Sparks commission finds Reno Housing Authority agreement consistent with plan, forwards recommendation to City Council

At a Sparks commission meeting, members voted to find a development agreement between the City of Sparks and the Reno Housing Authority consistent with the Sparks Comprehensive Plan and forwarded a recommendation of approval to the City Council.

Casey Chavelin, administrative analyst with the community services department, presented the proposal for a 0.207‑acre parcel at 2026 I Street (APN 03118408). “The property located at 2026 I Street was acquired through the Home Means Nevada initiative,” Chavelin said, and she described the site as located east of Sullivan Lane in a mixed‑use district with nearby transit and services.

Staff said the city received about $2,800,000 through Home Means Nevada land acquisition funding, part of a state program established using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The Reno Housing Authority submitted the lone response to the city’s request for proposals; the city council selected that proposal in April 2025.

The RHA’s conceptual plan calls for 12 units (a mix of studios and one‑bedrooms). Chavelin said each unit would have a project‑based voucher to subsidize rent. Staff described income targeting in the presentation but the transcript contains inconsistent figures: a slide and some remarks reference serving households at 50% of area median income (AMI), while other remarks and slides state households earning less than 60% of AMI. The presentation also includes mixed references to an affordability term (a minimum 30‑year affordability mention and, elsewhere in the slides, a 50‑year restrictive covenant). The record below notes those discrepancies without resolving them.

Key terms highlighted by staff included a minimum of 12 dwelling units, a development agreement term of five years with a two‑year extension option, an administrative review to be submitted within two years, and a requirement to obtain a building permit within four years. If the developer does not meet those timelines, the property must be reconveyed to the city, the presentation said.

After the presentation, the chair solicited commissioner questions; none were raised. The chair opened and closed the public hearing with no public comments. Commissioner Pristos moved to find the proposed development agreement (PCN 25‑0014) consistent with the Sparks Comprehensive Plan and to forward a recommendation of approval to the City Council; Commissioner Kramer seconded. The chair announced the motion passed and the recommendation will be forwarded.

Nestor, identified in the meeting as a representative from the Reno Housing Authority, was present during the discussion to answer questions, though commissioners did not ask substantive follow‑up during the meeting. No further staff or public comments were recorded. The meeting adjourned shortly after the vote.

The City Council will now receive the commission’s recommendation; no council action or dates were stated in the transcript.