Planning commission recommends rezoning 19.68-acre Silver Springs site to heavy industrial suburban

The Lyon County Planning Commission on Sept. 9 voted to forward a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners to rezone three parcels totaling approximately 19.68 acres at 1700 East U.S. Highway 50 in Silver Springs from a mix of M-1 (General Industrial), C-1 (Limited Commercial) and RR-5 (Rural Residential, 20-acre minimum) to Title 15 HI-S (Heavy Industrial Suburban).

The vote to recommend approval was made by Commissioner Wendy Loomis, seconded by Commissioner Loretta Sal and passed 6-0-0. The request was filed by Nevada RE Holdings LLC and appears on the staff report as PLZ-2025-050.

Staff planner Lewis told the commission the three parcels are clustered east of the traffic circle where Highways 95A and U.S. 50 meet in Silver Springs and contain an existing industrial building, silo and a cooling pond. The property was previously used for animal feed production, Lewis said, and the new owners told staff they intend to pursue tenant improvements to create an aluminum cast house serving the aerospace industry. Lewis said staff toured the site and recommended the zoning change because the master plan designates the area as industrial and the existing zoning map contains multiple, legacy classifications that are inconsistent with that designation.

The staff report says the parcels total just under 20 acres and are served by the Silver Springs Mutual Water Company; they are not inside the Silver Springs GID sewer service area and currently rely on an on-site commercial septic system. Lewis said future use or expansion that changes sewage handling would need separate approvals; the staff presentation specifically noted that future commercial septic work will require approval from the agency named in the staff report as "NDT." Access to the site is direct to Highway 50/95A, and Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and Central Lyon Fire were identified as the public-safety responders for the location.

Commission discussion focused on the legacy mismatch between zoning and the 2020 master plan. Commissioner Mark Jones asked why the site had not been redesignated earlier; Lewis and other staff explained the county sometimes retains older parcel-level zoning established decades ago and property owners are not compelled to seek rezoning unless they pursue expansion or new development. Commissioners also clarified that any tenant improvements or building expansions will require building permits and potentially administrative design review under county code; Lewis further noted that if parcel boundaries become an issue for future construction, the county would advise parcel consolidation so buildings would not cross property lines.

The staff recommendation and the motion approved by the commission explicitly requested the planning commission forward the rezoning recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners for final action. The staff report includes the applicant’s site photographs, a master-plan map showing the parcels in the industrial designation, and a history note indicating a 1978 board action that affected a 300-foot strip along Highway 50 referenced in assessor materials.

Ending: The Planning Commission’s recommendation will go next to the Lyon County Board of County Commissioners, which must take final action on the zoning map amendment. No final county decision was recorded at this meeting.