Pioneer Meadows Village 6 is generally located at the terminus of Rolling Meadows Drive and west of Fen Way in the Pioneer Meadows Planned Development. The site is governed by the Pioneer Meadows Development Handbook (Handbook), which was approved in 2000.

In 2019, reflecting a request from the City of Sparks Parks and Recreation Department, the developer removed two neighborhood park sites within the Pioneer Meadows planned development, including a 2.5-acre neighborhood park located within Pioneer Meadows Village 6, in favor of establishing a larger community park. This reorganization of park sites allowed the applicant to use the former neighborhood park site in Village 6 for added residential development.

This proposed amendment to the Pioneer Meadows Village 6 Tentative Map will bring the Tentative Map into conformance with the recent Handbook amendment replacing the 2.5-acre neighborhood park site with ten residential units.

A tentative map for Pioneer Meadows Village 6 was originally approved as a 183-lot residential subdivision on 44.69 acres by the City Council as PCN08025 in 2008. Likely due to the economic conditions that ensued over the course of that year, the developer did not obtain a final map at that time. A final map was first recorded in 2012 (FM120001), and subsequently the tentative map has remained active, awaiting the recordation of subsequent final map phases as the developer has worked toward building out the Pioneer Meadows Planned Development.

Nevada Revised Statues (NRS 278.360) allows a developer four years from the approval of a tentative map to record a final map. From the time of the first final map for a planned development, the developer is then required to establish subsequent final maps in two-year intervals with the added allowance of two-year extensions as necessary. By establishing final maps in the required time limits, the original tentative map stays “active.” In the case of Pioneer Meadows Village 6, the tentative map has stayed active since its approval based on final maps approved in 2012 (FM120001), 2015 (FM150005), 2017 (SMAP17-00043), and 2019 (SMAP19-00021).

In 2019, ten residential lots were added to the submittal for a final map (SMAP19-0021) in the place of the former park site at Dearborn Drive and Elk Falls Way (Exhibit 2—Tentative Map). These ten lots would otherwise have been established elsewhere in Pioneer Meadows because there is capacity for these lots in the larger development. Therefore, before pursuing Final Maps for the remaining lots throughout the development (because ten residential lots were transferred to Village 6 from the developer’s future subdivisions), the applicant would first need to amend the Tentative Map for Village 6 in order to establish the approved increase to 193 units that were adopted in the 2019 handbook amendment. Staff allowed the addition of the ten residential lots to the former park site at the Final Map stage because the change did not constitute a substantial departure from the land uses approved in the original Tentative Map.

The subject site is designated Low Density Residential (LDR) pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map. The site is zoned PD (Planned Development—Pioneer Meadows) and designated SFR4 (Single Family Residential, 4 Dwelling Units Per Acre) in the Handbook. Handbook standards for the SFR4 designation require lots be a minimum of 6,000 square feet in size and a gross residential density of at least 4 dwelling units per acre. As proposed, the amended Tentative Map contains lots that range from 6,942 to 12,179 square feet in size and has a gross residential density of 4.4 dwelling units per acre.

Recent amendments to the Handbook established the applicable unit count and residential density. The proposed amendment to the Tentative Map will have no significant impact on the larger Pioneer Meadows planned development or surrounding communities. With the re-designation of the park site from Park/Common Area to SFR4 in the 2019 Handbook amendments, the Tentative Map for Pioneer Meadows Village 6 will be in conformance with the Handbook.

Staff requested comments from public agencies in accordance with NRS 278.330 to 278.348, inclusive. Staff only received comments from the Washoe County School District. A Plan Review meeting was held on July 8, 2020, with the applicant’s representatives and staff from engineering and Sparks Fire Department. All departments agreed that the proposed changes are appropriate given the approved land use densities outlined in the Handbook.

The proposed Conditions of Approval are consistent with those originally approved through TM080001. Condition 14 has been amended to reflect the new maximum unit count of 193, replacing the original 183 units. Additionally, minor changes or corrections have been made to the remaining conditions (updated department names, staff titles, and the omission of information no longer relevant to the current proposal). For the reasons discussed below, findings T1 through T12 can be made. Planning Commission recommends approval to the City Council.

Tentative Map Findings

FINDING T1:

The request conforms to the Master Plan and zoning ordinances.

