Planning commission approves Spring Valley plan amendment and use permit for 5.5‑acre multifamily project with limited waivers

The Spring Valley Planning Commission on Nov. 6 approved a plan amendment and a use permit that allow a 5.51‑acre parcel near Mall Avenue and Buffalo Drive to be developed with a single, five‑story multifamily building and a three‑story parking garage.

The application included PA‑25‑700037 (plan amendment to redesignate the site from business employment to entertainment mixed use) and UC‑25‑0574 (use permit for multifamily development). The commission voted to adopt the plan amendment and approved the use permit, while addressing multiple waivers of development standards requested by the applicant.

Why it matters: The decision permits a larger multifamily project at a site where phase 1 of the development is already under construction. The applicant said the new design replaces several lower buildings with one larger structure and reduces unit count slightly to 255 from a previously approved 258.

What the commission approved and denied: The commission approved the plan amendment (PA‑25‑700037‑1) and approved two waivers (height to 67 feet and one other waiver the motion specified). The commission denied waivers that would have reduced parking‑lot landscaping, eliminated buffering and screening between commercial and residential zones, reduced parking by 16 spaces, and eliminated EV‑capable parking requirements; the design review was also denied under the motion restating staff concerns.

Applicant position: The applicant said phase 1 to the west remains under construction and that much of the surface parking and drive aisles are unchanged. The applicant argued the project is similar in intensity to adjacent development and asserted that assigned parking will ensure one space per unit and that the loss of some landscaping was driven by a desire to preserve parking count.

Staff and commission concerns: Staff had recommended denial of waivers tied to parking‑lot landscaping and buffering; commissioners repeatedly returned to landscaping and parking shortfalls during questions. One commissioner noted staff’s recommendation that the landscaping waiver was the key issue underlying several other denials.

Process and next steps: The motion to approve the plan amendment and to approve the use permit while denying several waivers carried in voice vote; the commission recorded the outcome and moved the application forward for final processing as required.