The Pioneer Meadows Development Standards Handbook (the “Handbook”) was approved in October 2000 (Z-1-99). The Handbook was amended in 2004 (PCN03027), 2006 (PCN06052), and 2016 (PCN16017). The 2004 and 2006 amendments modified the land use development plan for Pioneer Meadows and the 2016 amendment changed the parking standards for the MF15 land use designation. 

The subject site is located north of Wingfield Hills Drive and west of Fen Way (Exhibit 1 – Vicinity Map) and currently has a Comprehensive Plan Land Use designation of Community Facilities (CF) (Exhibit 2 – Existing Land Use). This site was set aside as a potential school and park site. The Handbook granted the Washoe County School District (WCSD) five years to purchase the property. It has been over ten years since this site was designated as a potential school site. However, the WCSD has not taken action to acquire this site and the Handbook permits the applicant to designate the site for a low-density residential use. Accordingly, the applicant is requesting to change the Comprehensive Plan Land Use designation for this site from Community Facilities (CF) to Low Density Residential (LDR) (Exhibit 3 – Proposed Land Use).

On October 4, 2018, the Planning Commission reviewed and approved this Comprehensive Plan amendment (Exhibit 6 – Planning Commission Report of Action).

On December 12, 2018, the Regional Planning Commission (RPC) held a public hearing and reviewed the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment. The RPC found this Comprehensive Plan amendment in conformance with the Truckee Meadows Regional Plan (Exhibit 7 – TMRPA Action Letter)

The applicant is requesting to change the Comprehensive Plan Land Use designation for this site from Community Facilities (CF) to Low Density Residential (LDR). This is in accordance with the Handbook’s requirement that the “Washoe County School District must purchase the site within five (5) years of the approval of this Development Standards Handbook or the property will convert to residential use at a maximum density of four units/acre” (Pioneer Meadow Planned Development Handbook, pg. III-39). 

Because the site is 10.6 acres in size, a maximum density of 4 units per acre results in 42 possible additional units. The Handbook permits a maximum of 2,756 residential units in Pioneer Meadows. Based on current land use designations, the number of units constructed to date plus additional permitted units totals 2,264 units. Adding up to 42 units will thus not exceed the maximum unit limit for Pioneer Meadows.

The Handbook designated the subject site as Community Facilities (CF) for a school on approximately 8.5 acres in size plus a park, located directly north of the school, approximately 4.5 acres in size. However, the site is only 10.6 acres in size. This discrepancy resulted from the Comprehensive Plan Land Use map in which the CF designated area is only 10.6 acres. The applicant and City staff concur that, without a school on this site, the park site should be relocated to another, to-be-determined location that is more centrally located within the Pioneer Meadows planned development (Exhibit 4 – Parks Map). The applicant will again have to amend, with future applications, the Comprehensive Plan, as well as the Handbook, to address the location of the parks within Pioneer Meadows.

Traffic impacts will be negligible as the road networks within Pioneer Meadows were designed to accommodate the maximum number of allowed units. This proposal would result in an increase of no more than 42 units, and the total number of residential units within Pioneer Meadows would remain well under the maximum of 2,756.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:

Finding CP1: The proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment would be in conformance with the Regional Plan land use/intensity designation.

The Truckee Meadows Regional Plan Goals and Policies relevant to this project are:

Goal 1.1 Between 2007 and 2030, at least 99% of the region’s population growth and 99% of the region’s jobs growth will be located in the Truckee Meadows Service Areas (TMSA).

The subject property is located within the Sparks city limits and Sparks’ portion of the TMSA.

Goal 3.5 The Regional Plan will coordinate the master plans, facilities plan, and other similar plans of local governments and affected entities to ensure that necessary public facilities and services to support new development are or will be available and adequate at the time the impacts of new development occur (i.e. concurrency).

Regionally, Goal 3.5 has been interpreted to mean that necessary public facilities and services must be in place, or that there must be a plan and a funding mechanism to provide them, concurrently with new development. The City of Sparks has generally sought to provide for concurrency when entitlements such as land use and zoning approvals are granted. The Pioneer Meadows planned development has been approved since 2000 and is included in the City’s utilities and facilities plans. It is located within a six-minute response time for the City of Sparks Fire Department. Pioneer Meadows is located within Impact Fee Service Area Number 1 (IFSA #1) and as development occurs, impact fees are collected for sanitary sewer and storm drain improvements, a fire station and regional trails. On this basis it is staff’s view that the requested Comprehensive Plan amendment complies with Goal 3.5 of the Regional Plan.

