Why should Washoe County support cramming 632 dwelling units on a mountaintop? Why are so many new stores and businesses needed?
Community Development’s answer is that the state demographer says people are going to move here, so we must prepare a place for them. Also, the Regional Plan (Policy 1.3.1 says that Washoe County must “identify and plan for the areas in the unincorporated County that are expected to absorb their share of the planned 20 year growth.”
So the question is, what is the best way to “absorb” the “planned 20 year growth?” If Washoe County truly “Vows to be a Green Region,” (Reno Gazette Journal, April 14, 2008), we must do more than just put up solar panels and drill more geothermal wells. Our entire way of thinking about growth must evolve.
Communities across the country are realizing that the suburban sprawl that has developed over the last 50 years is not the best, most sustainable way to grow. I quote the U.S. Green Building Council, a leading sustainable development organization, who created the best known sustainable building standards, known as LEED. This organization is in the process of creating a new standard: LEED for Neighborhood Development.
LEED certified Neighborhood Development communities are:
- locations that are closer to existing town and city centers
- areas with good transit access
- infill sites
- previously developed sites
- sites adjacent to existing development
I’ll take a moment to examine the proposed Forest Area Plan in light of these standards.
Locations that are closer to existing town and city centers
The Forest Areas fails this standard. Most people who live out here have accepted this liability and learned to consolidate trips into town. We create carpools for soccer and baseball practice. Many of us work from our homes and avoid commuting altogether.
Areas with good transit access
The Forest Area’s scores are mixed here. The freeway is not far away. Our Mt. Rose Highway is both wide and straight, and narrow and curvy. It can be icy and snow covered much of the winter. It is not friendly to bicycle traffic. There is no bus route to our area and if you want to go anywhere, you pretty much have to drive.
Infill sites
On this standard, we disagree most with Staff. Community Development sees the Matera Ridge and Galena Gateway projects as infill. We see these properties as the gateway to the beauty of Lake Tahoe and the Toiyabe National Forest. Matera Ridge is not infill; it borders US Government open space to the north, east and south. Washoe County Open Space is also on its northeastern boundary. The steep mountain slopes of the adjacent Steamboat Hills are prominently featured on the Regional Plan’s Development Constraints Area Map. Like residents all over the Truckee Meadows, we feel that steep slopes are not appropriate for dense development. In addition, the Steamboat Hills are an important recreational area for residents. Galena Gateway is not infill. It is on the border of the Truckee Meadows Service Area. It too is in close proximity to large parcels of US government owned land (8000+ acres.) These properties are gateways and buffers, not infill.
Previously developed sites
Other developers have looked at the Matera Ridge parcel and found it cost prohibitive for development. Due to its steep slopes and mountainous terrain, profitable building has not penciled out for previous owners. Regional Plan Policy 1.3.2 states: “For purposes of complying with this policy, density transfers are allowed from usable passive open space and are not allowed from any of the following areas: … 2) property in the Development Constraints Area.” Matera Ridge has approximately 171 acres of its area in the Development Constraints Area for slopes greater than 30%. Much of the rest of the property is slopes between 15% and 30%. Due to these steep slopes, it is not an appropriate site for high density development. It has not been previously developed. The Galena Gateway site does have a history of development, but mostly as low density residential property with limited commercial by Special Use Permit. It is too far from true neighborhoods to have a strong customer base. The traffic speed and amount in this narrow area of the Mt. Rose Highway makes access very difficult and dangerous.
Sites adjacent to existing development
As I mentioned, much of the land surrounding these sites is owned by the US government and is open space.
In summary, using these LEED Neighborhood Development Standards, the Forest Area is not a desirable region in which to concentrate new development. The flat, desirable land is already built out or pending development.
The Forest Area Plan is not yet ready to become part of the Washoe County Comprehensive Plan. We ask that large increases in residential density and new commercial zoning be removed from the Land Use Plan map before FAP approval. We propose Medium Density Rural zoning (MDR, 1 unit per 5 acres) for the Matera Ridge property. We propose full buildout of existing commercially zoned property before additional properties are changed to commercial zoning. We support neighborhood commercial zoning, allowing mix-use commercial/residential use for areas currently zoned commercial. We await a response to these requests from the Washoe County Community Development Department.
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