Washoe County Board of Adjustment approves Chocolate Drive amendments and major-grading permit for 240-unit multifamily development

The Washoe County Board of Adjustment on Feb. 6 approved amendments to the Chocolate Drive multifamily project and a separate special-use permit authorizing major grading for the same development in Sun Valley.

The board voted to approve an amendment to the administrative permit (WAC24-0010) for Petcor Investments that extends the time to obtain a building permit and updates parking, bicycle storage, trash enclosure, common-open-space and landscaping provisions. The board separately approved special-use permit WSUP24-0019 to allow major grading associated with construction of the 240-unit development.

The project site spans two parcels along Chocolate Drive between West Second and West Fifth avenues, adjacent to Red Hill Open Space. Planning staff and the applicant said the administrative amendment keeps the same unit count (240) and two-story building heights but modifies parking and site layout to conform to Washoe County’s 2024 development-code changes. Under the updated code, staff said the required parking dropped to 288 spaces; the applicant is proposing 360 spaces, including 20 garages and 102 carports, plus long-term bike storage for each unit and 105 short-term bike parking racks.

On grading, staff said the special-use permit covers 98,389 cubic yards of cut and 96,701 cubic yards of fill, with a net balance of 1,638 cubic yards on-site and a total disturbance of 23.87 acres. The plan includes four detention basins and tiered retaining walls (maximum 10 feet each) separated by 10-foot benches; staff said retaining-wall benches will be landscaped.

Craig Maroski, a Petcor Investments representative, said the project will include “full time on-site property management” and that the developer expects rents to be restricted for a minimum of 30 years through HUD processes. “We want to make sure we maintain the property for at least the 30-year compliance period,” Maroski said.

Engineers for the applicant and county staff said drainage improvements will treat both on-site runoff and significant off-site flows that currently run from Red Hill through neighboring properties. “We added additional storm drain infrastructure along Chocolate Drive and within our development. We are taking those post-drainage flows into Fifth and Side Hall Avenue where there are more significant channels,” civil engineer Chris Wechter (Kimley Horn) said.

Several Sun Valley residents raised concerns during public comment about traffic, drainage and whether paving and pedestrian connections will reach existing homes. Mark Newman, a Sun Valley resident, said he worries that off-site drainage will not be fixed by the developer and that residents could be left to shovel ditches. “If somebody gets hit and killed, it’s gonna be on you guys because you didn’t wanna do anything,” Newman said.

County engineers said the developer must submit a hydrology and hydraulic report at the building-permit stage and must provide an operations-and-maintenance manual for privately owned storm facilities before county acceptance. Janelle Thomas, a senior licensed county civil engineer, summarized the enforcement path: plans are reviewed against standards (including the Truckee Meadows regional drainage manual); infrastructure is inspected during construction; privately owned elements are to be maintained by the owner or property-management entity; and complaints about impacts to public infrastructure can be routed through county channels for enforcement if conditions are violated.

Board members pressed for clarity on how Chocolate Drive will tie into existing roads. County staff and the applicant said Chocolate Drive will be constructed and paved from Second to Fifth Avenue and dedicated as public right of way (fee title) once the quiet-title and dedication processes are complete; intersecting streets such as Gepford and Fourth will receive tie-ins but the unpaved portion of Chocolate Drive north of Fifth will remain unimproved and is not part of the project. Chris Vector (Kimley Horn) told the board the quiet-title action to confirm roadway dedication had been recorded that morning as document 5516744.

Public commenters asked whether detention basins and other privately owned storm infrastructure will have long-term funding or reserves for maintenance. Maroski said investors will place replacement reserves as part of project financing and that the project team can provide details at building permit. County staff said the required operations-and-maintenance manual must specify maintenance frequency, equipment and responsible parties and will be provided to the property manager or homeowners/landscape-maintenance association.

Votes at a glance

- Amendment of conditions (WAC24-0010) — Approve amendment of administrative permit WADMIN22-0029 (Chocolate Drive) to extend the building-permit deadline and modify parking, bike storage, trash enclosures, open space and landscaping. Moved by Peter Gershon; seconded by Rob Pierce; motion approved (tally recorded as yes: 5, no: 0).

- Special-use permit for major grading (WSUP24-0019) — Approve major grading for Chocolate Drive multifamily development (cut 98,389 cu yd; fill 96,701 cu yd; net 1,638 cu yd; disturbance 23.87 acres). Moved by Leo Harishni; seconded by Don Christiansen; motion approved unanimously (tally recorded as yes: 5, no: 0).

Why it matters

If built as approved, the Chocolate Drive project will add 240 multifamily units in Sun Valley and includes roadway, drainage and trailhead improvements the county and applicants say will address long-standing off-site runoff. Neighbors told the board they remain concerned about traffic patterns, how paving will reach existing properties and long-term maintenance of privately held drainage features.

What’s next

County staff said detailed hydrology reports and civil improvement plans are required at building-permit stage; the county engineer must accept the operations-and-maintenance manual before private storm infrastructure is approved. The project team said it will provide replacement-reserve details and the O&M manual during permit review.