 and 2016. In 2021 it is projected there will be 21,549 total households in Douglas County which represents an increase of 775 households, or 3.8% from 2016. These projections indicate that households headed by persons in the three age segments of 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and 85 and older will experience the largest increase between 2016 and 2021. The growth of these senior households indicates a growing demand for senior housing in the market as the baby boomer generation is now and is becoming of senior age segments. ---PAGE BREAK--- 22 2.1 FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY How can the Towns create economic opportunity and maintain their fiscal capacity to deliver urban services? Financial Sustainability of Towns Overtime the Towns will continue to grow, and the Town’s annual operation and service costs will also continue to increase because future growth and land use development will create a demand for additional services to be provided by the Towns. As the Towns plan for their respective futures it is important for the Towns to view decisions related to growth and land use development in a fiscally responsible manner. The Towns will need to review and evaluate the estimated service cost and projected public tax revenue associated with any future proposed growth and land use development; and more specifically balance the financial implications of such service costs and revenue by land use type (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.). For purposes of this Plan for Prosperity Update, the Towns prepared information regarding the estimated existing service costs and related public tax revenue associated with the current developed area of the Towns. Specifically, the information addressed the existing number of developed acres within the Town boundaries, the annual public tax revenue generated from the developed portions of the Towns, and the current annual costs the Towns incur in providing services to those developed areas – both overall and by major land use category. The purpose of this effort was to attempt to identify the financial implications of various major categories of land use on the Towns’ existing and future fiscal sustainability. There are approximately 2,186 acres of land within the current town boundaries of both Minden and Gardnerville, of which 1,381 acres (63%) is currently developed (not including vacant land) and are serviced by the Towns. The breakdown of the current developed acreage by land use category is presented in Table 2.3 below. As indicated the largest land use categories by acreage are Single Family Residential, Multi-family Residential and Commercial which constitute 36.1%, 4.9% and 19.3%, respectively, of the total overall acreage. Table 2.3 presents estimated annual assessed valuation, both by total and per acre, of the developed areas of the Towns by major land use category. Table 2.3: Estimated Assessed Valuation for Minden and Gardnerville Combined by Major Land Use Category, 2018 No. of Estimated Assessed Assessed Value Land Use Category Acres % Value (in 000s) Per Acre (Est.) Single Family Residential 790 36.1% $ 234,300 $ 296,600 Multi-family Residential 107 4.9% $ 16,600 $ 155,100 Commercial 421 19.3% $ 65,651 $ 155,900 Industrial 63 2.9% $ 1,926 $ 30,600 Public Use 95 4.3% $ 3,479 $ 36,600 Vacant 710 32.5% $ 10,980 $ 15,465 Total 2,186 100.0% $ 332,936 Source: Town of Gardnerville; Town of Minden; RACESTUDIO ---PAGE BREAK--- 23 The principal source of annual operating revenue for the Towns is from the Town’s portion of Douglas County ad valorem property tax, State Consolidated Tax (C-Tax), which includes retail sales tax, and State gaming revenue. The Towns receive 0.6677% of the annual Douglas County ad valorem property tax revenue (currently at the State cap rate of 3.66%); an allocation of the C-Tax; and an allocation of annual State gaming revenue based on the gaming activities located within the respective Towns. Table 2.4 presents a summary of estimated annual public tax revenue by major land use category for both the Town of Minden and Town of Gardnerville (combined) for 2018. C-tax and gaming revenue are included in the Commercial land use category. The portions of the current 2018 annual Towns’ budgets for operations, services and related administration costs (not including capital improvements) is approximately $1,413,000 for the Town of Minden and $1,348,000 for the Town of Gardnerville. The Town of Minden budget includes services for highways/streets, cultural/recreation and administration. The Town of Gardnerville budget includes services related to public works, parks and administration. Based on the estimated total developed acreage (not including vacant land) in Table 2.4, the overall annual service cost per acre is approximately $1,263. However, the service costs are not equally distributed by the major land use categories. Based on information provided by the Town Managers, the subjective “adjusted” annual service costs per acre for the major land use categories are indicated in Table 2.4. Table 2.4: Estimated Annual Revenue and Service Costs for Minden and Gardnerville Combined by Major Land Use Category, 2018 Annual Public Tax Annual Service Land Use Category Acres % Revenue Per Acre Cost Per Acre Single Family Residential 790 36.1% $ 1737 $ 2,761 Multi-family Residential 107 4.9% $ 855 $ 1,103 Commercial 421 19.3% $ 2,645 $ 749 Industrial 63 2.9% $ 1,804 $ 2,235 Public Use 95 4.3% $ 0 $ 62 Vacant 710 32.5% $ 99 $ 0 Total / Average 2,186 100.0% Source: Town of Gardnerville; Town of Minden; RACESTUDIO Comparing annual public tax revenue per acre to annual Towns’ service costs per acre by major land use category indicates that: • The Single Family Residential and Multi-family Residential land use categories generate substantially less annual pubic tax revenue per acre than the estimated annual costs per acre to service those two land use categories. ---PAGE BREAK--- 24 • The Commercial land use category generates significantly higher annual public tax revenue per acre than the estimated annual cost per acre to service that land use category • The Industrial land use category generates less annual public tax revenue per acre than the estimated annual cost to service that land use category combined for both Towns; however, for the Town of Minden the annual public tax revenue per acre exceeds the annual service cost for the Industrial land use category • The estimated annual revenue per acre and the estimated service cost per acre figures for the Public Use and Vacant land use categories are about equal ECONOMIC WELLBEING GOAL 1: To growth wealth and maintain fiscal sustainability. P2.1 PROMOTE TOWNS Promote Towns as the principal location for commercial services and new employers. P2.2 SUPPORT NEW INVESTMENT Provide urban services and infrastructure that supports existing and attracts new desired businesses and employers. P2.3 MANAGE FISCAL IMPACTS OF LAND USES Plan for land uses that balance public tax base revenues and urban service costs. 2.2 ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT How can the Towns diversify the local economy by attracting new employers? Jobs, Employment and Wages According to the draft Douglas County Master Plan 2016, Economic Development Element there was 18,842 jobs (employed persons) in Douglas County in 2016. Leisure & Hospitality industry was the dominant industry with 6,010 jobs or 32.5% of the total, while the next highest categories were Transportation, Trade & Utilities at 2,735 jobs (14.8%) and Government at 2,278 jobs The Towns of Minden and Gardnerville play a large part of the overall Douglas County economy, as six of the top ten largest employers within Douglas County in 2016 are located in Minden and Gardnerville. These include: 1) Douglas County School District; 2) Douglas County; 3) Bently Nevada; 4) Carson Valley Inn; 5) Carson Valley Medical Center; and 6) Wal-Mart. In terms of future growth, the information from Douglas County, RCG Economics and Vogt Strategies indicates that employment (jobs) in Douglas County is projected to increase by approximately 22.4% from 2016 to 2030 – increasing the total number of jobs from 18,472 to 22,615. This equates to a projected annual growth of approximately 1.6%. The total number of households in the County is projected to increase from 20,472 in 2016 to 22,170 in 2030 – an increase of 8.3% - or approximately 0.5% per year. Therefore, the projected rate of growth of employment is estimated outpace the increase in total households; and the number of jobs per households is projected to increase over the period from 2016 to 2030 as indicated in Table 2.5. ---PAGE BREAK--- 25 Table 2.5: Estimated Future Employment for Douglas County, 2016 to 2030 No. of Jobs No. of Jobs Total # Change % Change Households (HH) per HH 2016 18,482 20,472 0.90 2020 19,569 1,087 6.0% 20,979 0.93 2025 21,037 1,468 7.5% 21,567 0.98 2030 22,615 1,578 7.5% 22,170 1.02 Sources: Douglas County; RCG Economics; Vogt Strategies The reported average annual wage in Douglas County for 2016 was $44,122, which was up from $39,033 in 2011 – a 13.0% increase in 5 years. The highest reported annual salary was for the Financial Services category at $74,109. However, the reported annual salaries for the three largest job categories were $31,122 (Leisure & Hospitality), $34,536 (Transportation, Trade & Utilities) and $48,892 (Government), respectively. These annual salary figures for these three categories of jobs (that constitute 59.6% of the total jobs) are either below or just above the reported average annual salary of $44,122. The annual median household income for Douglas County in 2010 was $60,151 according to the Rural Nevada Housing Needs Assessment 2016 by Vogt Strategic Insights. Between 2010 and 2016 the annual median household income in the County decreased by 2.3% to $58,767. The decline is attributed to the national recession and reflects an increase in the number of lower income households in the area. Projections indicate that the annual median household income for Douglas County will be $59,989 by 2021 an increase of 2.1% from 2016, but still below the annual median household income for the County in 2010. The Minden-Gardnerville area had an estimated annual household income of $55,377 in 2016, which is lower than the Johnson Lane/Stephanie Lane area ($69,019) and reminder of the County ($56,553). The annual median household income for the Minden-Gardnerville area is projected to increase to $56,491 in 2021, which is still less than the Johnson Lane/Stephanie Way area ($71,154) and reminder of the County ($56,957). Agritourism Agriculture has been and continues to function as a primary part of the unique heritage and economy of the Carson Valley. The Carson Valley Agricultural Tourism Assessment, July 2014, set forth a comprehensive overview and assessment of the potential opportunities for increasing agricultural- related tourism activity, to further enhance the overall tourist sector, economic vitality with agriculture, and present cultural heritage for communities in the Carson Valley. The Carson Valley Agricultural Tourism Assessment, July 2014, outlined a series of strategies and recommendations focused on short-term and long-term product development and marketing approaches. The initial short-term product development projects included the following: 1) Continue the Eagles and Agricultural event as the primary tourism attractor for the agritourism sector; 2) Create a Carson Valley premium agricultural category (brand) by placing signified products in premium restaurants and at events; ---PAGE BREAK--- 26 3) Create a Carson Valley agritourism package that provides maps, interpretive information, mobile applications and on-site guided tours; 4) Develop on-farm products and services; and 5) Work with Northern Nevada agritourism proponents to develop a Northern Nevada Agritourism Conference. The recommended long-term product development projects included: 1) develop a tourist-oriented way-finding signage program focused on specific agriculture destinations; 2) develop an additional dedicated agritourism event (in addition to the Eagles and Agriculture event); 3) develop a guest ranch and health-oriented facility; and 4) develop a scenic farm trails program with related signage and marketing program. From a marketing perspective, the Carson Valley Agricultural Tourism Assessment, July 2014, outlines the following short-term projects: 1) Work with Travel Nevada and other regional marketing organizations to create collateral agritourism materials and/or mobile applications; and 2) Set up program for visiting other successful agritourism events and destinations to gain insightful information that could be applicable to the Carson Valley. The recommended long-term marketing project includes develop a wider regional approach to create a Northern Nevada Agritourism Alliance focused on cooperative marketing resources. Western Nevada College, Specialty Crop Institute (SCI) should continue to serve as the clearinghouse and facilitator for the agritourism industry. New Employment and Economic Opportunities In terms of future growth and direction the Douglas County Valley Vision report, September 2013 outlines several economic principles and concepts, which are applicable to the Plan for Prosperity Update. The outlined overall principles include the following: 1) Create sustainable economic opportunities through new job creation, recruitment of viable new businesses, and promoting a successful education system and workforce development; 2) Support retention and expansion of desired existing industries such as agriculture, tourism services and recreation, and develop new economic clusters such as medical research and wellness, technology businesses, to expand employment opportunities; 3) Enhance the Town’s centers atmosphere with infill development and public amenities to continue their evolution as the desirable places for residents, visitors and employees; and 4) Create a business friendly, growing community that encourages reinvestment and new business growth while maintaining the quality of life of the Valley. To create sustainable economic growth and prosperity the Towns should build on the successful base of existing industries and create new opportunities by leveraging the Valley’s competitive advantages related to lifestyle, business friendly environment, proximity to major markets and planned infrastructure improvements. Specifically, the Douglas County Valley Vision report sets forth certain key new employment and economic opportunities centered around the economic drivers of the Valley which include: ---PAGE BREAK--- 27 1) Enlarge the local food and agriculture production markets by intermixing supporting uses and creating a branding strategy to distinguish Carson Valley products from other areas; 2) Recruit, retain and expand employment opportunities through the advancement and expansion of existing technology (science, technology and science) clusters, and by adding health and wellness medical clusters; 3) Develop a health and wellness industry with compatible senior active adult communities and services to meet the demands created by the projected demographic trends for Douglas County; and 4) Revitalize downtowns with infill development and a mixture of uses and amenities by enhancing the streetscape environment, focusing investment in key districts, restoring/adaptively reusing key historic buildings and higher density infill mixed-use development. The issue of work force housing needs to be addressed in the context of an overall economic revitalization and development strategy for the County, Gardnerville and Minden. In order to effectively retain desired existing businesses and industries, and to attract new desired businesses and industries (particularly knowledge businesses and employees) the Towns and Douglas County need to collaborate on a plan to develop the number, type, size/scale and variety of housing (both ownership and rental housing), including work force housing needed to accommodate both existing and future employees. ECONOMIC WELLBEING GOAL 2: To attract new knowledge workers and support existing industries that contribute to the local economy. P2.4 ATTRACT KNOWLEDGE WORKERS Diversify the Towns’ economic base by attracting employers that provide jobs for knowledge workers. P2.5 TOWN LOCATIONS FOR NEW INDUSTRIES Work with stakeholders to identify locations for new employers. P2.6 MARKET TOWNS’ OPPORTUNITY SITES Promote identified opportunity sites with local and regional partners. 