- Senate Bill No. 491-Committee on Finance
CHAPTER
561
- AN ACT relating to state lands; authorizing Washoe County to use a portion of the fairgrounds land leased from the State of Nevada for the construction and maintenance of a county public building complex; exempting such land from a statutory trust; making legislative findings; directing the execution of an amendatory lease; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
[Approved July 16, 1997]
- THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Legislature finds that:
1. By the provisions of chapter XXVII, Statutes of Nevada 1887, the Nevada state agricultural society, a state institution, was empowered to expend appropriated money to purchase and improve fairgrounds, the title of such acquired property to be vested in the State of Nevada for the sole use and benefit of the State of Nevada.
2. On March 9, 1889, the Nevada state agricultural society caused the NE 1/4 SW 1/4 and SE 1/4 NW 1/4 of Section 1, T. 19 N., R. 19 E., M.D.B. & M., in Washoe County, Nevada, to be conveyed to the State of Nevada in pursuance of chapter XXVII, Statues of Nevada 1887.
3. On May 1, 1951, the state board of agriculture, pursuant to chapter 251, Statutes of Nevada 1951, leased the property described in subsection 2 (approximately 80 acres less a described area of 2.904 acres) to Washoe County, Nevada, for 50 years with the express provision that the lessee "recognized the trust imposed by Chapter XXVII, Statutes of Nevada 1887, * * * and agrees to manage, control and properly maintain the said property subject to said trust."
4. On August 3, 1971, an amendment made pursuant to chapter 295, Statutes of Nevada 1971, extended the term of the May 1, 1951, lease to March 21, 2050, upon the same terms.
5. The limited building expansion capacity of Washoe County coupled with the growth of the county dictate the necessity for providing additional county's building space within the next 15 years, and the long-term growth envisaged can only be accommodated through the construction of additional facilities in a location that is contiguous to existing facilities and allows sufficient area for planned expansion.
6. A portion of the premises leased by the State of Nevada to Washoe County on May 1, 1951, provides an excellent site for the construction of a county building complex, having accessibility to the developing highway transportation system, proximity to the residents of the cities of Reno and Sparks and the availability of free public parking.
7. On September 2, 1972, Washoe County executed a lease with the Nevada State Fair, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, by the terms of which the Washoe County fairgrounds were leased to the Nevada State Fair, Inc., for 25 years for a nominal rent for the purpose of conducting the annual Nevada State Fair; that such lease was amended on September 5, 1975, specifically exempting 13.503 acres from the original lease and reserving such parcel for the exclusive use of Washoe County, subject to compatible use by the Nevada State Fair, Inc., on official fair days.
8. In addition to its administrative building and senior citizen center constructed on the 13.503 acres subject to the lease executed on September 2, 1972, described above, Washoe County needs a regional emergency operations center, regional dispatch center and additional parking for these and the other facilities at this location and for the reasons stated in subsection 6, construction and operation of a regional emergency operation facility, regional dispatch center and additional parking on a portion of the Washoe County fairgrounds is desirable.
Sec. 2. 1. Upon the effective date of this act, the Administrator of the Division of State Lands of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as ex officio State Land Registrar, is directed forthwith to execute an amended lease with Washoe County, Nevada, whereby the real property described in section 3 of this act shall be exempt from any trust imposed by the statutes enumerated in section 1 of this act and shall be made immediately available for use by Washoe County during the term of the existing lease expiring on March 21, 2050, for the purposes of constructing and maintaining thereon a county public building complex.
2. The amended lease directed to be executed by subsection 1 shall not affect the term of the lease from the State of Nevada to Washoe County, which term expires, unless otherwise directed by the Legislature, on March 21, 2050; and as provided in subsection 2 of chapter 295, Statutes of Nevada 1951, upon the expiration of the term of the lease on March 21, 2050, the property and all improvements thereon shall revert to the State of Nevada.
Sec. 3. The real property to be exempt from any trust imposed by the statutes enumerated in section 1 of this act and to be made immediately available for use by Washoe County as specified in section 2 of this act is described as follows:
All that certain piece or parcel of land situate in the southwest 1/4 of section 1, township 19 north, range 19 east, M.D.M. and being more particularly described as follows:
Beginning at the intersection of the east right-of-way line of North Wells Avenue and the north right-of-way line of East Ninth Street in the City of Reno, County of Washoe, State of Nevada, said intersection being the point of beginning; thence North 1°43¢54² East, 779.20 feet along the east right-of-way line of said North Wells Avenue; thence leaving said right-of-way and proceeding South 88°12¢41² east 669.35 feet to a point on the west right-of-way line of Sutro Street; thence south 0°33¢14² west, 690.66 feet along the west right-of-way of Sutro Street to the point of intersection with the north right-of-way line of East Ninth Street; thence along the north right-of-way line of East Ninth Street, north 89°16¢47² west 1272.65 feet to the said point of beginning and containing an area of 21.3 acres more or less.
Sec. 4. Chapter 52, Statutes of Nevada 1977, at page 123, is hereby repealed.
Sec. 5. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.
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