Northwest Reno residents seek relief from land users [Archive]

Crowdog

06-13-2002, 11:07 AM

Northwest Reno residents seek relief from land users

Wednesday, June 12, 2002
©2002 Associated Press

(06-12) 09:24 PDT RENO, Nev. (AP) --

A northwest Reno resident says target shooters and off-road vehicles on public lands near Peavine Peak are a nuisance and danger to the community.

On Tuesday, James Calkins asked the Reno City Council to create a "quiet zone" to buffer nearby homes from the noise and ban the use of firearms and motorized vehicles within 1,000 yards of homes.

Calkins, whose property borders U.S. Forest Service land on Peavine Peak, presented the council with the signatures of 300 residents and also asked the council to close off access to the public land within their neighborhood.

Calkins, who moved to Reno about a year ago, claims gun users are terrorizing homeowners and are a tragedy waiting to happen.

"I'm here today to request emergency action to avoid a tragedy that is in the making in northwest Reno," he said.

But Calkins' request drew a heated response from one council member.

"We invited you to move here to participate in a way of life, not to change a way of life we have here in Nevada," Ridgon said.

"The key here is reasonable accommodations," he said, "and criminalizing activity that has been going on for generations is not reasonable."

Calkins, however, countered that the city created the problem by allowing development along Peavine's public lands.

Council members ultimately decided they have no jurisdiction in how public lands are used, but directed staff to make recommendations on what it can do to ease problems.

©2002 Associated Press

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/06/12/state1224EDT0077.DTL
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Rockcrusher

06-15-2002, 03:18 PM

A side note to this issue , , , Last year, a group of people who bought property adjacent to USFS land on Peavine Peak petitioned the USFS to close the area to all but hikers. They argued that motorized recreation on the mountain was destroying the value of their property and depriving them of quality of life.

Essentially, the USFS told the new residents to pound sand and that the recreationalists were there first. The USFS more or less said that the new property owners should have done their home work before they chose that area.

Not satisfied with the USFS rebuke, a group of property owners erected a steel gate at one of the access roads which the feds promptly hot-sawed to the ground.

The USFS, the Reno city council and the Washoe county authorities are firmly on the side of the motorized recreationalists. That is not to say that the property owner will not try some other tactic - I just don't think it will be successful.

Oh, I almost forgot, one of the residents complaints was that vehicles coming off the mountain got their street dirty.


Pirate4x4.Com > Land Use and Trails > Land Use Issues > Northwest Reno residents seek relief from land users PDA : Northwest Reno residents seek relief from land users Crowdog 06-13-2002, 11:07 AM Northwest Reno residents seek relief from land users Wednesday, June 12, 2002 ©2002 Associated Press (06-12) 09:24 PDT RENO, Nev. (AP) -- A northwest Reno resident says target shooters and off-road vehicles on public lands near Peavine Peak are a nuisance and danger to the community. On Tuesday, James Calkins asked the Reno City Council to create a "quiet zone" to buffer nearby homes from the noise and ban the use of firearms and motorized vehicles within 1,000 yards of homes. Calkins, whose property borders U.S. Forest Service land on Peavine Peak, presented the council with the signatures of 300 residents and also asked the council to close off access to the public land within their neighborhood. Calkins, who moved to Reno about a year ago, claims gun users are terrorizing homeowners and are a tragedy waiting to happen. "I'm here today to request emergency action to avoid a tragedy that is in the making in northwest Reno," he said. But Calkins' request drew a heated response from one council member. "We invited you to move here to participate in a way of life, not to change a way of life we have here in Nevada," Ridgon said. "The key here is reasonable accommodations," he said, "and criminalizing activity that has been going on for generations is not reasonable." Calkins, however, countered that the city created the problem by allowing development along Peavine's public lands. Council members ultimately decided they have no jurisdiction in how public lands are used, but directed staff to make recommendations on what it can do to ease problems. ©2002 Associated Press http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/06/12/state1224EDT0077.DTL ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rockcrusher 06-15-2002, 03:18 PM A side note to this issue , , , Last year, a group of people who bought property adjacent to USFS land on Peavine Peak petitioned the USFS to close the area to all but hikers. They argued that motorized recreation on the mountain was destroying the value of their property and depriving them of quality of life. Essentially, the USFS told the new residents to pound sand and that the recreationalists were there first. The USFS more or less said that the new property owners should have done their home work before they chose that area. Not satisfied with the USFS rebuke, a group of property owners erected a steel gate at one of the access roads which the feds promptly hot-sawed to the ground. The USFS, the Reno city council and the Washoe county authorities are firmly on the side of the motorized recreationalists. That is not to say that the property owner will not try some other tactic - I just don't think it will be successful. Oh, I almost forgot, one of the residents complaints was that vehicles coming off the mountain got their street dirty.