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-News Articles/Editorials/Letters to the Editor-
3/2/2001
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Carson City supervisors endorsed Thursday a
landscaping plan that would soften the visual impacts
of the under-construction freeway that will soon cut
through four miles of the city. They liked what they saw in a preliminary “vision document” and were pleased that various groups, once at odds over what to do about the freeway’s landscaping, are working to cultivate a vegetation plan. “This is a far cry from where we started out less than 18 months ago,” said Mayor Ray Masayko. “We have made progress.” Vern Krahn, Carson City park planner and one of the key people in the landscape-planning process said officials are looking to create three “re-vegetation” mixes for use around the freeway: one for the hotter, windier southern and western slopes; one for the cooler, calmer northern and eastern slopes; and another mix for the seven interchanges along the route. A combination of native-Nevada plants would be used along the slopes. At the interchanges, such as the overpass at College Parkway and the entrance off of U.S. 395, officials are planning more full-fledged landscaping. Funding for the interchange landscaping is still in doubt, so Krahn said he anticipated the city completing them one at a time when funding became available. The ultimate goal, Krahn said, is for the landscaping to be similar to what was installed at Reno/Tahoe International Airport more than a decade ago. The vegetation took a few years to grow, but officials are happy with what is there now, in contrast to some other barren Reno freeway slopes. “I’m calling it Reno/Tahoe International Airport with a Carson City twist,” Krahn said. The next step, Krahn said, would be drawings made by early summer of what each interchange should look like. Carson City residents and officials have long expressed concerns about the visual pollution the freeway construction would create. However, Carson City officials, area residents and NDOT once were at odds about how to landscape the freeway and where the money would come from. Starting late last year, the groups began working together to find a mutually satisfactory solution. “I have no doubt the community is going to jump on board and endorse this,” said Supervisor Robin Williamson. “All you have to do is drive to other parts or our state and look at the roadways to realize this is a benefit to our community. Construction on four freeway bridges is under way and should be completed by the end of the year. The next step, called Phase 1B, will be to link the overpasses with a highway from the bottom of Lakeview Hill at Carson Street to U.S. 50 East. All of the work on the first four miles is slated for completion in 2004 or 2005. Phase 2, from the end of the first phase to the southern junction of U.S. 50 and U.S. 395, should begin in 2004 or 2005. Completion of the second 5-mile stretch is targeted for 2008 or 2009. |
