A new housing project is underway in south Lovelock, according to Pershing County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Heidi Lusby-Angvick. The project is welcome news in a community where employers complain there’s little or no quality housing available for workers.
“You may or may not have noticed there’s some houses going up at the south end of town over by the sheriff’s house,” Lusby-Angvick told county leaders. “The first house is on the ground. It is a manufactured home however the builder bought a special package so, once it’s all said and done, it converts to real property. That helps with financing for the person that is purchasing.”
The first home is on Willow Drive and available for $219,000. The foundation in place for the second home on Ash Drive with delivery of the structure expected soon, Lusby-Angvick said.
“He has a third home that is going to go on the largest of the eight lots he has bought and the prospective buyer is choosing which home they’d like to have,” she said. “We need to make sure we are spreading the word that we have houses. The faster he can sell, the faster that he can build more.”
A flier for “The Ash-Willow Project” says Gold Peak Properties is “a family business recently formed to develop new, affordable, quality manufactured and modular homes in Lovelock, Rye Patch and Winnemucca.” Dr. Michael Aharoni of Encino, California owns the company.
“Currently we are developing seven properties on Ash Drive and one on Willow Drive in Lovelock,” the flier states. “The house coming soon on Willow Drive is a 1,512 square-foot double-wide with three bedrooms and two baths, set on a permanent foundation.”
Foundations on the seven Ash Drive lots will accommodate larger homes from 1,620 to over 1,800 square feet. Buyers can choose the specific site and home model according to the flier.
Future projects include restoration of what is locally known as “the Pink House” (AKA the Friedman House) in Lovelock and construction of a 2,500 square-foot home on a 2.5 acre lot in Rye Patch. “Several” residential lots may be developed in Winnemucca according to the flier.
Lusby-Angvick said she’s notified the mines and the school district and will notify the prison and the hospital so prospective employees are notified of the local housing opportunities. She’s also trying to get the housing information into other communities including Fernley and Winnemucca.
“A lot of people commute (to Lovelock and Pershing County) and maybe a lot of people are looking, who knows,” she said. “They are very nice houses. The builder met with the mayor and I on Friday to see if there are other resources or avenues for getting the word out.”
The developer asked if the city could install sidewalks but the city does not have the funds, Lusby-Angvick told county leaders. The builder then offered to install concrete sidewalks if the city completes the dirt work first and the city agreed, she said.
“It should be a nice addition to that end of the community,” Lusby-Angvick told the county commission. “The infrastructure was in the roads so that’s why he chose those lots to start with.”
ELECTRIC HIGHWAY
Verdek, a contractor for NV Energy, is still seeking potential sites for a group of four electric car charging stations in Lovelock, Lusby-Angvick told county leaders. State grants are available for the charging stations as the state expands the “electric highway” across Nevada.
“The gentleman gave me a call and he is looking for potential locations in the city for a four-vehicle charging station,” she said. “There are four entities in our area that are looking at it. One is in the industrial park, one is at the south end of town, actually the Lovelock Trading Post. The other is the Lovelock Depot and another potential site could be the Courthouse Park.”
Masonic Hall officials said no to losing four parking spaces to car charging stations. Business owners could benefit more from the potential customers, Commissioner Rob McDougal said.
“I’m of the opinion now that it’s much better to try and encourage any private entity,” he said. “If it’s at the Trading Post or the east side of Nanny Jo’s or something where there’s commercial activity. People could be parking for a half hour to several hours and walk to get food. It’s a non-income generating (program) but it might generate some traffic in their own businesses.”
Anyone interested in more information on the new Lovelock homes or the electric car charging stations may contact Lusby-Angvick at 775-273-4909 or email her at pceda.hlusby@gmail.com.
