Mogul residents say 'No' to a proposed industrial complex

Mogul residents say there’s a chain of events that will follow if the Reno Gateway Business Project is approved. They add no chain in that link is positive

A familiar sound out in Mogul, the Union Pacific and Amtrak trains travel across these tracks in Mogul on a daily basis.

For those living south of the tracks, there are no crossing arms, so this truck has to wait in the middle of the intersection until the train passes.

A bus stop drops kids off at the bottom of east bound exit seven.

Local residents go to the river near here, and the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway is nearby.

It's an idyllic place to live say Mogul residents.

But if a Las Vegas Developer has his way, residents say the Reno Gateway Business Park will change all of that.

“It is not in the right place,” says Caryn Neidhold a Mogul resident. “The scale is out of balance. There will be traffic in here that will endanger residents and people driving past on I-80,” she says.

The 27 acre commercial industrial project is located just below the scenic outlook point on I-80 east just before Mogul.

The vacant lot would also include a storage facility- all in what the developer calls "Flex Space."

There will be truck docks for semis which residents say will travel in and out of this cramped space day and night.

The roadway is two lane.

Residents say that means the trucks and other additional traffic will have to share the road with children, school buses, bike riders, and walkers in the area.

Of greatest concern is the narrow roadway which makes its way to Interstate 80 west which residents say, does not provide enough time or space to safely enter the interstate--especially when a semi-truck is involved.

We tried it. Boxed in by one car we were able to merge just in time.

“We are asking Mogul residents, Somersett residents, anybody that uses I-80 west or I-80 through Mogul to come to that meeting and show their support that this is too much,” says Neidhold

Neidhold is one of five residents appealing the city planning commission's 3-to-2 vote in favor of the project.

What's interesting to note here:

This area is county.

But there's something called a “sphere of influence” by the City of Reno where the city council will make the final decision.

A council in which Mogul residents have no representation.

Mike Railey, representing Bentar Development Company says, they have reduced their plans significantly to address the residents’ concerns.

Fewer docks and most of the traffic he says will be pickup and passenger traffic.

As far as the on-ramp west to Interstate 80 he says NDOT sees no problem there.

He says that area has been designated industrial for 35-years.

Residents point out there were few homes in Mogul 35 years ago.

Now there are 400 to 450 homes in Mogul.

They’ll take their observations to the Reno City Council December 4th and 6:00 in the evening.