2.3 LIFECYCLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING How can the towns provide for the housing needs of families and the future workforce? Economic Revitalization and Housing Communities today are attempting to align their profiles of jobs and housing. As part of overall economic revitalization strategies, the communities seek to provide housing to accommodate the workforce of existing and future businesses and industries that are desired to be retained and or attracted by the respective community. Having the appropriate number, type, size/scale and pricing of both ownership and rental housing is an important part of a successful economic revitalization plan and program. This is currently a challenge in both Towns because of the issues outlined below. • Almost one-half of the renter households and 30% of ownership households in Gardnerville and Minden are spending at 35% or more of their income on housing costs, and therefore are considered financially overburdened; ---PAGE BREAK--- 28 • The extent of rent ($1,100) or a unit sale price ($240,000) that could be supported by average annual salary ($44,122) of jobs in Douglas County is significantly less than the current average rents or listing sale prices in Gardnerville and Minden; • Annual increases (existing and projected) in rents and sales prices in both Gardnerville and Minden are outpacing projected annual salary/wage increases for jobs in Douglas County; • The lack of housing variety (both ownership and rental housing) in Gardnerville and Minden could become a negative factor related to retention/attraction of new desired businesses/industries because of the housing preferences of employees; and • The lack of existing workforce housing inventory in Gardnerville and Minden priced at rent levels or sale prices affordable to the employees of the largest job categories in Douglas County. Household Income, Market and Affordability According to the Rural Nevada Housing Needs Assessment Annual Update 2016, the annual median income for owner households in Douglas County in 2016 was $69,260 and is projected to increase to $70,790 in 2021 – an increase of 2.2%. By comparison median renter household annual income was $21,166 in 2016 and is projected to increase to $42,930 in 2021 – an increase of only 1.8% which is 22% less growth than owner households. As of 2016 approximately 35.7% of the Gardnerville-Minden households were renter households, and 64.3% were owner households. Of the estimated 3,583 renter households 46.6% are overburdened – meaning these households are paying 35% or more of their income for housing related costs. Therefore, almost one-half of the renter households in Gardnerville-Minden are overburdened. By comparison approximately 30.6% of the owner households are considered overburdened, which is less than the figure (33.0%) for Douglas County. Housing Market The draft Douglas County Master Plan, Housing Element includes information regarding fair market rents and wages needed to afford such housing. The table below presents information regarding the 2017 fair market rents and the required annual gross salary needed to support such rents for studio, 1- bedroom, 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom rental units in Douglas County. Table 2.6 2017 Fair Market Rents Studio 1-bdr 2-bdr 3-bdr Market Rent 2017 $589 $705 $928 $1,351 Required Annual Salary $23,560 $28,200 $37,120 $54,040 Overall fair market rents in Douglas County (and Gardnerville and Minden) continue to increase. According to the Torrey Johnson Market Report, May 2018, the average rent for apartments was $1,400 in Gardnerville and $905 in Minden, while the average rent for single-family housing in Gardnerville was $1,695 and $1,748 in Minden. Therefore, the employees of the largest job categories continue to be challenged to find affordable rental housing in Douglas County given the comparison of fair market rents and supportable housing costs of those job category annual salaries. ---PAGE BREAK--- 29 According to the Torrey Johnson Market Report (May 2018), the average listing price for single-family housing in Gardnerville and Minden was $479,540 and $524,900, respectively; while for condominiums, the average listing price was $284,755 in Gardnerville and $263,995 in Minden Therefore, financially it would be extremely difficult for employees of the largest job categories to be able to purchase a home in Gardnerville or Minden without significant public financing assistance/subsidy given the comparison of market values and the potentially supportable housing costs using the salaries of those job categories. Approximately 57.0% of the employed persons that live in Douglas County work outside of Douglas County, and 59.5% of the employed persons that work in Douglas County live outside of Douglas County. Only 43.0% of employed persons both work and live in Douglas County. Part of the reason that such a high percentage of employees working in Douglas County live outside of Douglas County may be the cost of housing (either ownership or rental housing). The draft 2016 Douglas County Master Plan, Housing Element indicates there are 442 existing units of affordable housing in Douglas County as of 2016. This represents only 2.4% of the total number of County housing units. In Gardnerville there are five existing affordable housing developments that provide 224 units of housing which is 8.2% of the total number of housing units. In Minden there are two existing affordable housing developments that provide 57 units of housing which is 3.6% of the total number of units. Collectively the existing developments in Gardnerville and Minden provide 281 units of affordable housing, which is 6.5% of the total number of housing units in the two Towns. There are an estimated 3,583 renter households in Gardnerville and Minden 46.6%, which are overburdened (meaning these households are paying 35% or more of their income for housing related costs) this equates to approximately 1,670 households. That figure is significantly less than the 281 units of existing affordable housing in the two Towns. ECONOMIC WELLING BEING GOAL 3: To develop housing that supports economic objectives for the Towns. P2.7 LIFE-CYCLE APPROACH TO HOUSING Develop housing for residents’ various phases of life including younger workers, growing families, and seniors. P2.8 HOUSING FOR EXISTING WORKFORCE Identify housing opportunities sites that support employers’ business objectives and the Towns’ vitality goals. P2.9 HOUSING FOR FUTURE WORKFORCE Provide new housing that will be attractive to knowledge workers and employers that will diversify the Towns’ economies. ---PAGE BREAK--- 30 SECTION 3 LAND USE AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES Minden and Gardnerville are the historic population centers for government and commercial services for Carson Valley. They provide a place to live - - that is houses and homes, places to shop, cultural institutions, hospitality and visitor facilities, and employment. They serve the residents of the towns and the county with essential urban services and are the cultural hubs for Carson Valley. The Land Use and Community Facilities Section provides goals and policies for activities located in the downtown, traditional neighborhoods, new neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and employment areas. 3.0 BACKGROUND Minden, Gardnerville, and Genoa are traditional unincorporated towns providing urban services for Carson Valley residents. They are growing slowly while shouldering the impacts of regional growth from the north and west. Those who participated in the Plan for Prosperity workshops expressed a desire to leverage growth opportunities to protect and enhance their quality of life while protecting their small town character. Economic Opportunity and Land Use The Plan for Prosperity is motivated by the community’s desire to find ways to make room for new investment that is compatible with Minden and Gardnerville’s quality of life objectives. To do this, the Plan addresses market opportunities, economic objectives, locations for potential development, and desirable land uses. Growth in Douglas County Highlights Douglas County is projected to grow in population from 48,351 in 2016 to 50,659 by 2030. The current (2017) populations of Minden and Gardnerville are 3,001 and 5,656, respectively. The Towns are anticipated to grow to a combined population of 9,250 by 2030. The data numerates the steady growth in the State and County. Douglas County population grew 14% from 2000 to 2010, from 41,259 to 46,997 compared to 35.3% for the State. That growth continued from 2010 to 2016 with population increasing by 3% to 48,351. Between 2010 and 2016, 568 new units of housing were developed in Douglas County. Of this, only about 8.7% were multifamily housing units bringing the total number of multi-family rental housing to 1,497 – or 6.0% of the total County housing inventory`. Between 2001 and 2016 the total number of housing units in Gardnerville increased from 1,772 to 2,705 (52.6%) while the total number of units in Minden increased by 335 units or 27.3%. During that period about a quarter of the County’s new housing (5,131 units) was built in Minden and Gardnerville. The unemployment rate for Douglas County has steadily improved dropping from 13.2% in 2011 to 5.6% in 2016. Overall employment has steadily increased from 2010 growing from 17,176 to 18,472 in 2016. The largest sectors of employment in 2016 were Leisure and Hospitality, Trade, Transportation & Utilities, and Government constituting 59.6% of total employment combined. Six of the top ten ---PAGE BREAK--- 31 employers on the County are located in Minden and Gardnerville. The average annual wage for Douglas County employment was $39,033 in 2011 and increased to $44,122 in 2016 – an increase of 13.0%. However, it is important to note that the three largest employment categories have annual average salaries at or below the overall average annual salary of $44,172. Increasing manufacturing and industrial employment has been a longtime goal. As of 2016 manufacturing represented 9.2% of the total jobs in Douglas County with an average annual wage of $60,273. There are 1,828 acres of designated industrial zoning in Douglas County in 2016, of which approximately 51.4% is vacant. Most of the vacant acreage is zoned Light Industrial in the Airport and East Valley community plan areas and it provides for opportunities to increase manufacturing, industrial and technology employment in the County. 3.1 DOWNTOWN LAND USE Downtown Minden Minden’s historic town center character, building stock, available land and accessibility make it a good location for a specialty shopping and a visitor destination. The Downtown has about 20 traditional commercial and government buildings. The 2003 Minden Plan for Prosperity identified about 95,000 SF of ground floor space In Downtown. However, only a few of these “main street” buildings were originally designed as storefront shops. Therefore, additional ground floor commercial space would have to come from infill development and adaptive reuse of other types of commercial structures on both Esmeralda and Old Railroad Avenue (US395). Downtown has several vacant and underutilized sites that can contribute to the storefront shopping environment in the longer term. These include: • Former Minden garage/stables site at the corner of US 395 and Esmeralda Avenue; • Existing fire station building on US 395; • Former auto dealer location on US395; • Vacant storefront buildings on Esmeralda Avenue; and • Other parking lot sites. These represent about 10 acres of conversion or redevelopment opportunities in addition to the 12.7- acre historic mill site currently being redeveloped by Bently. Sites located on US395 provide an opportunity to expand Downtown and allow visitors to pass THROUGH Minden rather past it. The Historic Industrial District (mill and silos) has been redeveloped by Bently as a whiskey distillery and will become a visitor destination. The 2003 plan promoted a grocery site at the intersection of Hwy88 and US395. That project has not developed, and in the mean time, Gardnerville has developed several stores. There is a niche opportunity for a higher-end market complementing the Minden Mill redevelopment project by catering to both visitors and residents with a deli and outdoor seating. Downtown Minden has been the Douglas County seat since 1916. This plan assumes that Minden will continue to be the administrative center. In addition to this important symbolic purpose, County offices ---PAGE BREAK--- 32 draw visitors. Visitors and employees contribute to downtown’s vitality, providing business for restaurants and other shops. DOWNTOWN MINDEN LAND USE GOAL: To pursue land uses which support the character of traditional Minden and the community’s quality of life objectives. P3.1 MINDEN’S TRADITIONAL ROLE AS COMMERCIAL CENTER Promote Downtown Minden as the principal specialty-shopping destination in Carson Valley. P3.2 ATTRACT NEW HIGHER-END GROCERY STORE Attract a new higher-end grocery to US 395 near the historic Mill and distillery. P3.3 PRESERVE DOWNTOWN MINDEN’S ROLE AS THE COUNTY SEAT Maintain and expand Douglas County facilities on Esmeralda Avenue and Downtown Minden. P3.4 NEW INFILL AND RENOVATION Develop infill commercial projects in combination with renovation of existing buildings to create a critical mass of commercial uses in the downtown. P3.5 PARKING DISTRICT Implement a parking district to support downtown revitalization. P3.6 DOWNTOWN HOUSING Locate residential development adjacent to Downtown to promote revitalization and maintain a compact traditional town center. P3.7 DOWNTOWN PROGRAMMING AND ARTS Program and market Downtown Minden as a vibrant events and public arts venue. Downtown (Old Town) Gardnerville The 2006 Gardnerville Plan for Prosperity emphasizes creating mixed-use districts and neighborhoods that are interconnected. The Plan emphasizes protecting and creating economic value. Downtown Gardnerville includes the historic storefront commercial area from along US395/Main Street, areas contiguous to Heritage Park, and the S Curve. This traditional center for the community originally developed as a pedestrian-oriented shopping street. There are several opportunity sites for infill commercial and mixed-use projects on Main Street. The 2006 Gardnerville Plan for Prosperity identified approximately 45 acres of land that could be redeveloped. Some of these sites have been completed or have projects that are pending. However, there are sites remaining that can contribute to Downtown’s vitality if redeveloped to meet the Town’s goals. The 2018 planning process reinforces strategies from the 2006 Plan for Prosperity. These key strategies for improving Old Town’s vitality include promoting mixed-use infill and housing. DOWNTOWN GARDNERVILLE LAND USE GOAL: To revitalize Old Town Gardnerville as a mixed-use community center connecting and serving residents and visitors. P3.8 OLD TOWN LAND USE ---PAGE BREAK--- 33 Old Town shall include a variety of civic, commercial, and residential uses that support the creation of a lively Carson Valley destination and a central place for Gardnerville and a principal specialty-shopping destination in the Carson Valley. P3.9 NEW INVESTMENT SUPPORTING REVITALIZATION New development will complement and enhance the distinctive historic character while promoting the revitalization of the downtown. P3.10 CURVE The Curve will be redeveloped as a mixed-use extension and entry for Old Town with visitor, commercial, and residential uses. P3.11 PARKING DISTRICT Douglas County shall work with the Town to plan and develop off- street parking and parking districts. P3.12 MAIN STREET PROGRAM Douglas County should support the Gardnerville Main Street Program, which has revitalized historic downtown Gardnerville utilizing design, organization, promotion and economic restructuring committees. These are powered by passionate volunteers to develop the unique identity of the downtown core, who strive to preserve the historic nature of the downtown, provide opportunity for businesses to be successful and promote local businesses by providing opportunities for residents and visitors to explore downtown. 