Finding CP2: The Comprehensive Plan amendment would implement the goals listed within the Sparks Comprehensive Plan as listed in the staff report.

The Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies that are relevant to this proposal include:

Goal H2           Promote a strong, diverse housing market that supports economic growth and vitality while ensuring environmental and fiscal sustainability.

Policy MG5     When reviewing master plan amendments for sites over 5 acres, the City will evaluate or cause to be evaluated: a) the impacts on existing and planned facilities and infrastructure; b) the impacts on existing and planned public services; c) the proposed land use in relationship to existing land uses; and, d) the fiscal implications for public service providers of the proposed land use changes as documented in a fiscal impact analysis.

Policy CF1:       When reviewing new development, the City will not approve an application unless the City services can be provided at acceptable service levels.

The requested change in the Land Use designation for the subject site from Community Facilities (CF) to Low Density Residential (LDR) was anticipated in the Handbook and contributes to the vitality and diversity of the housing market, in support of Goal H2. 

The applicant has submitted a Fiscal Impact Analysis indicating that amending the Comprehensive Plan land use designation for the site to LDR will generate a $791,000 revenue surplus to the General Fund and a $774,000 deficit to the Road Fund, for a net positive impact of $17,000 over the 20-year analysis period (Exhibit 5 – Fiscal Impact Analysis). Given these figures, City staff are concerned that development of the site for 38 single-family residences will not in fact be fiscally positive for the City. However, this concern is mitigated because this proposal is to change the land use from public, nonrevenue-generating community facilities to revenue-generating private development.

Under Policy MG5, review of Comprehensive Plan amendments requires an evaluation of the impacts on existing and planned facilities and infrastructure. The Pioneer Meadows planned development has been master planned to accommodate similar development since 2000. The Handbook provides a plan for the facilities and infrastructure necessary to serve development of this site, including electric and gas utilities, sanitary sewer, roads, and other public infrastructure and facilities. The requested Comprehensive Plan amendment does not exceed the number residential units approved in the Handbook.

Addressing City service levels (Policy MG5(b) and Policy CF1), the Pioneer Meadows planned development was approved in 2000 and has been included in the utilities and facilities planning for the region since that time. As discussed for Finding CP1 above, Pioneer Meadows is part of IFSA #1 and as development occurs, impact fees are collected for sanitary sewer and storm drain improvements, fire stations and regional trails. 

Finding CP3: The Comprehensive Plan Amendment would be compatible with surrounding land uses.

The Comprehensive Plan land use and zoning designations for surrounding properties are summarized in the following table:

To the east and south of the site are other LDR properties within Pioneer Meadows, which are presumed compatible. To the north of the site is property in unincorporated Washoe County with an Agricultural zoning designation. This unincorporated area is within the City of Sparks Sphere of Influence and has Comprehensive Plan Land Use designations of OS (Open Space) and LDR. These uses are also compatible with the requested LDR land use designation because open space is compatible with all uses. To the west of the site is an area within Pioneer Meadows with the land use designation of EC (Employment Center). Employment and residential uses are compatible and complimentary uses that support and sustain each other, which is evidenced by the fact that the area south of the site is already designated LDR and is adjacent to the EC area. City staff does not believe the proposed land use changes will adversely impact the surrounding land uses.

FINDING CP4: Public notice was given and a public hearing held per the requirements of Nevada Revised Statutes and Sparks Municipal Code.

Public notice was published in the Reno Gazette Journal on September 20, 2018. The Planning Commission and City Council meetings function as public hearings for this matter as required by the Nevada Revised Statutes and Sparks Municipal Code.

The neighborhood meeting required by NRS 278.210(2) for the proposed Comprehensive Plan land use amendment was conducted by the applicant’s representative on September 19, 2018 (Exhibit 8 – Certificate of Verification for Neighborhood Meeting). No members of the public attended the meeting.

1. The City Council can certify the Comprehensive Plan amendment.
2. The City Council can remand the Comprehensive Plan amendment to the Planning Commission with comments.

I move to certify a Comprehensive Plan amendment to change the land use designation from Community Facilities (CF) to Low Density Residential (LDR) on a site approximately 10.6 acres in size located north of Wingfield Springs Road and west of Fen Way, Sparks, Nevada in the Pioneer Meadows planned development, based on Findings CP1 through CP4 and the facts supporting these findings as set forth in the staff report.