Planning commission forwards Andalyn Ranch final development handbook to council after drainage update

The Sparks Planning Commission on Monday forwarded a recommendation to the City Council to approve the Andalyn Ranch final development handbook, finding the final handbook in substantial conformance with the tentatively approved handbook. The item (PCN 21-0008 / PD25-0003) covers the northern 115 acres of the project site located near 8100 Pyramid Way and preserves agricultural and agritourism uses while detailing development standards for temporary event parking, open space and future commercial acreage.

Scott Carey, development services manager, told the commission this is a conformance review: "With the final handbook, that acts as the zoning code for this parcel, and it's basically… a conformance exercise where we're looking for substantial compliance with the tentatively approved handbook." Carey said the tentative handbook had already been approved by the City Council earlier in the year and that the final handbook must be recorded to act as the zoning code for the property.

The final handbook continues to allow agritourism operations that have operated on the site for decades and carries forward a provision for temporary, alternative parking standards for special events. Carey described one specific allowance for a 10-acre alfalfa field in the northwest corner of the site to be used as overflow parking for up to 80 days per year without requiring a paved lot. He said the final handbook sets aside a minimum of 50 acres to remain in ranching operations going forward.

Commission staff and the city's senior civil engineer discussed updates to the drainage documentation. Susan Yang, senior civil engineer, told commissioners the drainage study should follow the Truckee Meadows Regional Drainage Manual and that, because the regional and site-specific studies used different methods, staff asked the applicant to add a section to the handbook. "By doing this, the city reserved the right to demand a pond in the future," Yang said, adding that any requirement for a pond would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis considering project size and timing.

Carey summarized the five conformance findings the commission was asked to make, each framed in the negative (i.e., the final handbook must not vary specified items from the tentative handbook). He reported the final handbook does not change gross residential density or intensity, the residential-to-nonresidential ratio, the area set aside for common open space, the amount of nonresidential floor area, nor the total ground area covered by buildings or building heights that were included in the tentative handbook. Based on that review, staff recommended the commission recommend approval to City Council.

No members of the public spoke on the item at the hearing. Commissioners moved to forward a recommendation of approval (mover: Commissioner Pritzo; second: Commissioner Reid) and voted unanimously to send the final handbook to the City Council.

The final handbook establishes development standards for the northern 115 acres, describes that 100 acres are designated for agritourism uses and 16 acres for future supporting commercial uses, and carries over prior council decisions including a one-year window for applicant final handbook approval following tentative approval. The added drainage language (Exhibit 3, pages 169–170) requires the applicant to address potential off-site drainage impacts consistent with the Truckee Meadows manual and reserves the city’s right to require a stormwater pond if subsequent evaluations indicate one is necessary. The commission's action is a recommendation to the City Council; final adoption will occur only after council consideration and recording of the handbook.