Washoe County panel tables recommendation on NV Energy easement across Lockwood Open Space

The Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission on July 23 tabled a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners on a proposed easement to Sierra Pacific Power Company, doing business as NV Energy, that would place a permanent gas main across a portion of Lockwood Open Space.

The proposal covered an easement of “more or less 45,891 square feet” at an appraised value of $7,800, according to staff presentation, and would support gas service to parcels north of Interstate 80. Aaron Smith, Washoe County Community Services Department staff, told commissioners the work on county property would require trenching work that would affect the site for roughly six to eight weeks while preserving public access to the river and most trails.

Commissioners said they were concerned about precedent, opportunity cost and the fairness of compensation when county parkland is used for infrastructure. Several commissioners pressed staff and NV Energy on alternatives, mitigation and the possibility of negotiating benefits to the parks in exchange for the easement. Commissioner Joel moved to table the item until the September meeting and directed staff to continue negotiations with the applicant on park improvements; Commissioner Dake seconded. The commission amended the motion to direct staff to seek improvements within the parks district that contains Lockwood; Commissioner Hill seconded the amendment. The motion carried.

Why it matters: commissioners said Lockwood Open Space provides public river access and trail use and that any permanent encumbrance on parkland should account for ecological and public-use value. Commissioners also noted that easement revenue typically goes to the parks district general ledger rather than the county general fund, and that staff have discretion to negotiate terms that go beyond appraised value.

Key details reported at the meeting: - Staff described the easement route as along the parcel’s north boundary, roughly along an existing dirt access road, and said access to the Truckee River and most loops of the trail system would be maintained. Some sections of the access road could be temporarily closed during construction. - NV Energy representative Clint Alverson said the project uses horizontal directional drill methods to cross the Truckee River and a jack-and-bore method under Interstate 80, and that the pipeline would be 8-inch polyethylene. He said long HDD alternatives farther west could increase costs substantially — potentially by several hundred thousand dollars to millions — compared with the route that crosses county open space. - Installation impacts on county property were described as roughly six to eight weeks for trenching along the north edge; NV Energy said post-construction access would be limited to testing stations and occasional repairs (annual or biennial inspections were cited). - Staff said the county follows a parkland easement policy and that negotiated compensation can exceed the appraised value. County staff referenced prior negotiated easements at Rancho San Rafael where additional concessions were secured. - Lockwood Open Space was deeded to Washoe County in 1997 (staff said the Buse family deeded parcels that were combined into the open space); the property is maintained as a floodable river-access park with limited built amenities.

What the commission directed: staff were asked to continue negotiations with NV Energy and return with a recommendation in September that includes consideration of park improvements or mitigation within the parks district that contains Lockwood.

Next steps: staff will continue negotiations with the applicant and return the item to the commission in September; the commission’s subsequent recommendation will go to the Board of County Commissioners for final action.