Carson City makes gains but still searches for a sense of place

“Every American city, whether it prides itself on its public sculptures or deep-dish pizza, on hot-air balloons or woolen jackets, on abundant trout streams or Greek architecture, needs to develop that identity, or if it has been allowed to escape, remember what it once was.”

That single sentence written by Robert E. Price, author of “The Bakersfield Sound” and award-winning Executive Editor of the newspaper Bakersfield Californian, struck a chord with me, for as we go forth with our “reimagining,” we still don’t have a clear vision/identity of who we were or who we are today.

For years, we have been trying to find our sense of place and have had a number of “consultants” attempt to assist us in our quest; however, after spending a small fortune, we are no closer to identifying who we have been, are, or will be because nothing seems to resonate.

Sense of place is defined as a combination of characteristics that makes a place special and unique. Sense of place involves the human experience in a landscape, the local knowledge and folklore. Pretty simple explanation, but getting consensus seems impossible when you have groups looking through only their glasses and not seeing the whole.

We have so many new residents with absolutely no institutional knowledge and currently no clear visionaries who impart — or fight for — how unique our city truly is and always has been in shaping the history of this state.

However, strongly brought forth are the visions of those who seem to think we should reinvent ourselves into something we clearly are not. There have been no comparisons to a city with some of the same challenges we face: state capitol, gaming, small geographic size, lack of tourism, proximity to a much larger city, no university full of young students. Sorry folks, but there’s no ocean beach here so the comparison to coastal California cities just doesn’t fly.

We absolutely need to stop thinking of ourselves as the shadow of Reno. We will never reach the population size of the Reno-Sparks Metro Area with a current population of over 426,000 and plenty of room to expand in their 6,551 square miles as compared to our 144-square miles. In the early 2000’s, the prediction for a Carson City build-out was about 90,000 — that was before the economic downturn. Our current population is 13 percent of that of Reno-Sparks Metro Area at 54,500 souls.

We will never have a university or an international airport — Reno is too close. We are not situated on a major U.S Highway and we don’t have a river running through us. And, as much as we are pleased to be able to provide the shopping opportunities for surrounding counties, we are not large enough - even with our regional draw - for a mega shopping complex full of high end stores.

Some would have you think we are a bedroom community to Reno, but we are anything but. We travel to Reno to enjoy some of the attractions Reno has to offer and that’s OK, but we are pretty self-sufficient otherwise.

What we have found is that Renoites will come here if we tout our attractions. We received many calls from Washoe County residents who wanted to be here for the first major tour of our Nevada State Prison held on Saturday April 16. Our “hook” may not be shopping or even dining, but it sure can be our historical attractions — once we collectively realize how great they are!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Monday-Friday, over 5,500 residents commute from Washoe County to Carson City to work. The traffic from Douglas County is over 3,500 and those living in Lyon total over 3,300 commuters. When computing all areas, 42.4 percent (2014 stats) of our workforce daily arrives from elsewhere. Yes, we send commuters to other areas as well, but they live and pay taxes here.

With the right thinking we can become so much more than Reno and embrace what we have always been — the very heart and soul of Nevada. Our history is the reason many visitors stop here. As a part of the fictional Ponderosa, people expect history and we give it to them in the form of sending them to our museums. When the Nevada State Prison is up and running regularly scheduled tours and the Stewart Indian School becomes more of an attraction, we’ll be on everyone’s travel “bucket list.”

During some of the city open houses, residents spoke clearly they wish to retain some historic components, and we will soon see if those voices were heard. What will keep us unique as we go through yet another metamorphous is that our historic capitol will remain as will some of the iconic buildings across from the capitol, once slated to also be torn down, but miraculously saved.

Though not particularly historic, we should be proud of our Legislative Park, so prominent in the heart of the city, but so underused. We’ll soon have Rob McFadden Plaza to use as a gathering place on this historic street now closed to traffic and directly across the street from the Legislative Park. If the businesses there work together for the common good, this could be a wonderful place to enjoy an afternoon sipping coffee or wine while meeting with friends.

Price asserts cities need to develop strong identities and never waiver from that core even when they think it is deeply rooted in their self-identity. He writes during the 1950’s and 60’s, Bakersfield was the Nashville of the West attracting such greats as the recently deceased Merle Haggard, Jimmie Rodgers, Buck Owens, Dwight Yokum and others. The stars were aligned to bring together some of the greatest country singers of all time and for a while, Bakersfield was acknowledged worldwide as the place for country music.

Why is Bakersfield no longer the capital of country music? The identity was not deeply embraced and the winds of change eroded what once uniquely Bakersfield. An internet search showed the historic Bakersfield Sound was mentioned only in relationship to Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace, a museum, restaurant and music venue dedicated to the legacy of Buck Owens and the Bakersfield Sound.

Lack of identity is an issue we face today in our own city. We don’t have enough “buy in” from the business community, our leadership and others who lack the understanding that fully embracing a “unified vision” allowing for a sense of place is our ticket for economic vitality.

A sense of place keeps us home and engaged and tourists coming to see what we have. Simply put, when tourism is strong, locals are the winners. #CarsonProud is a good beginning, but we need to define that of which we are proud and want to share with the world. Virginia City has learned that lesson well and capitalizes on it every day.
Carson City was once the playground for the Bay Area.

We had a horse racetrack and later car racetracks, nightlife and were known as a party kind of town. Tourism was strong and the city thrived. Somewhere along the way, we lost what we once were. Progress deemed these once popular spots to be razed and people went elsewhere. Leaders allowed our history to be destroyed instead of fighting for it. That’s always the easier route.

Though the Greater Bakersfield Area is more the size of Reno, there is much to be learned from author Robert Price about continuity and pride.

We are pleased to announce Mr. Price will be in Carson City to address those who understand the necessity of developing a strong sense of place citizens can proudly embrace. As Carson City goes forth into the future, a sense of place is imperative as we continue to attract developers who will build homes for many new residents who will embrace our history, culture and give us an even stronger sense of place.

Come meet and hear Robert E. Price, author of “The Bakersfield Sound” and award-winning Executive Editor of the Bakersfield Californian on Thursday, May 19, 11:30 a.m. at Gold Dust West. Cost: $20 per person includes lunch. Must RSVP prior to May 16. $25 after that date. Book early, for we anticipate this to be a sell-out.

— Ronni Hannaman is the Executive Director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce