Fernley council adopts Southwest Area Plan amid water and zoning concerns

The Fernley City Council voted to adopt Resolution 25-004 and approve the Southwest Fernley Area Plan (MPA 25002), a master-plan amendment covering roughly 11,800 acres south of the Truckee Canal, after a 3-0 vote by the three members present. Staff said the plan resulted from 18 months of public workshops, stakeholder meetings and surveys and includes vision elements such as employment opportunities, a mix of housing types, a town center, and preserved open space.

Project manager Blake Young of Kimberly Horne told the council the planning process included an existing-conditions analysis, transportation and water-capacity reviews, and a fiscal-impact analysis that estimated about $122,000,000 in annual property tax revenue at full buildout, with approximately $22,800,000 accruing to the City of Fernley. Young said the plan identifies infrastructure upgrades needed to support buildout and outlines potential funding mechanisms including metro districts, tax-increment financing, impact fees and general-fund support.

Several residents and stakeholders urged caution before adoption. Mark Silford, a resident of Sage Valley Estates, urged the council to table the plan and submit it to voters, saying the proposal would ‘‘mass industrialize’’ open-range land and curtail recreation such as hunting and off-road use. Water expert Tom Shannon warned the plan could raise residential water demand by an estimated 25% and urged city leaders to ensure hydrology and storage analyses account for potential drought or changes to regional deliveries.

Clayton Trapp, representing an owner of Parcel 02027201, said the Southwest Area Plan shows his client’s parcel as shifting from commercial to residential land use (PA 12), which he said would undermine a longstanding commercial zoning entitlement and reduce marketability. Planning Director Michelle Rambo responded that the master-plan amendment does not change underlying zoning: properties retain existing zoning and remain eligible to pursue commercial projects. Rambo also said staff could pursue a city-initiated cleanup amendment if website or map displays require correction.

Derek Kirkland, representing Norman Properties, told council the developer supported the plan after working with staff to adjust the south portion of the land-use plan. City staff emphasized that water-system upgrades, prioritization of infrastructure projects and identified funding tools are part of the implementation plan.

Council members who voted in favor cited the plan’s thorough outreach and the planning commission’s recommendation. The adoption starts the next phase of implementing the plan’s priorities; the resolution and plan will guide zoning and infrastructure decisions, but individual development proposals will still require separate approvals under existing zoning and subdivision rules. The council approved the resolution by roll call, 3-0. The plan now moves to implementation steps identified in staff materials, including infrastructure programming and funding evaluations.