3.2 TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS Minden and Gardnerville’s traditional neighborhoods are located in areas contiguous to their downtowns and part of the “original grid” of streets. They are areas with older “porch forward” homes. Some of these neighborhoods have experienced adaptive reuse of houses into commercial businesses along their US395 frontage. In Minden, the traditional neighborhood blocks are located north of County Road and west of 7th Street. In Gardnerville, the traditional neighborhoods run a block to two blocks deep between Ezell, Douglas, and Toler on either side of Main Street. MINDEN TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS LAND USE GOAL: To protect and complement traditional neighborhood land use and development patterns. P3.13 PROTECT THE UNIQUENESS OF HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS Uses developed in or adjacent to Minden’s traditional neighborhoods shall respect their unique scale, building orientation, and design character. P3.14 ASSURE COMPATIBLE USES On US 395 frontage, adaptive reuse of historic houses will not negatively impact adjacent areas with parking or businesses that are incompatible with adjacent uses. GARDNERVILLE TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS LAND USE GOAL: To protect Gardnerville’s traditional neighborhoods. P3.15 PRESERVE TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS ---PAGE BREAK--- 34 Preserve existing residential buildings and traditional development patterns from large-format commercial development. P3.16 ASSURE COMPATIBLE USES On US 395 frontage, adaptive reuse of historic houses will not negatively impact adjacent areas with parking or businesses that are incompatible with adjacent uses. 3.3 NEW NEIGHBORHOODS Minden and Gardnerville’s receiving and urban reserve areas represent long-term opportunities to develop the next generation of residential neighborhoods. These locations, particularly the urban reserve areas, may develop decades from now but establishing policies for circulation, open space, and land use will inform how to plan carefully for future infrastructure. In addition, the communities are focused on “designing great neighborhoods, rather than engineering subdivisions.” They are interested in how neighborhoods are centered by streets, open spaces, and community facilities, such as schools; they reflect the needs and diversity of town residents; they are connected; and they elevate their quality of life and prosperity. MINDEN NEW NEIGHBORHOODS LAND USE GOAL: To plan future new neighborhoods to reflect the Town’s ambitions to be unique and livable communities. P3.17 CONNECTED NEIGBORHOODS New neighborhoods will connect to Minden via streets, trails, and view corridors and never be planned as walled subdivision enclaves. P3.18 CENTERED NEIGHBORHOODS Minden’s new neighborhoods will have definable centers. These will include primary thematic streets, parks, schools and other community facilities, and/or neighborhood-serving commercial (excluding auto service stations). P3.19 MIX OF HOUSING TYPES Plan for a wide variety of housing types and densities in new neighborhoods areas to reflect life cycles housing needs of Minden’s residents and meet the Town’s economic development objectives. P3.20 NEW TYPES OF NEIGHBORHOODS Minden may discretionally allow new types of neighborhoods in receiving and urban reserve areas reflecting emerging social and economic trends. These may include co-housing, agri- neighborhoods, senior housing communities, and others. P3.21 LOCATION OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING Multi-family projects, including multi-story mixed-use projects, will be sited so they do not share property lines with single-family development and will be designed to act as buffers between commercial and single-family residential land uses P3.22 SUPPORTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD LAND USES New neighborhoods shall accommodate other neighborhood and community nonresidential uses that serve town residents. These can include educational, recreational, commercial, ---PAGE BREAK--- 35 institutional and quasi-institutional land uses. P3.23 FISCAL BALANCE REFLECTED IN LAND USES Minden will monitor the fiscal impacts of new development to manage the mix of land uses to balance costs and revenues. GARDNERVILLE NEW NEIGHBORHOODS LAND USE GOAL: To plan future new neighborhoods to reflect the Town’s fiscal and community design ambitions. P3.24 FISCAL BALANCE REFLECTED IN LAND USES Gardnerville will monitor the fiscal impacts of new development to manage the mix of land uses to balance costs and revenues for development in receiving and urban reserve areas. P3.25 CONNECTED NEIGBORHOODS New neighborhoods will be connected to Gardnerville via streets, trails, and view corridors and never be planned as walled subdivision enclaves. P3.26 CENTERED NEIGHBORHOODS Gardnerville’s new neighborhoods will have definable centers. These can include primary thematic streets, detention-basin parks and trails, parks, schools or other community facilities, and/or small-scale neighborhood commercial (excluding auto service stations). P3.27 NEW TYPES OF NEIGHBORHOODS Minden may discretionally allow new types of neighborhoods in receiving and urban reserve areas reflecting emerging social and economic trends. These may include co-housing, agri- neighborhoods, senior housing communities, and others. P3.28 MIX OF HOUSING TYPES Plan for a wide variety of housing types and densities in new neighborhoods areas to reflect life cycles housing needs of Gardnerville’s residents and meet the Town’s economic development objectives. P3.29 LOCATION OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING In Gardnerville, multi-family projects will be sited as to not share a property line with single- family development and designed to act as a buffer between commercial and single-family residential land uses. P3.30 SUPPORTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD LAND USES New neighborhoods shall accommodate other neighborhood and community nonresidential uses that serve town residents. These can include educational, recreational, commercial, institutional and quasi-institutional land uses. 3.4 COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND EMPLOYMENT AREAS Minden and Gardnerville have been the traditional service centers for Carson Valley. The towns provide shopping, professional services, healthcare, and other services for the Valley’s residents and visitors. In addition to these long standing roles, Douglas County and the Towns have expressed an interest in diversifying local employment, which is now largely comprised of hospitality, government, and ---PAGE BREAK--- 36 transportation-related jobs. They are targeting clean, knowledge-based employers that bring higher paying jobs to Carson Valley. MINDEN COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS GOAL: To provide convenient commercial services for Minden residents. P3.31 MINDEN’S COMMERCIAL SERVICE LOCATIONS Minden’s larger-format community commercial services should be located on US395 west of Downtown. P3.32 PROFESSIONAL OFFICES Minden’s regional-serving professional office uses should be located along the US395 corridor and near downtown. MINDEN EMPLOYMENT AREAS GOAL: To attract and support development of new knowledge-based employers and industries. P3.33 PROMOTE ECONOMIC SYNERGIES Nurture business connections and new business expansion opportunities between Minden’s existing and future manufacturing, commercial, visitor, and entertainment uses. P3.34 NEW KNOWLEDGE-BASED EMPLOYERS Locate new light industrial/tech uses in or near the airport. Depending on long-term demand, consider locations in the urban reserve areas for new knowledge-based industries and employers. GARDNERVILLE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS GOAL: To provide convenient commercial services for Minden residents. P3.35 GARDNERVILLE’S COMMERCIAL SERVICE CENTERS The Commercial Quad (Waterloo Lane and US395) area should be maintained and enhanced as a sub-regional and community-serving address. Other large-box format stores east of the Commercial Quad will be conditionally approved. P3.36 LIMITED COMMERCIAL ON FUTURE MULLER PARKWAY Regional-service commercial uses will not be located on Muller Parkway. MINDEN EMPLOYMENT AREAS GOAL: To attract and support development of new knowledge-based employers and industries. P3.37 PROMOTE ECONOMIC SYNERGIES Nurture business connections and new business expansion opportunities between Gardnerville’s existing and future manufacturing, commercial, visitor, and entertainment business. P3.38 NEW KNOWLEDGE-BASED EMPLOYERS Depending on long-term demand, consider urban reserve areas as potential location for new knowledge-based industries and employers. ---PAGE BREAK--- 37 Figure 3.1 Minden Land Use Source: Douglas County, RACESTUDIO ---PAGE BREAK--- 38 Figure 3.2 Gardnerville Land Use Source: Douglas County, RACESTUDIO ---PAGE BREAK--- 39 3.5 PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES Minden and Gardnerville provide urban services for the Carson Valley and also are the locations for other public facilities including government offices, public safety facilities and courts, schools, recreation centers, community centers, and parks. The Towns have a major share of Douglas County’s facilities and draw residents from surrounding rural communities. In addition, the Towns are responsible for roads, parks, and utilities serving residents. Minden and Gardnerville provide sewer and water services for the town residents and others in nearby communities. The following overview of community facilities related to the Towns and is informed by Draft 2016 Douglas County Master Plan and research by the Plan for Prosperity team. Utility Districts Minden and Gardnerville provide sewer and water services for town residents and others in nearby communities. The Minden Water District serves town residents and the Bently Science Park on Buckeye Road. Gardnerville’s Water District serves town residents. Sewer is provided by the Minden Gardnerville Sanitation District (MGSD), which serves the towns with sewage effluent collection and treatment. In addition to serving the towns, MGSD provides treatment for sewage collected by Gardnerville Ranchos GID. Flood Control The existing flood contour maps illustrate how vulnerable the towns are to serious flooding from the East Fork of the Carson River and the Pine Nut and Buckeye washes. Recent models for the Easy Fork of the Carson River indicate greater risk of flooding. In an extreme event, the towns would be impacted beyond more common nuisance flooding. A flood mitigation and adaptation plan would make the towns more environmentally and economically resilient. Recreation and Community Facilities The towns are the locations for the new Community Center and Senior Center in Gardnerville, Carson Valley Swim Center in Minden, and the High School Tennis courts. Outdoor sports facilities are located in County Parks as well. Stodick and Lampe Parks have softball diamonds, which serve town and county residents. Public Parks Of the 519 acres of public parks in Douglas County, over 100 acres are located in Minden and Gardnerville. This includes 12.08 acres of Town parks in Minden, 6.14 acres of Town parks in Gardnerville, 78.73 acres of Douglas County parks, and the 3.23-acre swim center managed by the East Fork Swim District. Public Safety Facilities Minden and Gardnerville have three fire stations each. Station 1 is located on US395 in downtown Minden. Station 2 is located in Gardnerville on Douglas Avenue. The East Fork Fire Protection District offices and Station 14 are located on County Road in Minden off Hwy88. Douglas County Sheriff’s Department Administration Building is located north of downtown Minden on Water Street. The Douglas County 911 Emergency Services building is located near downtown Minden on 8th Street. Douglas County Government Douglas County’s administrative activities and Courts are located in or near downtown Minden. The Douglas County development services departments are located in the former Minden Inn on Esmeralda ---PAGE BREAK--- 40 Avenue. The Old Historic Courts on 8th Street house the Assessors Office, Recorders Office, County Clerk- Treasurer, and County Executive. The East Fork Justice Courts are located on Buckeye Road just north of downtown Minden. Douglas County Schools Minden and Gardnerville have four Douglas County School District schools. These include Douglas High School, Carson Middle School, Minden Elementary School, and Gardnerville Elementary School. Aspire Academy is an alternative high school that is located east of Minden. Douglas County Schools District enrollment has been declining, down about 6% between 2010 and 2016. The Minden and Gardnerville schools are75% to 87% utilized. Western Nevada College, Douglas Campus The Western Nevada College Douglas campus is an extension of the Carson City main campus. The college offers associate degrees, certificates, and Bachelor of Technology degrees. The campus is located east of Minden on Bently Parkway. Key policy discussions from the Plan for Prosperity community process included: • The Towns and County collaborating on long-term for planning for land uses and infrastructure (urban services); • Developing a comprehensive flood mitigation and stormwater detention plan; • Maintaining downtown Minden as the primary location for Douglas County administrative, courts, and business and development services; • Developing joint use and programmed facilities involving Town, County, School District, and others as partners; and • Approaching parks planning and development as part of an overall open space and trails system. PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILTIES GOAL 1: To identify the needs for urban services through long-term planning. P3.39 LONG-TERM URBAN SERVICE NEEDS Prepare long-term needs assessment for urban services reflecting the potential build-out of receiving and urban reserve areas. P3.40 PRESERVE RESOURCES SUPORTING DOUGLAS COUNTY LONG-TERM Develop strategies to expand and preserve access to water resources necessary for long-term prosperity of