Planning commission backs Microsoft master plan and zoning changes for 21-acre parcel in Silver Springs

The Lyon County Planning Commission on July 8 unanimously voted to forward to the Board of County Commissioners recommendations to change the master plan designation and zoning on roughly 21 acres of a larger Microsoft-owned parcel in Silver Springs.

The commission’s recommendation covers two linked requests from Microsoft Corporation: a master plan amendment to change approximately 21 acres of a roughly 243.59-acre parcel from an “employment” designation to “commercial,” and a zoning map amendment to change that same 21 acres from Service Industrial (SI) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC). Senior Planner Louis Carriello told commissioners the requests were intended to make zoning and master plan designations consistent with adjacent Microsoft-owned land and to prepare for a future electrical substation and related mapping and parcel merger work.

Staff said the county advised Microsoft to pursue the master plan amendment and zoning change before recording any reconfigured parcels to avoid split zoning across new lots. Carriello said the parcels are in Lyon County’s Suburban Character District and that utility service in the area is provided in part by the Silver Springs Mutual Water Company and the Silver Springs General Improvement District. He also identified above-ground utility corridors in the adopted 2020 master plan and the nearby Silver Springs Technology Park as factors supporting the findings in favor of the amendments.

Microsoft’s representative, Stacy Huggins of Wood Rodgers, offered to answer questions but otherwise left technical details to county staff. One nearby property owner, Brett Lovett, said he owns multiple parcels within the notice radius and did not receive mailed notice; he asked staff to check the noticing records.

Commissioners moved and seconded the two recommendations separately. The commission’s recorded outcome for both items was 6-0 in favor of forwarding recommendations of approval to the Board of County Commissioners.

Carriello noted that master plan and zone changes do not themselves approve a project. If the master plan and zoning changes are ultimately approved by the Board of County Commissioners, the county will still require subsequent land-use approvals, including the mapping (merger and resubdivision) and any project-level permits necessary for construction of a substation or other facilities.

The commission’s actions on the two items do not authorize development; they are forwarding recommendations for action by the Board of County Commissioners.