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Commission approves arena site and foundation for parking garage with conditions; recommends fence variance to Board of Adjustment
Summary
The commission approved overall site items for the proposed downtown arena and a foundation permit for the parking garage, conditioned on revised landscaping, a refined Northeast pedestrian plan and referral for a fence-height variance; staff and applicants noted NBA security standards constrain fence opening sizes.
The Downtown Design Commission voted Jan. 15 to approve site elements for the proposed downtown arena at 125 West Reno Avenue and to allow the project team to obtain a foundation permit for an adjacent parking garage, subject to several conditions and a recommendation to the Board of Adjustment for a fence-height variance.
Staff summarized prior approvals, variances and demolition activity related to the site and highlighted two design issues for commission consideration: a fence proposed at Thunder Alley that exceeds downtown design transparency and height standards, and a below-grade loading dock the staff said met screening requirements. Purvi Patel of Wallace Design Collective and her design team described the site plan, plazas, below-grade service yard and plans for the garage foundation. Team members said signage and the garage design will return for later review.
Rob Berg of Design Workshop explained the security-driven constraints for the Thunder Alley fence and noted NBA requirements limit opening size: "They have very strict requirements that you can't pass any through 1 of those fences ... we're limited to ... an opening of no more than, I think, 2 inches on that." Commissioners and applicants discussed ways to soften the fence visually with planting and to improve the Northeast pedestrian entry and sidewalk continuity along Reno. Commissioners asked for more planting diversity to reduce long-term pest/disease risk.
A motion to approve items 1–7 with conditions — including final garage design review, a revised Northeast corner pedestrian plan, staff review of the Reno sidewalk and a resubmitted planting plan — passed. The commission then moved and passed a recommendation to the Board of Adjustment to approve a variance for the maximum height of the yard fence.
