The Reno Planning Commission reviewed a request from the Daybreak developer to approve a tentative map for the development on 4/21/21. It is on the corner of the property near the intersection of South Meadows Parkway and Echo Valley Parkway. It is for 173 homes on 34 acres: Villages 18-B and 19-A. These are small lots: 3400 sqft to 4500 sqft. The market is claimed to be the “missing middle”. While part of Daybreak, this development will be called “Talus Valley”. The developer gave a presentation and then the staff gave one also. Brooklyn Oswald concluded with a recommendation to approve this application. The commissioners had no questions: there was no discussion. The application was approved unanimously.

The developer for the Mount Rose Commercial Center presented their plan to the city council. The developer is seeking approval to proceed with grading and moving the drainage-way which may be on a 24-hour basis. The lots subject to 24-hour work are on the south side of the site toward the geothermal power plant. The planning staff recommended approval. There was no public comment.

• Building height up to 55 feet by zoning. This will probably be representative of any warehouse buildings.
• Traffic studies have not been done. A traffic study will be required when each parcel is defined.

There was no discussion. The permit was approved unanimously.

AGENDA

MEETING VIDEO (Mt Rose, 1:43, Daybreak, 1:03)

Councilmember Duerr hosted a town hall meeting on Zoom regarding the planned Canyons’ Edge development. It’s a small development of 8 homes at the foot of the steep rise above Damonte Ranch and The Palisades. It is the next step in peripheral sprawl from the recently approved Canyons development. The 80 acres will be divided into 8 10-acre lots. Only 14 acres will be developed. The other 66 acres are too steep (30% slope or more). In effect, the homes will be on small lots with nearly 10 acres of vertical back yard.

John Krmpotic of KLS Planning gave the presentation. He made two points to show the efforts made by the developer to address community concerns.

• The developer would accommodate the wild horses with a path through the development and a water trough further up the hillside. This would be considered temporary for two years until Reno came up with a comprehensive plan to manage and support the wild horses.
• The developer would zone the 66 acres as Open Space and would allow access by the public. The Open Space area would be under the control and management of Reno.

Krmpotic represented these as “concessions” to the neighbors. One resident pointed out that the accommodation of the wild horses was not a concession but rather a mitigation (addressing a problem caused by the development itself). Also, the 66 acres are too steep to build on. It’s not conceding much to make it Open Space.

The meeting lasted an hour and a half. Open issues remain.

• What will the cumulative effects be when the Sunny Hills development is built on the adjoining properties to the North?
• What will happen after two years? Will Reno be ready with their plan to support the wild horses when the developer starts building and blocks the horses’ access?
• How will horses access the planned water trough which is on a steep hillside?
• What does it mean for a homeowner to own Open Space? Legally, the homeowner could fence off all or part of their property whatever the zoning. The developer wants to sell the properties as 10-acre lots, but guarantees public access to 82% of it. This appears untenable.

The developer has submitted a Master Plan Amendment to change the zoning from UT-40 (one home per 40 acres) to one home per 10 acres. While it’s only a few homes, it follows the pattern of every developer seeking a zoning change to build at higher densities. They are also requesting a designation change from Tier-3 to Tier-2 by the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Authority for the 14 acres. Building is largely prohibited on Tier-3 areas. The developer does not yet have a date for the Reno Planning Commission to review the project. Dolan said that he had wanted to move forward earlier when he felt “he had strong staff support”. He didn’t expand on how that had changed.

Duerr made the point that the conditions about accommodating the wild horses should have been incorporated into the PUD for the Canyons development which was just recently approved. Dolan argued that this was not possible since that development had a different owner: his brother, Jack Dolan (Six Development). He went on to admit that Jack was also an investor in his company; Virginia 40’s. It sounds like good old Reno.

KLS Presentation

Approved at the end of the last real-estate boom in 2006, the Terrasante project (previously called Callamont) appears to have new life in it. It is a 395 acre property with a plan to build 210 homes located at the south end of the Callahan Road off of the Mount Rose Highway. Reliable sources say that the builder will be Toll Brothers. The county records still show that it is owned by Gateway LC that bought the property in 2009. The addition of over 200 homes will have an impact on the residents along Callahan Road.

Workers are now marking the routes for sewer and utility service: they told a neighbor that the Toll Brothers would be building the development. This is an old plan: it’s a zombie project. It has had its deadline for “final map” submission extended many times by a county commission and planning department eager to support development. The deadline for the final map submission is intended to avoid this problem of a project that met the county requirements 15 years ago to be built now with no updated review. It also does not consider other development projects that have been approved in the area that will have cumulative impacts. Changes to the plan will require that the plan go back to the Washoe Planning Commission for review and approval, but some changes are allowed during the detail design of the final map. There is no requirement for public review or disclosure. The process happens within the planning department working with the developer.

The Reno Planning Commission will consider a plan to develop the property across the Mount Rose Highway ( Rt.431) from the Summit Mall on April 21, 2021. The meeting starts at 6:00 PM. This property is on the south side of 431 next to the Ormat geothermal power plant and the Waste Management transfer station. It is an 88-acre property made up of several parcels. This property is considered part of the “Reno Sphere of Influence”, so the development decisions will be through the Reno Planning Commission and the Reno City Council. It is an exception to the general rule that the city’s entitlement ends at 431.

The developer, Pannatoni, intends to sell parcels that others will build on “to suit” or “to spec”. The plan is to include neighborhood commercial (like dry cleaners), restaurants, and some residential. Some parcels will include 24-hour businesses. These will be located closest to the 431/Virginia St. (Old 395) intersection. There is no plan to build a casino: some businesses my install slot machines. One major investor is adamant about not building a casino. There is no position on Marijuana business: that would require a special permit from the city in any case.

Councilmember Duerr hosted a remote meeting for this presentation with Andy Durling of Wood Rogers on 3/29/21. Several questions and concerns were raised.

• Traffic: there is no plan to add another traffic light. The main entrance will be opposite the Summit Mall utilizing Herz Drive. There will be another entrance uphill on 431 which will be right-in and right-out only (like Edmonton). There will also be two entrances from Old 395. One will be right-in and right-out only. The second will be right-in and right-out and left-in with no signal. The concern is that we will see what is happening at Edmonton where some motorists make a dangerous, illegal left turn to go up the hill. The car speeds exceed 50mph: misjudgments are deadly.
• Stormwater Drainage: the property will produce excess drainage due to the soil compaction and the paving. The Steamboat Ditch will be retained and improved with features to capture silt. The developer claims that the project will incorporate features to mitigate the runoff so that there is no net increase after the development is complete. Residents may remember that in Lemmon Valley roughly half the storm-water retention features were not built to code.
• Billboards: two billboards presently on the property would be removed. The sign companies may relocate them elsewhere in Reno. It is not known what signage the new development would have.
• Wildlife: the developer will get a survey completed and approved by NDOW. There is concern about the Steamboat Buckwheat habitat. The developer plans to leave this area undisturbed. There is also concern that 99% of the Monarch Butterfly habitat in the West has been destroyed.

See the developer’s presentation for additional detail.

See recorded meeting notes.