Douglas County and the Towns. P3.41 PROTECT WATER QUALITY The County shall continue to work with the Town of Minden to monitor the quality and quantity of groundwater in the Minden community and to identify and mitigate negative impacts of human activities on groundwater quality and quantity. PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILTIES GOAL 2: To plan and fund a comprehensive flood mitigation and detention system. P3.42 FLOOD RESILIENT PLANNING In response to FEMA investigations, prepare a comprehensive flood adaptation and mitigation plan considering detention in the upper reaches of the washes, receiving and urban reserves ---PAGE BREAK--- 41 areas, and the towns. P3.43 FUNDING OF FLOOD MITIGATION SYSTEM Identify funding sources that can implement various segments of a detention and conveyance system for managing stormwater. PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILTIES GOAL 3: To continue Minden’s role as central location for County government. P3.44 MINDEN AS COUNTY SEAT Continue Minden’s role as the governmental center of Douglas County. P3.45 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PARTNER Invest in Douglas County administrative facilities that will support the vitality and historic character of the Town of Minden. PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILTIES GOAL 4: To work collaboratively to develop community-serving facilities. P3.46 TOWN AND COUNTY LEADERSHIP The Towns and County will take the lead on developing plans and facilitating implementation of joint development projects and joint use facilities. P3.47 JOINT USE PARKS AND DETENTION Determine locations and programmatic opportunities in the receiving and urban reserve areas for joint-use storm water detention facilities and parks, which then can be connected by trails. PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILTIES GOAL 5: To envision parks and community facilities as part of a system of open spaces and trails. P3.48 OPEN SPACE SYSTEM MASTER PLAN Prepare a plan that integrates trail, recreation, watercourse, and stormwater detention elements as a connected open space system. P3.49 PHASING AND FUNDING Develop a phasing and funding plan to implement segments of the open space system. ---PAGE BREAK--- 42 SECTION 4 CIRCULATION Minden and Gardnerville will experience a measurable and observable increase in regional traffic on US395 and other major arterials, a growing need for public transit for workers and aging residents, and a desire to improve continuity in pedestrian and bike facilities. Much of the discussion in the community planning process focused on implementation of the Muller Parkway and the opportunities it would create to improve the experience for pedestrians on Main Street and Old Railroad Avenue. The Circulation Section contains goals and policies that address these issues and opportunities with the ambition of creating a better-integrated transportation and walking network for the residents. 4.0 BACKGROUND The Minden and Gardnerville Plan for Prosperity integrates street and thoroughfare and trail planning from past plans and the 2016 Draft Douglas County Master Plan. 4.1 INTEGRATED TRANSPORTATION Douglas County and the Towns have grown slowly and now face increased background traffic. As village centers for rural communities, they have not addressed the need to integrate walking, transit, bicycle, truck access, and auto modes. The County will have a population of over 70,000 by 2040 with a greater variety of transportation needs for residents and visitors. A best practice model for growing regions demands a better-integrated, multi-modal transportation system. INTEGRATED SYSTEM GOAL 1. To provide and maintain an integrated transportation system resulting in a safe and efficient movement of people and goods. P4.1 INTEGRATED TRANSIT SYSTEM Plan for a mature, modally connected systems for safely walking, accessing transit, and managing traffic flow. 4.2 STREET SYSTEM Minden and Gardnerville are experiencing growth in background traffic and are seeking state-level highway, regional, and local projects that reduce impacts on the towns while creating more economic opportunities. Regional Traffic Impacting Towns The transportation planning for Douglas County uses a planning horizon of 2040 and assumes an annual compounded growth rate of 1.39%. This falls somewhere in the middle of Nevada counties growth rates. However, Minden and Gardnerville are expected to grow less in the same period. Therefore much of the traffic on US395 will be originating in the towns but passing through them. Traffic studies prepared for the Douglas County Master Plan Update indicate US395 will be at capacity by 2025 if the Muller Parkway is not completed, and that US395 volumes combined with a completed Muller Parkway also will exceed capacity by 2040 if the eastern truck bypass is not completed. ---PAGE BREAK--- 43 Figure 4.1 Future Connecting Arterials and Collector Streets Source: Douglas County, RACESTUDIO ---PAGE BREAK--- 44 Future of I-11 in Relation to Carson Valley These improvements need to be studied in the context of highway planning at the state level. Nevada is currently planning I-11 that will connect Las Vegas to I-80 in Northern Nevada. The current planning includes the analysis of five alternatives, one of which is a “B4-Reno Connection.” This route, which would pass through Carson Valley, is not favored, due to cost and property ownership patterns. The recommended options for the northern segments are the “B2-Fernley East Connection” and a “B3- Fernley West Connection.” These alternative routes would carry traffic to the east of US395, north of Walker Lake and divert some percentage of traffic away from Carson Valley with a more direct route to I-80. Muller Parkway and Main Street As discussed in Section 1, the Towns are seeking to complete Muller Parkway before 2025 and are in favor for allowing trucks to use it. They view Muller Parkway and the towns’ Main Streets as a combined project where, by allowing through-traffic to bypass US395, it would permit providing on-street parking, expanded sidewalks, and other pedestrian amenities in the downtowns. These features are considered critical for creating a successful district for both the towns’ Main Street Programs. Street Standards The Douglas County Engineering Design and Improvement Standards Manual identifies five functional classifications for streets. These include Principal Arterials, Minor Arterials, Rural/Urban Major Collectors, Rural/Urban Minor Collectors, and Rural/Urban Local Roadways. The manual makes distinctions between urban and urban local streets. A local street can also be classified as a residential street, which provides more flexibility in terms of ROW width. Two issues came up in the community workshops regarding the street standards. First, some thought the standards limited the choices for the design of neighborhoods, requiring all new residential areas look the same. Secondly, for those streets with the planting strips at the curb edge, it was not clear who was responsible for their maintenance. Depending on the street, this could be the County, the Town, an HOA, or the individual resident. Future Connecting Streets The Draft 2016 Douglas County Master Plan identifies future arterial and collector streets that will improve overall access to the towns’ neighborhoods and reduce traffic on US395 (Figure 4.1). These include Muller Parkway, Heybourne Road, Ironwood Drive, Waterloo Lane, and US Westside Bypass. STREET SYSTEM GOAL 1: To seek complimentary regional transportation solutions. P4.2 ADVOCATE FOR REGIONAL SOLUTIONS Track the progress of, and advocate for regional transportation solutions that support Minden and Gardnerville’s environmental and economic wellbeing. STREET SYSTEM GOAL 2: To concurrently design and implement Muller Parkway and Main Street improvements. P4.3 DESIGN MULLER PARKWAY AND MAIN STREETS Design Muller Parkway and Main Street improvements as a connected project that results in a pedestrian friendly corridor through the heart of Minden and Gardnerville. P4.4 MULLER PARKWAY AS A LIMITED ACCESS ARTERIAL ---PAGE BREAK--- 45 Design Muller Parkway as a limited access arterial that allows both local and regional traffic, including trucks, to bypass. P4.5 FUND MULLER PARKWAY AND MAIN STREETS Develop a funding strategy for both Muller Parkway and the towns’ Main Streets as a single, connected project. STREET SYSTEM GOAL 3: To encourage design hierarchy and distinctiveness of streets in new neighborhoods. P4.6 DESIGN STANDARDS FOR LOCAL STREETS Encourage greater variety in design of local urban streets to promote more distinctive neighborhoods. P4.7 MAINTENACE PLAN FOR PRIVATE STREETS AND PLANTING STRIPS Require a maintenance plan for planting strips on urban streets including mowing and weeding, and watering and maintaining street trees in new developments. 4.3 PEDESTRIAN NETWORK AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Minden and Gardnerville’s traditional neighborhoods and town centers were developed as walking environments. Minden was built around access to the V&TR, which attracted hotels and businesses catering to visitors. These same planning principles can be extended to future development expanding the walkable environments to new neighborhoods. Sidewalks and Streets The towns have a mix of conditions for walking. Every trip begins as a pedestrian. Focusing on improving the walking environments and better connectivity is foundational to a successful transportation system. The Towns have strived to identify and fill gaps in their sidewalk systems. In community workshops, participants voiced concern about the lack of variety in the types of streets that are allowed in Douglas County’s subdivision standards. There was a preference to allow greater variety to make new neighborhoods less monotonous and respond to various public and private property line conditions. Public Transit Providing general public transit provides an alternative access to employment and services for residents who seek to avoid driving or that, do not have access to a car or are no longer capable of driving. For residents of Minden and Gardnerville, however, there are few transit options. Douglas County operates the DART Dial-a-Ride service along the US395 corridor and DART Express as a fixed-route service for the towns and Gardnerville Ranchos areas, connecting community and commercial services. Regional public transit service also is limited. A private service connects the area with Lake Tahoe. A bus service by Washoe County that once connected the towns to Reno has been discontinued. Douglas County is growing and will need better transit choices, particularly in the US395 corridor that connects employees to their jobs and residents to regional-serving facilities. PEDESTRIAN NETWORK AND TRANSIT GOAL 1: To prepare a plan pedestrian facilities as part of an overall walking network. P4.8 PEDESTRIAN FACILITY MASTER PLAN ---PAGE BREAK--- 46 Prepare a sidewalk and pedestrian network master plan for the towns of Minden and Gardnerville. P4.9 PEDESTRIAN SYSTEM GAP ANALYSIS Prepare an analysis of gaps in the pedestrian network and work with Douglas County and private property owners to connect to them. PEDESTRIAN NETWORK AND TRANSIT GOAL 2. To plan for improved regional and local transit access for residents, employees, and visitors. P4.10 PROVIDE FOR GENERAL TRANSIT Continue to work with Douglas County and private sector partners to expand general transit services that connect to regional destinations. P4.11 FIXED-ROUTE TRANSIT FOR FUTURE NEIGHBORHOODS Master plan receiving and urban reserve areas to improve access to a fixed-route transit system. P4.12 FUTURE OF THE V&TR RIGHT-OF-WAY Establish and preserve a transportation corridor along the Virginia & Truckee Railroad right-or- way between Minden and Carson City. 4.4 TRAILS AND BIKEWAY SYSTEM Douglas County and their community partners have been planning a regional system of trails and bikeways. In 2003, Douglas County prepared a Comprehensive Trails Master Plan. In 2014, the County and Nevada DOT developed the Douglas County Bicycle Master Plan. These plans are to be merged as the Bicycle/Pedestrian Trail Element in the Draft 2016 Douglas County Master Plan. The 2003 Minden and 2006 Gardnerville Plans for prosperity strived to build on the 2003 planning by identifying trail locations and trailhead connection points for the towns. These ideas are still popular, and there is a new interest in expanding this network to include new trails that would link future storm water detention basins and parks. A new key feature in trails planning is the introduction of detention basin parks along Muller Parkway and washes, which would be connected by multi-use trails (Figure 4.2). TRAILS AND BIKEWAY GOAL 1: To connect bike and trail plans to open spaces as an integrated system. P4.13 MULTI-PURPOSE TRAIL SYSTEM Coordinate development of the comprehensive trail planning with Douglas County and private sector partners. P4.14 CONNECT TO COUNTY BIKEWAY SYSTEM Coordinate development of public ROW and off-road multi-use trails to connect to the countywide network for recreational and commuting bicyclists. P4.15 MULLER PARKWAY TRAILS Develop a Type 1 multi-use trail that parallels Muller Parkway, thus connecting future detention basin parks and the Pine Nut and Buckeye Wash trails. ---PAGE BREAK--- 47 Figure 4.2 Bikeway, Trail, and Open Space System Source: Douglas County, RACESTUDIO ---PAGE BREAK--- 48 SECTION 5 COMMUNITY CHARACTER The 2003 Minden and 2006 Gardnerville Plans for Prosperity emphasized the physical integration of new projects into their downtowns and neighborhoods. Residents that attended the Minden and Gardnerville’s workshops stressed the importance of expecting new investment to respect their traditions and uniqueness, to be planned and designed as extensions of the existing towns, and to reflect their aspirations for lasting, quality places and buildings. This section identifies existing conditions related to community character, and sets forth design goals and policies for the towns’ downtowns, traditional neighborhoods, new neighborhoods, commercial corridors and employment areas, and community facilities. 5.0 BACKGROUND/OVERARCHING COMMUNITY CHARACTER DESIGN PRINCIPLES There are universal expectations that new investment supports goals for community character. Regardless of where projects are to be located in the towns, they should meet the following six overarching goals. COMMUNITY IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 1. TO DESIGN FOR MINDEN AND GARDNERVILLE Protect the distinct qualities and traditions of Minden and Gardnerville. Each new project should contribute to the character of the communities by protecting and supporting its natural resources, distinct neighborhoods, and downtowns. COMMUNITY IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 2. TO DESIGN FOR VIEWS Enhance views to mountains and cultural features in Minden and Gardnerville. Streets in new development should consider views to natural features and landmarks, and new buildings and outdoor use areas should be positioned to maximize view opportunities. COMMUNITY IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 3. TO ENHANCE THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Convey “high quality design” in development that respects the Minden and Gardnerville contexts. COMMUNITY IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 4. TO BALANCE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITY Make use of outdoor areas and indoor spaces in new buildings and site design features to engage in the scenic appeal and mild climate of the setting. For example, it may occur as indoor/outdoor dining areas, gardens, and pocket parks. COMMUNITY IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 5. TO ENHANCE CONNECTIVITY Provide an interconnected pedestrian system that links the community to public sidewalks, downtown, neighborhoods, open space, trails, schools and civic facilities. COMMUNITY IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 6. TO ENHANCE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE ALONG COMMERICAL AND NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS ---PAGE BREAK--- 49 Provide streetscape improvements that enhance the pedestrian experience and orient primary entrances of buildings to face the street and activate walkways. Also, parking should remain subordinate. They should not dominate the setting and should be buffered. 