Commission approves 92‑unit Silver Oak townhome project; tentative map cleared with garage‑use restriction

The Carson City Planning Commission on Aug. 27 approved a special‑use permit (LU2025‑0309) and recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a tentative subdivision map (SUV20250308) for the Silver Oak Townhomes, a proposed 92‑unit single‑family attached project on a 6.2‑acre parcel at GS Richards Boulevard and Silver Oak Drive.

Project and staff summary: Heather Manzo, community development staff, said the 6.2‑acre site previously had approval for a denser, three‑story multifamily project; the current proposal is a lower‑height, two‑story townhome product with 92 attached units and two access points from GS Richards. Manzo told commissioners the current proposal reduces density by roughly 13 dwelling units per acre compared with the prior multifamily approval and will generate substantially fewer vehicle trips.

Design, access and utilities: The project includes two building types—units with full‑length driveways at the west and units accessed from private alleys at the east. Steven Pote, development engineering, said the alleys will be widened to meet the development standard of a 26‑foot minimum drive aisle and that electric/communication easements shown on the site plan would need to be relinquished or adjusted where they conflict with proposed buildings.

Parking, trash and HOA controls: Staff and the applicant addressed parking and trash logistics. The applicant provided a waste management plan that designates pickup points and requires certain parking spaces to be signed "no parking on trash day"; residents will place individual totes in those spaces for collection and return them after pickup. Staff proposed and the commission accepted a condition requiring that lots that rely on garage space to meet code parking be subject to a recorded restriction on the final map limiting garage use to vehicle parking (not storage) and requiring disclosure to buyers. The applicant told the commission the units will be individually metered for utilities.

Traffic and public comments: The applicant's traffic estimates show the previously approved apartment project would have generated about 1,216 average daily trips; the townhome plan is estimated to generate approximately 651 average daily trips and about 51 PM peak hour trips. Opponents at public comment raised concerns about capacity of nearby streets, pedestrian safety, and emergency vehicle access; supporters and commissioners noted the lower height, lower density and design changes relative to the prior approval.

Action and conditions: The commission voted to approve the special‑use permit and to recommend approval of the tentative map to the Board of Supervisors. The tentative map approval includes conditions such as relinquishing conflicting easements, meeting required landscape and open‑space minima, widening alleys to development‑standard widths, ensuring waste‑management circulation as submitted, and recording a restriction that garages required to meet parking standards shall be used for vehicle parking only. The applicant (Stacy Huggins with Wood Rogers representing Dr. Horton) accepted the recommended conditions on the record.

Next steps: The special‑use permit stands as an approval from the Planning Commission; the tentative map will proceed to the Board of Supervisors for final action. Staff said the prior multifamily approval would be sunset if the current application is approved, preventing concurrent approvals for the same parcel.