Washoe County Planning Commission advances Tahoe-area plan updates, approves two abandonments and three zoning changes

The Washoe County Planning Commission on Tuesday, Aug. 5, approved multiple land‑use actions affecting the Tahoe planning area and neighboring developments, including two abandonments along Red Rock Road and Old Ranch Road, a master plan amendment to the Tahoe Area Plan, a master plan and regulatory‑zone consolidation for 700 Harper Court in Incline Village, and a density increase for a small Crystal Bay regulatory special area at 560 Lakeshore.

The commission voted unanimously on each item and directed staff to forward recommendations that require further approvals to the Washoe County Board of County Commissioners and, where applicable, to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA).

The master plan amendment portion of the Tahoe Area Plan update approved Tuesday retains an existing reference to the Tyrolean Village special area after property owner concerns led staff to withdraw a proposed removal. Senior planner Kat Oakley told commissioners the amended text also adds the Tahoe Transportation District to development of a parking‑management plan, updates transit and multimodal references to align with TRPA’s active‑transportation plan, updates references to the University of Nevada, Reno at Tahoe, and adds dates to data tables. Oakley said the development‑code revisions tied to the broader project are separate and were the subject of most public comment during earlier outreach.

During the general public‑comment period, Incline Village resident Rhonda Tyser urged the commission to oppose proposals she said would increase accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and density in the Tahoe Basin. “Allowing ADUs will exacerbate our already significant parking and traffic problems,” Tyser said, and raised evacuation concerns for long, narrow neighborhood roads. Her remarks were made during public comment and were not part of a staff recommendation.

The commission also approved two abandonment requests brought by property owners and county staff: - WAB25‑0003 (Red Rock Road): Approval to abandon Washoe County’s interest in 20,606 square feet of right‑of‑way along Red Rock Road on assessor’s parcel numbers 08739010 and 08738011. Staff noted one parcel (about 308.6 acres, Silver Hills specific plan) has a tentative map (WTM21‑006) for a 358‑lot single‑family subdivision; the second parcel is public services (PSP) land owned by the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and contains a volunteer fire station. The Regional Transportation Commission provided a written confirmation that the abandonment conforms with the Red Rock Road widening project. No public comments were received on the item; staff included standard conditions in Exhibit A. Commissioner Rob Pierce moved to approve; Commissioner Linda Kennedy seconded. The motion passed unanimously. - WAB25‑0004 (Old Ranch Road): Approval to abandon a 130‑foot segment of a 50‑foot grading easement coterminous with the northern property line of Lot 10 of Tract Map 1413A at 2805 Old Ranch Road. Planner Tim Evans said the 5.093‑acre parcel’s request is intended to permit construction of a detached garage in a relatively flat area of the site; the application was routed to 30 agencies and engineering provided conditions included in Exhibit A. The applicant’s architect, Kurt Hilker, showed slope maps and photos illustrating steep topography elsewhere on the lot. Seven adjacent parcels were noticed; staff received no public opposition. Commissioner Rob Pierce moved to approve; Commissioner Amy Owens seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

A separate, property‑specific request for 700 Harper Court (WMPA25‑002 and WRZA25‑002) cleared the commission after discussion about TRPA coverage limits and neighborhood concern. Senior planner Courtney Wyke explained the 5.75‑acre parcel is currently split between a conservation (Mount Rose) designation, where year‑round residential use is not allowed except as a summer home, and an Incline Village residential designation. The existing single‑family home (built 1992) sits entirely within the Mount Rose portion and is therefore nonconforming. TRPA’s coverage rules place the parcel in a land‑cap class that allows about 1% impervious coverage (≈2,518 sq. ft. for the parcel); Wyke and applicant representative Nick Exline said the parcel currently has about 7,475 sq. ft. of existing coverage, a legacy condition TRPA has already verified, and the proposed amendments would not increase allowable coverage or development potential. Exline told commissioners “this amendment is being sought for fire insurance reasons,” saying continuous residential designation across the parcel would reduce rebuilding and insurance complications if the structure were destroyed by fire. Staff reported five written public comments expressing concern about increased development potential; TRPA staff provided informal support contingent on TRPA processes. The commission adopted the master plan amendment and recommended the regulatory‑zone amendment to the Board of County Commissioners; both votes were unanimous.

Finally, the commission recommended approval of a development‑code amendment (WDCA25‑004) changing the maximum density for multifamily dwellings in the Crystal Bay Condominiums special area for the 560 Lakeshore project from 4 units per acre to 6 units per acre. Senior planner Courtney Wyke explained the special‑area regulatory zone covers 2.34 acres across five parcels, two of which are existing airspace condominium units; the change would raise the theoretical maximum for the entire special area from 9 units to 14 units, although TRPA coverage and existing recorded parcel conditions mean most parcels have no remaining coverage to develop and are unlikely to realize additional units. The applicant, Phil Guilenfar, said there is no specific redevelopment proposal today but that increasing the density for one small parcel that formerly housed a gas station could enable a redevelopment more consistent with adjacent condominium densities. The commission voted to forward the recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners; the vote was unanimous.

Actions at the Aug. 5 meeting are subject to the ordinary review processes where noted: master plan and regulatory‑zone amendments require Board of County Commissioners action and TRPA findings where applicable; development‑code amendments are recommendations to the Board. The commission asked staff to report back within 60 days on its Tahoe Area Plan recommendation submission to the board. Commissioners present for all votes were Jim Barnes, Michael Flick, Linda Kennedy, Dan Nazarevsky, Kate Nelson, Amy Owens and Rob Pierce; all votes recorded on the items above were unanimous.

The planning commission closed its meeting with a request for staff to provide an update on Incline Village evacuation planning and adjourned the session.