Council adopts zoning-code cleanup; directs staff to draft stricter standards for data centers

Reno City Council members voted unanimously on Jan. 8 to adopt a long-planned update to Title 18 of the Reno Municipal Code (Ordinance No. 6692) that cleans up zoning definitions and procedures and adds several new use categories, including a distinct definition and permitting pathway for data centers.

The ordinance changes separate data centers from warehouses, add a definition for data centers and require conditional use permits for them. Angela Foos, assistant director of Development Services, told council "We have added a whole new use for data centers. We've added a definition. These are definitely different than a warehouse. ... We have required a conditional use permit for all data centers." The council adopted the ordinance after a public staff presentation and deliberation.

Why it matters: Council members said the new code brings clarity to how the city classifies large industrial uses. Several council members expressed concern that data centers are energy- and water-intensive and said the conditional-use requirement should be a floor, not the ceiling—asking staff to come back with more specific mitigation measures and a possible moratorium while the city develops them. Development Services staff and council agreed any future standards would be subject to public hearings at Planning Commission and additional council review.

Key details: the Title 18 update treats data centers differently from warehouses in a few concrete ways: it limits dock doors and similar vehicle-oriented features to reduce the chance a site could be converted from a data center into a high‑truck‑traffic distribution hub without new approvals; it requires site plan review and, for data centers, an explicit conditional use permit; and it relocates or tightens where warehouses and similar uses are allowed. Foos said the intent was to prevent confusion between distribution warehouses and low‑activity data centers and to ensure public review for data center projects.

Council direction and next steps: multiple council members asked staff to prepare a follow‑up text amendment focused specifically on data centers that could include requirements or incentives for on‑site renewable energy, battery storage, effluent or reclaimed‑water cooling, and stronger landscaping and screening to address neighborhood impacts. Staff said such a text amendment would be processed through the standard public review steps: a city-initiated text amendment, Planning Commission review, neighborhood advisory board input and public hearings before council. Councilmembers also discussed whether a short moratorium should be considered to allow time to adopt specific rules before new projects move forward.

What stayed the same: the Title 18 cleanup was framed by staff as correcting inconsistencies introduced by state law changes and prior code amendments; the bulk of the ordinance implements technical clarifications and reorganizes existing development standards.

Quotes and attributions: the only direct quote in this article is from Angela Foos, assistant director, Development Services. Other council comments are summarized and tied to the public record; direct statements were not attributed in the transcript to a single named mover for the adopting motion.

Ending: The ordinance (Ord. No. 6692) passed on Jan. 8. Staff committed to return with a focused text amendment on data-center standards for public review; council members signaled they want NV Energy, Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) and other regional partners included in the follow-up analysis.