Council approves Friendly 5 amendment changing timing and standards for U.S. 50A connector

Fernley City Council on June 17 adopted Bill 385 to amend the Friendly 5 plan development, adding roadway design standards and changing when the arterial connection to U.S. Highway 50A must be built. Council approved the amendment on a 3–0 vote.

Staff and the applicant said the change affects timing and implementation but does not remove the roadway requirement. Tristan Rodriguez, senior planner, told the council staff had reviewed the application and found the amendment consistent with required findings, recommending approval. He described three components: a new section establishing roadway design and implementation requirements, revisions to the timing trigger in condition 4.k, and clarifications on dedication, maintenance and reimbursement provisions.

Derek Kirkland, the applicant’s representative, summarized a new traffic study and said the original trigger (recordation of the 151st lot) is out of date. He told the council the study found existing access will serve the development until roughly 70 percent buildout, and recommended tying the roadway construction to later phases. “We’re not asking to get out of the road,” Kirkland said. “We’re just asking to shift it to a later phase so we can get through design and permitting.”

Lauren Chilson, the applicant’s traffic engineer, told the council the north side of the project includes 291 lots in total and that the roadway would need to be in place before completion of those lots’ certificates of occupancy under the planning commission’s recommendation. The revised language requires the developer to prepare design plans and construct the improvements; the city will provide temporary construction easements, accept dedication upon completion, and maintain the roadway thereafter. The amendment also establishes a potential reimbursement framework for eligible costs subject to proportionate-share analysis and applicable law.

Kirkland described an approximate schedule: roughly four months for design work, followed by several months of permitting (the presentation cited a roughly 10–12 month timeframe from design start through permitting). The developer proposed building two 12-foot travel lanes and an eight-foot shared-use path and dedicating right-of-way sufficient for future widening, with developer responsibility for construction and a mechanism to seek proportionate reimbursement from future beneficiaries.

Council members asked technical questions about the number of lots, timing and construction readiness. After discussion, Councilman Hannon moved to approve Bill 385 as recommended; Councilman Mendoza seconded. The motion carried 3–0.

Next steps: staff and the applicant will continue design and permitting steps outlined in the amendment; the city will review detailed roadway plans and NDOT permitting as required before construction begins.