5.1 DOWNTOWNS Overarching Vision Minden and Gardnerville envision vibrant downtowns that are regional destinations. Their Town Centers will honor the past, promote a mix of uses, feature cultural facilities, have a full annual events calendar, and integrate public art throughout. An eclectic mix of older commercial buildings and contemporary mixed-use buildings that complement the traditional commercial settings will frame a memorable “Main Street” experience. New and renovated buildings will be located close to the street edge and will create a pedestrian-oriented setting, which will be enhanced with activated storefronts, dining areas, and public amenity spaces. Minden Downtown Minden's downtown has a high quality collection of historic architectural resources. Largely intact, these buildings reflect the history of Minden as a commercial service center for the Valley. Banks, hotels, stores, industrial buildings and government buildings that were constructed between the late 1900’s and the 1930’s define the center of Minden. In 1980, Minden conducted a study of its historic resources, which recommended forming two historic districts - one commercial and one industrial. The commercial district focused along Esmeralda and Railroad Avenue with a key set of buildings that includes the Carson Valley Improvement Club Hall, Douglas County Courthouse, Minden Inn, and Farmer’s Bank of Carson Valley. The (potential) industrial historic district also contains several notable buildings. These include the Minden Flour Company, Minden Wool Warehouse and the Minden Butter Manufacturing Company. The prominent Nevada architect, Fredrick J. DeLongchamps, designed most of these significant buildings. Gardnerville Downtown Gardnerville was established in 1879 by Lawrence Gilman to serve the ranching and agricultural community. Featured historic properties in Gardnerville include the Historian Inn, JT Basque Bar & Dining Room, and the Overland Hotel. Many buildings are oriented toward Main Street (US 395) in a few blocks that form the core of the downtown area. Transitional edges expand out from the downtown core to the north and south along Main Street (US 395). Existing Community Characteristics of the Downtowns Development Patterns Gardnerville’s Downtown is oriented to Highway 395, between Gilman Avenue and Douglas Avenue and is generally one block in depth. Minden’s Downtown is located both north and south of Highway 395 and orients along Railroad and Esmeralda Avenue. Minden’s business core is located along Esmeralda Avenue. Both downtown settings have streets oriented perpendicular to parallel with the highway. Building Orientation/Setback Many building fronts align at the sidewalk edge and orient to the street, creating a “street wall” that provides a sense of scale. In Gardnerville, this street wall is interrupted in the following ways: some buildings are set back farther from the sidewalk, parking lots located at the street edge, and some vacant lots. In Minden, the “street wall” is interrupted by a few parking lots. ---PAGE BREAK--- 50 Building Types Both towns have a mix of commercial, industrial, and residential building types. Gardnerville has a mix of industrial, commercial, and residential buildings that front US 395. Minden however, has more diversity in building types, in which residential, commercial, and industrial buildings are separated by blocks and by the highway. Building Height Most buildings are one and two stories in height, although a few are three-stories. For most buildings, similar heights of the first floors helps contribute to a sense of visual continuity. Building Mass, Scale & Form: Buildings in both downtowns are generally simple rectangular forms. Commercial storefront buildings range in width from 25 feet to 100 feet or more. Wider buildings have variations in materials and details that reflect the similar widths of the narrower buildings, establishing a similar along the street. This contributes to a sense of visual continuity. These buildings typically have flat roofs with parapets. Downtown residential buildings have gable and hip roofs, while industrial buildings include a variety of gable, flat, and hip forms. Building features include canopies, galleries and porches, which provide a sense of human scale along the streets. Pedestrian Level Character Most commercial storefronts have a high degree of transparency, which invites pedestrian flow and provides views into buildings where goods and services are on display. Building features such as canopies, galleries, and porches also provide shade, which enhances the pedestrian experience. Sidewalk features include trees with grates, planters, light fixtures, and seating. These also provide a sense of place for pedestrians. Materials Brick is the traditional material for buildings in the downtown areas. Stucco is also present, and some buildings are clad in wood lap siding, which is painted. Streetscape The traditional combination of building fronts located at the sidewalk edge, with display windows and recessed entrances, supports pedestrian activity. This is, however, diminished somewhat by the predominance of automobile traffic that runs close to the sidewalks in Gardnerville. Downtown Gardnerville has sidewalks attached to the curb along the highway. Decorative streetlights with hanging flower baskets, small pockets of landscaping and a few street trees enhance the setting. The streetscape changes where the downtown transitions into residential building forms. In this area, some of the sidewalks are detached with a planting strip between the sidewalk and curb. Downtown Minden has on-street parking and attached sidewalks. New streetscape improvements include bulb-outs with landscaping, tree grates along the street, and decorative pavers. Pedestrian- scaled streetlights exist along Esmeralda Avenue. Some detached sidewalks with planting strips occur on side streets. In the industrial area to the north of US 395, some areas lack sidewalks. Heritage ---PAGE BREAK--- 51 Many buildings date from the early days of the community and have historic significance. Others, while being newer, reflect similar forms and characteristics that reinforce the design traditions of downtown. Building detailing, original storefronts, awnings, galleries, landscaping, and seating all contribute to the historic character of the downtowns. Even so, some properties in Minden depart from the heritage of “Main Street” downtowns and reflect a more auto-oriented character. Downtowns’ Policies and Goals DOWNTOWN IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 1: To preserve heritage resources and support opportunities which allow them to remain in active and productive use. P5.1 PRESERVE HISTORIC RESOURCES Designate downtown historic districts and adopt a design review process to better protect heritage resources. P5.2 PROMOTE ACTIVE USE OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS Consider adaptively reusing downtown heritage properties to ensure they remain in active and productive use, maintain their historic character, and are not lost to demolition. DOWNTOWN IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 2: To preserve the traditional context as a reference for new development. P5.3 PROMOTE WALKABILITY Reflect the walkable scale of traditional downtowns in new development. P5.4 CONTINUE TRADITIONAL DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS Integrate traditional downtown block and lot size development patterns, and the street wall for new commercial, mixed use, multifamily and civic infill projects in the downtown cores. P5.5 MAINTAIN DESIGN TRADITIONS Reflect the mass, scale, height, form, and orientation of traditional buildings for new commercial, multifamily, mixed use and civic infill development along the street. DOWNTOWN IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 3: To preserve the scale and pedestrian friendliness of Downtown as a shopping environment. P5.6 CONTINUE A STOREFRONT ENVIRONMENT Develop new commercial projects and renovate existing buildings, as extension of Downtown’s historic storefront-shopping environment. P5.7 ENHANCE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE Continue to develop pedestrian amenities and streetscape improvements in the public and private realm. This includes defining street edges with buildings and spaces that are visually interesting, invite pedestrian activity and are oriented to the street. ---PAGE BREAK--- 52 DOWNTOWN IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 4: To enhance the historic context of the Downtowns and the Railroad Avenue Industrial District as authentic places with quality design. P5.8 RESPECT THE MAIN STREET CHARACTER Develop new context-sensitive projects that enhance the historic character, while reflecting their own time. The result should be a sense of authenticity in buildings and materials with a “Main Street” character. P5.9 RESPECT THE HISTORIC INDUSTRIAL CONTEXT Develop new context-sensitive projects in Minden that enhance the historic character of the industrial district, but reflect their own time. The result should be a sense of authenticity in buildings and materials with an industrial character. P5.10 PROMOTE HIGH QUALITY DESIGN Provide high-quality design for new projects. This includes using high quality, durable materials and construction methods. DOWNTOWN IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 5: To activate Heritage Park in Gardnerville with development along its edges. P5.11 FRAME THE PARK WITH ACTIVE USES Orient new development to the park with parking to the rear. P5.12 DEFINE PARK EDGES Activate and enhance the public and private realms adjacent to park lands with new development that is more urban in character. For example, multifamily housing would incorporate small yards, stoops and porches along the sidewalk edge that faces the park. DOWNTOWN IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 6: To enhance connectivity throughout downtown. P5.13 CONTINUOUS PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION SYSTEM Provide an interconnected pedestrian circulation system to access buildings, courtyards, paths and plazas. In most cases, these connections will simply involve providing an enhanced streetscape, but may also included new internal circulation systems in new development. 5.3 TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS Overarching Vision Traditional Minden and Gardnerville neighborhoods will remain vital parts of a growing community. As growth occurs within the neighborhoods, it should reinforce the established context in Minden and Gardnerville. These neighborhoods are not frozen in time, but should evolve while maintaining their defining features. A new building in this context should be compatible with the surrounding building fabric, while expressing its own time. The vision is to retain the overall character of these traditional neighborhood while accommodating creative, yet compatible, new buildings and additions. Existing Community Characteristics of Traditional Neighborhoods ---PAGE BREAK--- 53 Minden and Gardnerville’s oldest neighborhoods are located in areas contiguous to their downtowns. These areas contain older, “porch-forward” cottages and minimal traditional buildings. Some of these neighborhoods have experienced the adaptive reuse of houses into commercial businesses along their US 395 frontage. In Minden, the older traditional neighborhood blocks are located north of County Road and west of 7th Street. In Gardnerville, the older traditional neighborhoods run one-to-two blocks deep between Ezell, Douglas, and Toler on either side of Main Street. Other established neighborhoods that developed later include ranch, contemporary, and new traditional building styles. Development Patterns The oldest residential neighborhood streets are based on a grid and are located adjacent to downtown areas. Many of these older parcels abut alleyways. Some blocks that developed later are also oriented to the grid while some are organized around curvilinear through-streets, and some those employ cul-de- sacs. Lots are oriented to the street and are similar in size depending on the era in which they were developed. Building Orientation/Setbacks Residential buildings are oriented to the street. Building setbacks vary depending on the block in which they are located; some blocks have shallow front and side yards, while on other blocks the front and side yards are more generous in size. Most building fronts appear to align in each of these settings. This affects the appearance of density from the street edge as well. Building Height Most houses are one or two-stories in height. For many of these buildings, similar heights of first floors helps contribute to a sense of visual continuity along the street. Mass, Scale and Form Traditional residential buildings are simple rectangular forms with hip or gable roofs. In the oldest traditional residential neighborhoods, a porch or covered stoop is the primary feature on the front of the house. Typically, these are one-story in height and face the street. This establishes a consistent scale along a block, even when actual building heights vary. Other features that establish scale include simple wall offsets and projecting one-story elements, as well as other types of entry features. Materials Materials for traditional neighborhood buildings include wood lap siding, brick, stone, and stucco. Streetscape In Minden’s oldest residential neighborhoods, most of the sidewalks are detached with trees located in planting strips. In the remaining neighborhoods most of the sidewalks are attached, while some lack sidewalks. Most yards are open lawns that extend to the back of sidewalk and contain individual specimen trees. Fences appear occasionally throughout the traditional neighborhoods, but are not typical. Where fences are present, wooden picket fencing that is approximately three feet tall is common. Heritage Some houses in traditional neighborhoods date from the early days of the community and have historic significance. Other newer buildings reflect similar forms and characteristics of older buildings reinforcing the design traditions of the neighborhoods. ---PAGE BREAK--- 54 On-site Parking Parking is accessed primary from the street. Most houses have garages, which vary in locations, including at the front, and to the side and rear of the property. The location is typically defined by building era and style. TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 1: To preserve residential heritage resources. P5.14 PROMOTE HISTORIC PRESERVATION Designate a downtown residential historic district in Minden and provide a design review process to better protect heritage resources. TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 2: To protect and complement Minden and Gardnerville’s traditional residential neighborhoods. P5.15 PROMOTE COMPATIBLE DESIGN Conserve Minden and Gardnerville’s traditional residential neighborhoods by promoting infill development that reflects the existing neighborhood block development patterns and building character. P5.16 ENHANCE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE Enhance Minden and Gardnerville’s traditional residential neighborhood streetscapes by completing missing sidewalks and crosswalks, and planting trees in appropriate locations to enhance the experience for the pedestrian. In addition, complete streetscape and sidewalk improvements in Minden’s historic neighborhoods. 5.4 NEW NEIGHBORHOODS Overarching Vision New residential neighborhoods in Gardnerville and Minden should be master planned and create a pedestrian-centric context that is interconnected with parks, schools, open spaces and neighborhood services. These residential neighborhoods should be designed to be compatible with the community’s architectural traditions. New neighborhoods will include community facilities such as recreation centers, and provide neighborhood services in a small village cluster setting. The intent of these small neighborhood service centers is to provide the neighborhood with a place to walk to and grab a cup a coffee, but not to engage in a retail shopping or service station experiences. Each new development should have a coordinated design concept with a sense of order and place within the community. However, new neighborhoods should not emulate tract development where similar designs are repeated in close proximity to each other. Sufficient variety in designs should provide visual interest. Design Characteristics for New Neighborhoods NEW NEIGHBORHOOD IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 1. To encourage the development of new residential neighborhoods to reflect traditional developments patterns and building designs. ---PAGE BREAK--- 55 P5.17 PROMOTE TRADITIONAL DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS Design a new neighborhood development to emulate the community’s traditional neighborhood scale. The development should be organized around a hierarchy of interconnected streets, connect to nearby corridors, and reflect a walkable block size and pattern. All lots in the new development should be oriented to a through street and garage loaded alleys should be considered. P5.18 ORIENT TO THE STREET Design residential buildings in new neighborhoods to be oriented to the street in order to create a strong relationship between the public and private realm. Residential buildings should be setback from the street a uniform distance; however, some modest variation may occur. Side- yard setbacks should also be provided and may vary in size depending on the building type. For example, more separation may be provided between a residential building and a neighborhood- serving commercial building. P5.19 SUPPORTING NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES Locate smaller neighborhood commercial buildings to anchor a corner near a primary roadway. P5.20 COMPATIBLE BUILDING SCALE Design buildings in the new neighborhoods to be one or two-stories in height, some special use buildings such as community centers may exceed this. P5.21 DIVERSITY OF HOUSING CHOICE Provide a variety of residential building types such as small lot single-family, duplex, fourplex, six and eight-pack townhomes. Design new residential buildings to reflect simple rectangular forms of traditional buildings with hip and gable roofs. These buildings should provide similar floor-to- floor heights and larger projects should be articulated to break up the mass. P5.22 TRADITIONAL BUILDING MATERIALS Use traditional building materials such as brick, wood, stucco, and stone. New durable materials may also be used if they are configured similarly to traditional materials. P5.23 PARKING SUBORDINATE TO THE PEDESTRIAN REALM Garages may be attached, detached, front-loaded, or located behind the building in a parking area, or off an alley. Locating a garage to the rear of the property, or off an alley is preferred to encourage a more pedestrian-friendly street. On-street parking may also be provided to offset parking counts. P5.24 INCORPORATE PASSIVE AND ACTIVE OUTDOOR SPACE Design passive and active outdoor space into new neighborhoods. This may include tot lots, sports fields, agricultural/community gardens, pocket parks, etc. These spaces may be located along the edges where the neighborhood abuts open space, or located internally where they’re framed by buildings. ---PAGE BREAK--- 56 5.2 COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND EMPLOYMENT AREAS Overarching Vision New development along existing the US 395 and Highway 88 commercial corridors, and the proposed Muller Parkway should convey high quality design that respects Minden and Gardnerville’s distinct character, and the vision for each unique area. In Gardnerville this includes Millerville, Curve and South Entry. In Minden this includes US 395 and Highway 88. Along the proposed Muller Parkway this includes Virginia Ranch and “The Ranch at Gardnerville” (see plans for these areas). Site and building designs should focus on creating a comfortable walking environment for pedestrians, providing visual interest and high-quality residential experiences. New development should respond appropriately to the character envisioned for each area. In addition, it should consider its surroundings, and provide a compatible transition to adjacent land uses. Buildings should orient towards US 395 and HWY 88 and entrances should be designed to be visible and easily accessible. Muller parkway is envisioned as a landscaped boulevard with a rural-like interface for new neighborhood development. Note: this description excludes the portion of the commercial corridors that are part of the Downtown Character Areas. Characteristics of Existing Commercial Corridors Development Patterns The primary commercial corridor that runs through Minden and Gardnerville is US 395; Highway 88 runs through Minden as well. US 395 is primarily two travel lanes in each direction, and has additional turn lane when intersecting with a secondary street. Large agricultural areas occur at the southern gateway into Gardnerville and the northern gateway into Minden. Some areas along the corridors are closely related to nearby residential neighborhoods, in that their parcels abut them. The majority of the parcels have frontages that are oriented to the highway corridors. They range in size, with many individual curb cuts for access. Building Orientation/Setback Building setbacks vary along the commercial corridors; with some structures located close to the street while others are set back significantly. In some cases, primary intersections and entrances to developments are identified with substantial landscape areas. No fences exist along the commercial corridors. Some buildings orient toward the highway. Others orient to interior parking lots or side streets which results in some blank side walls that face the highway itself. Building Height The heights of buildings along the corridors vary from one to four-stories; the majority of buildings are between one and two-stories in height. Mass, Scale and Form Most of the buildings along the corridors are simple rectangular forms with flat, hip, and gable roofs. Building features such as simple wall offsets, galleries, and one-story elements create a human scale. Materials Brick, wood, prefabricated paneling, stucco, and stone are used along the commercial corridors. ---PAGE BREAK--- 57 Streetscape Most sidewalks attached to the curb throughout the corridor; however, some sections have been improved with detached sidewalks and landscaped edges. Some sections of the corridor have only one sidewalk on one side of the street. Examples are the southern gateway into Gardnerville and the northern gateway into Minden. In many parts of the corridors, landscaping occurs on the inside edge of the sidewalk, to screen surface parking; however, a few blocks provide a planting strip between the street and sidewalk, which helps to buffer pedestrians from highway traffic. Heritage A number of buildings along the corridors date from the early days of the community. These reflect the heritage of the area and enhance the character of the corridor. Parking Large areas of surface parking characterize the commercial corridors. This often occurs in front of buildings. At times, a landscaped strip buffers this parking. Existing Commercial Corridors Policies and Goals COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND EMPLOYMENT AREAS IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 1: To enhance the built environment along commercial corridors. P5.25 COMPATIBLE SCALE IN BUILDING Provide varied building mass and articulation methods that create a human-scaled environment. COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND EMPLOYMENT AREAS IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 2: To enhance the pedestrian friendliness of commercial corridors and promote safety. P5.26 ENHANCE THE STREET EDGE FOR PEDESTRIANS Continue to develop pedestrian amenities and streetscape improvements in the public and private realm. This includes placing buildings close to the street, creating visually interesting spaces that invite pedestrian activity, and providing continuous planting strips and medians. COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND EMPLOYMENT AREAS IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 3: To revitalize and reenergize commercial corridors considering defined character areas. P5.27 ADDRESS THE STREET EDGE Create new building projects along “Millerville,” Curve, and “Commercial Quad” areas to reflect the scale, character and orientation of traditional buildings in the downtown areas and promote a pedestrian-friendly experience. Building entries and storefronts should face the sidewalk and parking should be located to the rear or side of the building. P5.28 COMPATIBLE DESIGN Create new infill buildings within established residential building clusters (converted to commercial use) to reflect the traditional mass, scale, form and orientation of these buildings. Include key features such as porches. P5.29 CREATE GATEWAYS ---PAGE BREAK--- 58 Create “Gateways” into each community at the “South and East Entries” areas by clustering different building types. New development should reflect the scale and character of the regional context and have an internal system of open spaces framed by multifamily, mixed-use, office, healthcare, and institutional buildings. P5.30 A MIX OF USES IN SCALE Provide a mix of neighborhood services, multifamily, and small lot residential buildings that orient to the street within the “South Central” Gardnerville area. New buildings should reflect the scale and character of the regional context. COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND EMPLOYMENT AREAS IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 4: To be sensitive to surrounding neighborhood context. P5.31 RESPECT NEIGHBORTHOOD EDGES New buildings should be designed to be sensitive to their adjacent residential contexts by providing lower scale buildings, and buffer parking areas where they transition to these areas. 5.5 COMMUNITY FACILITIES Overarching Vision Minden and Gardnerville will continue to provide and enhance urban services for Carson Valley including public facilities, such as government offices, public safety facilities, courts, schools, recreation centers, community centers, parks and open space. These facilities elevate the quality of life for county citizens, residents and visitors by bringing people together on a regular basis to share, grow and support commerce, institutions, and recreation. These facilities will enhance their urban and natural settings, and will be connected to the community with pedestrian ways, open space and trails. COMMUNITY FACILITIES IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 1: To maintain and enhance established government facilities in downtown Minden. P5.32 MAINTAIN GOVERNMENT CENTERS Maintain and invest in downtown Minden as the primary location for Douglas County administrative, courts, business and development services that support the vitality and historic character of the Town of Minden. COMMUNITY FACILITIES IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 2: To develop new cultural buildings within Minden and Gardnerville to enhance the downtown setting and reflect the vision for the area. P5.33 CULTURE IN THE CORE Where new public buildings such as museums, government facilities, etc. are considered, locate them in the downtowns to strengthen the cultural core of the communities. COMMUNITY FACILITIES IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 3: To integrate trails, outdoor recreation facilities, watercourse and natural detention features into a connected open space system. P5.34 FIT WITH NATURAL LANDSCAPES ---PAGE BREAK--- 59 Provide enhanced storm water detention areas that are designed to reflect natural landscapes. P5.35 INTERCONNECTED PEDESTRIAN WAYS Provide interconnected pedestrian ways that create an opportunity for visitors and locals alike to explore the full breadth of Minden, Gardnerville and the county trail system. P5.36 NATURAL OPEN SPACES Design open space to have a natural informal character. COMMUNITY FACILITIES IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 4: To provide public amenities along open space and trails. P5.37 ENHANCED TRAILS AND OPEN SPACES Provide interpretive materials and furnishings along the trail system that complement and celebrate the natural setting. COMMUNITY FACILITIES IMAGE AND IDENTITY GOAL 5: To make Muller Parkway into a multi-modal corridor with connected trails and open spaces. P5.38 MULLER PARKWAY AS AN AMENITY Develop Muller Parkway as a neighborhood connector where wetland parks and trails provide a focal point for new neighborhoods. ---PAGE BREAK--- 60 SECTION 6 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Implementing the Minden and Gardnerville Plan for Prosperity will require cooperation with Douglas County, the GIDs, and private partners. The long-term vision that guides the plan reflects the community’s values and commitment to developing a sustainable economic and environmental future. This Implementation Plan Section provides a framework for actions that support the goals and policies set forth in the preceding sections. 6.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The implementation approach recommends a series of administrative, regulatory and financial actions that could be undertaken by the Towns, both individually as well as in collaboration with each other, and in collaboration with Douglas County and/or other public or private partners to achieve the long- term vision for the future growth and development of the Towns. The Implementation Plan identifies phasing, public investments and potential funding sources; and sets forth priorities and responsibilities for specific recommended actions as a framework to help guide future decisions by the Towns in carrying out the goals and policies of the Plan for Prosperity Update. 