Regional Planning Commission allows early consideration of Lake Ridge Resort regional-plan amendment

The Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Commission voted unanimously April 6 to determine that consideration of a proposed regional-plan amendment for the Lake Ridge Resort (RPA 26-003) is either necessary to the public health and welfare or substantially benefits the community, and set a public hearing on the amendment for its next regularly scheduled meeting.

Staff described the agenda item as a timing determination under Nevada Revised Statutes, not a conformance or merits review. "Our staff recommendation today is that regional planning staff recommends the RPC determine that consideration of the proposed RPA at this time is necessary to the health and welfare of the community or substantially benefits the community in general," Jeremy Smith said during the presentation.

The amendment request would re-designate about 12.5 acres (APN 042-011-29) associated with the Lake Ridge Resort project from tier two to tier one on the regional land designation map and would also change the City of Reno Master Plan land use from parks, greenways and open space to suburban mixed use. City of Reno materials in the packet show the City Council approved and sponsored the proposal at its January 28 meeting.

During public comment, land-use attorney John Marshall urged caution, arguing the commission's practice of considering amendments throughout the year conflicts with the statute that generally requires annual hearings. "All requests for amendments to the plan... must be studied and considered at public hearings held annually by the commission," Marshall said, and warned that exceptions must be supported by facts in the record. He added, "If it's inconsistent with the NRS, then it's illegal. You can't do it."

Nearby residents, represented by Don McCann of the Hilltop Association, opposed hearing the amendment now on local impacts grounds. McCann warned of safety and access problems and said the hotel proposal would overload a private access road, arguing, "you'd be adding 2,000 cars on the road each day" if the related developments proceed.

Commissioners questioned whether the commission may rely on the City of Reno materials and the packet to find facts supporting an exception and debated whether to assess the tier change alone or bundled with the underlying project. Staff and counsel said the timing vote is narrowly focused on whether the commission may schedule the amendment now; the merits and conformance review will be considered at the subsequent hearing.

Commissioner Lazareski moved to find the timing determination satisfied and to set the public hearing at the next RPC meeting; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. Staff said an action letter will be issued, appeal time frames are set in the regional governing board's procedures (10 days for appeals of this action), and any appeal of the timing determination would go to the Regional Planning Governing Board and likely be heard in June. If no successful stay is obtained, staff indicated the commission intends to proceed with a conformance review at the next meeting.

Next steps: the commission will conduct the substantive conformance review at the date set during this action; interested parties may file an appeal within the regulatory time frame once the action letter is issued.