SILVER CITY RESIDENTS PREVAIL

Lyon County Planners Deny Master Plan and Zoning Change for Comstock Mining Inc. ON DECEMBER 10, 2013, the Lyon County Planning Commission voted 5-to-1 to deny Comstock Mining Inc.’s (CMI) application asking for a controversial amendment to Lyon County’s 2010 Master Plan. The Commission also voted unanimously to deny CMI’s request for a significant zoning change. This zoning change for more than 80 acres at the “Dayton Resource Area”, more commonly known as the Dayton Consolidated Millsite, would have allowed for several industrial uses by right and mining by special use permit within the boundaries of the town and in close proximity to long-time Silver City, Lyon County residents.

Town residents and their supporters from around the Comstock turned our in mass, packing the meeting room in Yerington. A team of legal, planning, real estate and preservation experts provided testimony on behalf of Silver City. The presentation included a video illustrating the impacts of CMI’s current open pit mining operations that border the northern portion of Silver City.

Several residents spoke of their concerns: the continued loss of property values, incessant industrial noise, toxic dust and damaging blasting, increased truck traffic through town, all significant adverse impacts to their quality of life.

According to residents Joe and Ann McCarthy, “Our Planning Commissioners reaffirmed Lyon County’s 40-year commitment to professional planning and community development. Since it began master planning, Lyon County has successfully strived to protect the integrity of it’s planning process. Once again, it has sent clear message of certainty to its residents that their health and welfare are the highest priority. McCarthy added, “The Planning Commissioner’s wise decision was, in no way, about supporting or opposing mining. That was not the issue. The decision was to uphold current zoning and prohibit inappropriate uses adjacent to well-established residential areas. Good policy once again ruled the day.”

Chad Olsen, a Silver City resident and local business owner, said “The County Commissioners will have a difficult time justifying a position that might overturn the Planning Commission’s decision. It is a decision that reflects the recommendations of its Senior Planner’s carefully researched Staff Report. The majority of Silver City residents agree with the decision.”

Prepared comments: (click to read)

Chad Olsen , Robert Elston, Theo McCormick, Erich Obermayr, Darlene Cobbey

The Lyon County Board of Commission is expected to put the item on agenda for consideration at its next regularly scheduled meeting on January 2, 2014.