6.1 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS Administrative actions refer to activities related to collaboration, ongoing planning and design, marketing and additional technical studies necessary to implement the Plan. Partnerships In order to effectively and efficiently implement the Plan for Prosperity Update ongoing collaboration should be established between the Towns and Douglas County, and among certain private or quasi- private organizations such as Main Street Gardnerville, the Chambers of Commerce, school districts and service districts (e.g. Gardnerville Sanitation District, Gardnerville Water District, etc.). This collaboration and coordination is essential to the successful implementation of the Plan Update. One consideration might be to establish an ongoing informal coordination process with staff level representatives of the entities indicated above as a “technical coordination group” that would meet on a periodic basis to assure that actions taken by these entities, respectively, are coordinated to assure consistency with the Plan for Prosperity Update. In addition, the Towns should work with key private sector property and business owners to identify private sector “champions” related to key economic revitalization, land use development and social and cultural programs as a means to heighten the awareness of such desired activities and to help implement them. Technical Studies ---PAGE BREAK--- 61 Based on the goals and policies set forth in the Plan for Prosperity there are several technical studies, guidelines and / or standards that should be developed as an outgrowth of the Plan Update. These include: Retail Marketing Strategy Prepare an analysis of the current and projected retail market demand in the downtown areas of Minden and Gardnerville. This would include recommendations for establishing a retail marketing strategy that could be carried out collaboratively by the Towns, Chambers of Commerce, real estate brokers and property owners. This could also include assessing potential market demand for future complimentary retail uses between the Towns, for example, developing a specialty food retail in Minden to complement the existing grocery uses in Gardnerville. Infill Development Guidelines Prepare guidelines for future infill development that would be used to convey the Towns’ intent and desires regarding future residential, retail, office, industrial and mixed-use development in the downtown and other areas of the two respective Towns. This would also include guidelines for building rehabilitation and adaptive reuse. Arts and Cultural Plan and Program Prepare a public arts and cultural plan and program for the Towns that addresses both physical and visual improvements (e.g. performing arts space, art studio and display areas, art in public places) and performing arts programs, special events. Economic Revitalization Strategy The Towns should collaborate with Douglas County and its other institutional partners to structure an overall economic development and revitalization plan and program aimed at retaiing and expanding existing businesses and attracting new businesses. This should include a collaborated outreach and marketing effort focused on new industries, work force development, health and wellness, tourism and agritourism. This strategy should build upon the already established – but separate – visions, plans, policies, etc. that currently exist, but result in a single, focused and strategy that could be pursued collaboratively by the Towns, Douglas County and regional entities in the Minden and Gardnerville area. This strategy should define the roles that public investment, infrastructure improvement, housing development, and private sector participation can play in successful economic revitalization efforts. Support of Private Investment and Reinvestment The Towns should continue their efforts to support private sector investment and reinvestment by using their resources to help attract desired new development and revitalization of their residential, commercial and industrial areas that will be consistent with the goals and policies of the Plan Update. This includes: 1) communicating with potential developers and investors the Towns’ aspirations and policies; and 2) coordinating capital improvements that support new investment. 6.2 REGULATORY ACTIONS Regulatory Actions include growth policy standards and development review activities necessary to carry out the Plan Update. ---PAGE BREAK--- 62 Growth Management An intended outcome of the Plan for Prosperity Update for Minden and Gardnerville, and the Douglas County Master Plan Update 2016 would a delineated growth management and urban services boundary policy that establishes a collaborative program between the two Towns and Douglas County to address: 1) The potential/probable ultimate urbanized physical Town boundaries and related urban service areas as defined by designated “Receiving Areas” and “Urban Reserve Areas”; and 2) The co-terminus boundaries of the Towns, urban service areas, Gardnerville Water District (Town of Gardnerville) and Minden-Gardnerville Sanitation District. This approach is generally consistent with existing Douglas County Master Plan Growth Management Policy that states, “Douglas County shall support annexations to unincorporated towns or in to the service areas of providers (such as General Improvement Districts) that are compatible with the Master Plan’s identified Urban Service Areas.” Development and Design Review The Towns should coordinate with Douglas County Community Development Department to develop a collaborative land use development and design review process for proposed projects within the Towns. This potential program would include a process for the review, evaluation and consideration of proposed future new and infill development, including design review, within: 1) the existing Town boundaries; and 2) within the Towns’ respective designated future development areas (“Receiving Areas”). In this way the Towns would have a “seat at the table” and actively participate in the County’s review and approval process for proposed development. Under the potential program any future proposed development could be evaluated based on a set of established guiding principles and specific development guidelines, as may prepared and approved by the Towns, and set forth in the recommended development and design review program. Under such a program Douglas County staff would continue to have responsibility for processing proposed development applications. The funding for processing of applications for proposed development could continue come from Douglas County through its annual operating budget for activities of the Community Development Department and related departments; and the Town’s participation in the development review process could be funded through the Town’s respective annual operating budgets. Zoning and Master Plan Alignment The Towns should work with Douglas County to align the appropriate land use and zoning designations as a means to accurately reflect the approved land use plans of the County and the Towns, including the designated receiving areas (future development areas), and actual existing land use development which is conforming with approved land use plans. This would help to convey properly to property owners, developers and investors the intended type and extent of development that would be consistent with the Towns’ land use plans. It also would help accurately carry out the County’s Transfer Development Rights Program. Parking District Study and Standards The Town of Minden should consider developing a parking district plan for the downtown area including Esmeralda Avenue and Railroad Avenue, that includes a feasibility study focused on: 1) market and site ---PAGE BREAK--- 63 assessment; 2) analysis of alternative facilities, financing concepts, phasing and management priorities; and 3) any proposed revisions to parking standards for private sector development. The Town of Gardnerville completed and approved such a parking district study in 2007. The Town should continue to implement the recommendations set forth in that approved study with coordination with the Nevada State Department of Transportation (NDOT) to the extent necessary for US395. Stormwater and Flood Plain Management and Mitigation A major long-term consideration related to a stormwater, flood control and floodplain management policy for the Towns and Douglas County to consider is “what is the best implementation approach that would continue to ensure the structural integrity of the floodplain and flood control system by providing at least 100-year flood protection – and work toward a higher level of flood protection.” In that regard there are a few alternatives implementation approaches that should be reviewed and evaluated by the Towns and Douglas County including: • Douglas County (currently through Community Development Department) continuing to directly manage and operate the flood control and floodplain program for the County; including continuation of the County’s Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) to encourage conservation of open space areas • Conservation District as authorized by Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 548 is a local independent governing authority separate from local counties or municipalities with the authority to develop and implement plans for the conservation, protection, and controlled development of renewable natural resources to meet the needs of the people of Nevada • New flood control district/agency such as a joint powers authority (JPA) that involves Douglas County, the Towns and City of Carson City, under a JPA approach there could be revenue to finance local share of costs of improvements by creating assessment districts and levying annual assessments on properties which benefit from the improvements – for both capital and ongoing operation/maintenance 6.3 FINANCIAL ACTIONS Implementing the Plan for Prosperity Update will require continued public sector funding and private sector investment. There are several financing mechanisms that may be appropriate for the implementation activities set forth in this Section 6: Implementation. The following is a summary of the potential funding sources and financing mechanisms for two of the key identified public infrastructure improvements. Muller Parkway and Other Transportation Projects The proposed Mueller Parkway project would likely be carried out as a traditional capital improvements project managed by Douglas County through its Public Works Department. Given the anticipated type, size and regional significance of the project, it is likely that there will need to be a combination of federal, State, local and/or private sector funding to finance its construction. The estimated direct construction cost of the proposed project could be in the range of $30 to $50 million – not including land acquisition, engineering and other soft costs. It should be noted that the Muller Parkway project is a multi-regional project given that it would serve not only traffic in Minden, Gardnerville and Douglas County – but well beyond Douglas County from Reno south to Topaz Lake (intersection of US395 and Highway 208) within Nevada. Therefore, ---PAGE BREAK--- 64 implementation of the project will likely require collaboration amongst various federal, state, county and local institutional partners. In addition, implementation will require collaborating with the major property owners, in regard to alignment, right-of-way, effects on existing/future land use, etc. and in the context of development agreements between the County and such property owners. The following is intended to provide an example of potential funding sources and/or financing mechanisms that could be used for Muller Parkway, depending on the intended function and use of the parkway – and/or for other potential transportation projects envisioned in the Plan for Prosperity Update. Federal • Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST); long-term funding for surface transportation infrastructure planning and investment; $305 billion authorized over fiscal years 2015 to 2020 for highway programs. • Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA), which provides credit assistance for regional/national significant projects including highways; the federal funding (secured direct loans/loan guarantees/standby line of credit) is intended to be leveraged through private or other non-federal co-investment. State • State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP); funded through federal, state and other funds; for the 2018-2021 period Douglas County be allocated approximately $24.7 million or about 1% of total $23.9 billion program over the four-year period. • General Improvement Districts (GIDs) as authorized by Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 318; a financing tool flexible and capable to finance a variety of infrastructure projects (including streets, alleys, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, etc.) designed to encourage private sector investment. A GID may collect ad valorem property tax revenues assessed at a rate above the state constitutional cap and issue debt to fund a variety of public infrastructure and improvement projects. • Special Assessment Districts (SADs) as authorized by Nevada Revised Statues (NRS 271; broad financing tool that local county and municipal governments in Nevada can use to fund a variety of infrastructure and improvement projects through future ad valorem property tax revenues (above the existing constitutional cap on ad valorem tax revenues) through annual collections or issuance of property tax backed bonds or securities. County • Douglas County 5-year Transportation Plan which includes routine maintenance, preventive maintenance, rehabilitation, capacity, transit, bicycle and pedestrian transportation project activities; the Fiscal Year 2013 to 2018 Plan $2,5 million of proposed projects were to be funded primarily with: 1) gas tax; 2) residential and commercial construction taxes; 3) room Tax; 4) grants; 5) debt financing; and 6) reserves. • Certificates of Participation (COPs) is a tax-exempt leasing-financing agreement used by a municipality to construct a facility financed with proceeds from bond investors and then leased to the municipality; under the agreement the municipality makes regular payments over the term of the contract. Local ---PAGE BREAK--- 65 • Capital outlay project allocation of the Town’s annual total operating budget; for example, approximately $820,000 for Gardnerville ($726,000) and Minden ($94,000) for Fiscal Year 2017/18 is allocated for public works capital outlay projects/activities; participation would need to be related to direct benefit received by Town from the project. Other • Public-private partnerships (P3); contractual agreements between public agency and private sector entity(ies) for delivery and financing of public infrastructure projects; there are various forms related to design, build, finance, maintain and/or operate projects; P3 is usually comprised of both private debt and equity. Flood Control and Floodplain Management Douglas County’s storm-water and floodplain management program is currently administered by Douglas County, Community Development Department. Douglas County has had floodplain regulations in place since 1974. Floodplain development permits, special requirements for land division in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) and floodplain are covered in Title 20.50 Floodplain Management of the Douglas County Consolidated Development Code. Douglas County participates in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and Community Rating System (CRS) that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. In addition, in a proposed Nevada State Senate legislation/bill Section 103 addresses the conveyance of certain Federal land (7,951 acres) in Douglas County to Douglas County for flood control or any other purposes consistent with the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (1926). The following is intended to be a brief listing and description of some potential funding and financing sources/mechanisms for implementation of a floodplain management policy. This list is only intended to provide an example of potential sources and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. • Federal, state and/or private sector grants for land acquisition, mitigation, and recreation projects. For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Pre-disaster Mitigation Funds. • Nevada State Parks Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) provided on a 50/50 matching basis for individual park and outdoor recreation projects. • Douglas County annual capital outlay program; for example, in Fiscal Year 2017/18 approximately $1.5 million allocated for capital projects/activities. • Douglas County general obligation bonds or Certificates of Participation (see explanation above under Mueller Parkway Project). • Dedicated Douglas County sales tax revenue for acquisition of floodplain and wetland areas in Douglas County for floodplain storage, aquifer recharge, wildlife habitat, open space and recreation purposes either by fee simple conservation easements or purchase of development rights. • Special district funding – e.g. storm-water revenues from the water district could potentially be used to leverage other loan and grant funding. Other Projects The following is intended to be a brief listing of some example potential funding sources and financing mechanisms for implementation action activities set forth in the Plan for Prosperity Update. ---PAGE BREAK--- 66 • Development Impact Fees as authorized by Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 278B; authorizes a local government (county or municipality) to charge n impact fee to cover the costs associated with the provision capital improvement needs including the following projects: 1) drainage; 2) fire station; 3) park; 4) police station; 5) sanitary sewer; 6) storm sewer; 7) street; or 8) water. • Commercial Area Vitalization Project (CAVP), a variant of the Special Assessment District that is oriented toward supporting various commercial and private sector initiatives. A CAVP may be authorized by the local governing body at the request of business owners within a proposed district and use either ad valorem or sales tax revenues (above the existing constitutional cap on ad valorem or sales tax revenues) to fund the district’s activities. • Tourism Improvement District as defined by Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 271A; designed to aid local governments (county or municipality) in the attraction and creation of tourism-oriented retail businesses. Sales Tax Anticipation Revenue Bonds are the primary financial tool that can be used to attract and develop new tourism-oriented retail by using the incremental sales tax revenues generated a from those new tourism-oriented retailers to offset the cost of acquisition, demolition and construction of such new tourist-oriented retail development. 6.4. RECOMMENDED IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS AND SCHEDULE The recommended administration, regulatory and financial actions for the initial five-year implementation period are presented in Section 6.6. For each category, the table identifies the specific implementation actions, supporting policy(ies), responsible party(ies) and estimated timing by year and phase. It is important to note that implementation of the specific actions indicated will depend, to some degree, on the overall future economic and real estate financing and market conditions spanning the initial implementation period. Any economic downturn or recession may affect implementation of the Plan Update with the proposed action items potentially being delayed or modified. 6.5 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN What actions can be taken by the Towns to effectively and efficiently implement the Plan for Prosperity Update? IMPLEMENTATION GOAL 1: To undertake and complete the implementation priorities and recommendations as a means of carrying out the established goals and policies of the Plan for Prosperity Update. P6.1 POLICY ALIGNMENT Align Douglas County and the Towns’ land use development policies, regulations and standards for consistency with the Plan for Prosperity Update. P6.2 PROMOTE THE TOWNS Promote future private and public development in the Towns that is consistent with the approved Plan for Prosperity Update. P6.3 MANAGE FISCAL CAPACITY Manage future growth consistent with the Towns’ capacity and financial capability to provide urban services ---PAGE BREAK--- 67 P 6.4 PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AS A CATALYST FOR INVESTMENT Use public sector financed infrastructure / improvements and public sector assets to stimulate private investment and revitalization opportunities. P6.5 WORKING RELATIONSHIPS Establish an ongoing working relationship with the County, other public entities and private organizations to collaboratively pursue successful implementation of the Plan for Prosperity Update. P 6.6 ALLOCATE TOWN AND COUNTY RESOURCES Provide for ongoing commitment of Town staff resources to effectively manage implementation of the Plan Update over an extended period of time. 6.6 IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS AND RELATED POLICIES The following matrix connects implementation actions with Plan for Prosperity policies, assigns responsibilities, and proposes phasing and timing of actions. Action No. Implementation Actions Plan for Prosperity Policies Responsible Parties Phasing and Timing ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS A1 Prepare retail market analysis and marketing strategy for the downtown areas of the Towns P1.12 Main Street Improvements P2.1 Promote Towns P3.1 Minden’s Traditional Role As Commercial Center P3.2 Attract New Higher-End Grocery Store P3.31 Minden’s Commercial Service Locations Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Support: Main Street Programs, Chambers of Commerce, private sector partners Phase 1 Fiscal year 2019/2020 A2 Prepare Arts and Cultural Plan and Program for the physical and visual improvements and performing arts programs P1.10 Develop Arts/Cultural Plan P1.14 Jobs-Housing Balance P3.7 Downtown Programming And Arts Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, Douglas County Support and Review: Local private and nonprofit arts organizations Phase 2 Fiscal year 2020/2012 A3 Prepare an economic revitalization strategy for business retention and attraction in the towns P1.3 Matching Jobs And Housing P6.7 Jobs Housing Balance P1.15 Economic Resilience P1.16 Community Health P2.1 Promote Towns P2.4 Attract Knowledge Workers P2.5 Town Locations For New Industries Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, Douglas County Support and Review: Local private and nonprofit entities Phase 2 Fiscal year 2020/2012 ---PAGE BREAK--- 68 P2.8 Housing For Existing Workforce P2.9 Housing For Future Workforce P3.33 Promote Economic Synergies P3.34 New Knowledge-Based Employers P3.35 Gardnerville’s Commercial Service Centers P3.37 Promote Economic Synergies P3.38 New Knowledge-Based Employers A4 Establish an ongoing technical coordinating committee of local urban service districts to coordinate land use development issues with Douglas County P1.26 Joint Development Opportunities Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, Douglas County Support and Review: Other institutional partners Phase 1 Ongoing A5 Ongoing support for private sector investment and reinvestment for new development/revi talization activities P1.18 Fiscal Capacity P2.2 Support New Infrastructure P2.3 Manage Fiscal Impacts Of Growth P2.6 Market Towns’ Opportunity Sites P3.9 New Investment Supporting Revitalization P3.40 Preserve Resources Supporting Douglas County Long- Term P5.6 Continue A Storefront Environment Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Support and Review: Douglas County Phase 1 Ongoing A6 Prepare a long- term needs assessment for urban services reflecting the potential build- out of receiving and urban reserve areas P.3.37 Long-Term Urban Service Needs P2.2 Support New Investment P3.39 Long-Term Urban Service Needs Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Support and Review: Douglas County, urban service providers Phase 3 Fiscal Year 2020/2021 A7 Prepare a plan P1.21 Centered And Connected Lead: Towns of Phase 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- 69 that integrates trail, recreation, watercourse and detention elements into a connected open space system Neighborhoods P1.22 Joint Development Facilities P1.26 Joint Development Facilities P3.32 Professional Offices P3.48 Open Space System Master Plan P3.49 Phasing And Funding P4.13 Multi-Purpose Trail System P4.14 Connect To County Bikeway System P4.15 Muller Parkway Trails P5.13 Continuous Pedestrian Circulation System P5.26 Enhance The Street Edge For Pedestrians P5.27 Address The Street Edge P5.28 Compatible Design P5.33 Culture In The Core P5.34 Fit With Natural Landscapes P5.35 Interconnected Pedestrian Ways Minden and Gardnerville, Support and Review: Douglas County Fiscal Year 2020/2021 A8 Advocate with Douglas County to retain Minden as the County seat, and invest in Douglas County administrative facilities to support downtown Minden P2.7 Life-Cycle Approach To Housing P3.3 Preserve Downtown Minden’s Role As The County Seat P3.44 Minden As County Seat P3.45 Community Development Partner P5.30 A Mix Of Uses In Scale P5.31 Respect Neighborhood Edges Lead: Town of Minden and Douglas County Support: Town of Gardnerville Phase 1 Ongoing REGULATORY ACTIONS R1 Prepare a growth management and urban services boundary policy and co-terminus town boundaries P1.5 Town Review Of Long Range Growth P1.6 Co-Terminus Town/Service Boundaries Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, Douglas County Support and Review: Urban service districts Phase 1 Fiscal year 2019/2020 R2 Establish collaborative land use and development/desi gn review process with Douglas P1.5 Town Review Of Long Range Growth P1.25 Design And Development P1.26 Joint Development Facilities Review Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, Douglas County Phase 1 Fiscal year 2019/2020 ---PAGE BREAK--- 70 County R3 Revise parking codes allowing preparation and implementation of parking district plans for Downtown Gardnerville and Minden P1.12 Main Street Improvements P3.5 Parking District P3.11 Parking District Lead: Douglas County, Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Support and Review: Main Street programs Phase 1 Fiscal year 2019/2020 R4 Align land use zoning designations with land use plan P1.5 Town Review Of Long Range Growth Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, Douglas County Phase 2 Fiscal year 2020/2012 R5 Establish a plan and program for implementation of stormwater and flood control management P1.17 Adapting To Flooding P1.20 Joint Use Flood Facilities P3.41 Protect Water Quality P3.42 Flood Resilient Planning P3.43 Funding Of Flood Mitigation System P5.31 Maintain Government Centers Lead: Douglas County Review and Support: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, FEMA, urban service districts, and other effected regional entities Phase 3 Fiscal Year 2021/2022 R6 Implement an “agrihood” strategy consistent with County Master Plan land use, conservation and growth management elements P3.20 New Types Of Neighborhoods Lead: Douglas County, Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Phase 2 Fiscal year 2020/2012 R7 Prepare infill development and design guidelines for new development and renovation/adapti ve reuse P1.13 Centered And Connected Neighborhoods P1.24 Site And Building Design P1.25 Development And Design Review P1.23 Site And Building Design P3.4 New Infill And Renovation P3.6 Downtown Housing P3.13 Protect The Uniqueness Of Historic Residential Neighborhoods P3.14 Assure Compatible Uses P3.16 Assure Compatible Uses P5.1 Preserve Historic Resources Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Support and Review: Douglas County Phase 1 Fiscal Year 2019/2020 ---PAGE BREAK--- 71 P5.2 Promote Active Use Of Historic Buildings P5.3 Promote Walkability P5.4 Continue Traditional Development Patterns P5.6 Continue A Storefront Environment P5.8 Respect The Main Street Character P5.9 Respect The Historic Industrial Context P5.10 Promote High Quality Design P5.11 Frame The Park With Active Uses P5.12 Define Park Edges P5.13 Continuous Pedestrian Circulation System P5.14 Promote Historic Preservation P5.15 Promote Compatible Design P5.23 Parking Subordinate To The Pedestrian Realm R8 Prepare neighborhood planning, design and development guidelines/ standards for new neighborhoods, including addressing housing types P1.23 Site And Building Design P1.22 Joint Development Facilities P1.26 Joint Development Facilities P3.4 New Infill And Renovation P3.15 Preserve Traditional Residential Districts P3.17 Connected Neigborhoods P3.18 Centered Neighborhoods P3.19 Mix Of Housing Types P3.20 New Types Of Neighborhoods P3.22 Supportive Neighborhood Land Uses P3.24 Fiscal Balance Reflected In Land Uses P3.25 Connected Neigborhoods P3.26 Centered Neighborhoods P3.27 New Types Of Neighborhoods P3.28 Mix Of Housing Types P3.29 Location Of Multifamily Housing P3.30 Supportive Neighborhood Land Uses P5.15 Promote Compatible Design Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Support and Review: Douglas County Phase 3 Fiscal Year 2020/2021 ---PAGE BREAK--- 72 P5.16 Enhance The Pedestrian Experience P5.17 Promote Traditional Development Patterns P5.18 Orient To The Street P5.19 Supporting Neighborhood Services P5.20 Compatible Building Scale P5.21 Diversity Of Housing Choice P5.22 Traditional Building Materials R9 Establish a Heritage Preservation program to administer heritage districts. P5.1 Preserve Historic Resources P5.2 Promote Active Use Of Historic Buildings P5.8 Respect The Main Street Character P5.9 Respect The Historic Industrial Context P5.14 Promote Historic Preservation Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Support and Review: Douglas County Phase 1 Fiscal year 2019/2020 FINANCIAL ACTIONS F1 Develop an implementation plan for the proposed Muller Parkway, including policy direction on intended design and funding P1.8 Muller Parkway P1.11 Muller Parkway Funding P3.36 Limited Commercial On Future Muller Parkway P4.2 Advocate For Regional Solutions P4.3 Design Muller Parkway And Main Streets P4.4 Muller Parkway As A Limited Access Arterial P4.5 Fund Muller Parkway And Main Streets P4.15 Muller Parkway Trails P5.36 Natural Open Spaces Lead: Douglas County, Nevada DOT Review and Support: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Phase 1 Fiscal year 2019/2020 F2 Develop a funding plan for design, development, and management of stormwater and flood control program P1.17 Adapting To Flooding P1.20 Joint Use Flood Facilities Lead: Douglas County, Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Review and Support: FEMA, urban service districts, and other effected regional entities Phase 3 Fiscal Year 2021/2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- 73 F3 Pursue identified potential funding sources and financing mechanisms for implementing approved actions in the Plan for Prosperity Update P1.2 Infrastructure Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, Douglas County Phase 1 Ongoing F4 Monitor the fiscal impacts of new development to manage the mix of land uses to balance costs and revenues P.3.22 Fiscal Balance Reflected In Land Uses P2.3 Manage Fiscal Impacts Of Land Uses P3.23 Fiscal Balance Reflected In Land Uses Lead: Towns of Minden and Gardnerville Support and Review: Douglas County Phase 1 Ongoing