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

POLICIES

C4:  Require sidewalks for pedestrian on all street networks within the City.  

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

CC8: Foster neighborhood diversity and design by permitting varied lot sizes, building materials, building styles and color.

H1: Ensure there are sufficient appropriately zoned areas with the infrastructure, public facilities and services necessary for the production of new housing.

The proposed amendment to the Tentative Map increases the allowed number of single-family lots from 183 to 193 and will marginally expand housing opportunities for the Sparks community. Home designs will be reviewed and approved by staff as part of the review for the final map. The proposed subdivision provides additional housing options in the City, advancing Policy CC8.

The street cross sections and Tentative Map plans show sidewalks on both sides of all streets, complying with Policy C4. Infrastructure and utilities are currently available to the property and infrastructure modeling included development of Village 6 as a single-family subdivision, which complies with Policy CF1 and supports Policy H1.

FINDING T2:

General conformity with the City's master plan of streets and highways has been considered.

The Tentative Map incorporates the street designs shown in the Pioneer Meadows Handbook. The addition of ten units will not impact street design.

FINDING T3:

Environmental and health laws and regulations concerning water and air pollution, the disposal of solid waste, facilities to supply water, community or public sewage disposal and, where applicable, individual systems for sewage disposal were considered.

This application was distributed to the agencies that provide basic services and administrate environmental and health laws. Washoe County School District provided comments, which are discussed in Finding T6 below. No responses were received from other agencies; however, the developer shall comply with all Washoe County Health District requirements (Condition 5).

FINDING T4:

The availability of water which meets applicable health standards and is sufficient in quantity for the reasonably foreseeable needs of the subdivision has been considered.

The developer has estimated the domestic water requirement for the added ten units at 5 acre-feet per year.  Municipal water service will be provided by Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) and water rights must be in place or dedicated with final maps (Condition 5).

FINDING T5:

The availability and accessibility of utilities has been considered.

The developer has estimated that sewage flows for the development will be 6,500 gallons per day. The applicant is required to provide evidence that there is adequate sewer capacity to serve the project prior to the recordation of a final map. The storm water and drainage plan for the development shall be reviewed and approved by the Engineering Division of the Community Services Department prior to the recordation of a final map for the project (Condition 8).

FINDING T6:

The availability and accessibility of public services such as schools, police protection, transportation, recreation and parks has been considered.

SCHOOLS

The site is zoned for Bohach Elementary School, Sky Ranch Middle School, and Spanish Springs High School. As stated in the comment letter from Washoe County School District (Exhibit 3 – Agency Comments), the additional 10 units are anticipated to add three new students to Bohach Elementary and one new student to both Sky Ranch Middle School and Spanish Springs High School. Bohach Elementary School and Sky Ranch Middle School were recently constructed and will remain under base capacity for at least five years based on Washoe County School District projections. Current enrollment at Spanish Springs High School is 102% of base capacity. However, enrollment relief at Spanish Springs High School is anticipated with the opening of the new Procter R. Hug High School in Fall 2022.

POLICE PROTECTION

Law enforcement services will be provided by the Sparks Police Department. Staff did not receive comments from the Police Department regarding the provision of police services to ten additional dwelling units.

TRANSPORTATION

Staff did not receive comments from Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) regarding this application. This subdivision will contribute to the Regional Road Impact Fee program, which provides funding for roadway improvements to maintain adopted levels of service. The addition of ten lots will not impact the approved street design of the Pioneer Meadows planned development.

FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE 

Fire and emergency medical services will be provided by Sparks Fire Department and the project site meets the Department’s 4-minute travel time standard.

Utilities

Electric, telephone, and cable services will be extended underground within the roadway right-of-way to serve this development.

FINDING T7:

The effect of the proposed subdivision on existing public streets and the need for new streets or highways to serve the subdivision has been considered.

The traffic analysis submitted with the approved Handbook remains in effect. The addition of ten single-family homes will not represent a significant increase in overall traffic, and at this time the City requires no further study or documentation.

FINDING T8:

The physical characteristics of the land such as flood plain, slope and soil has been considered.

FLOOD PLAIN

The property is located within Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Zone X (outside the flood plain).

SLOPE

The project does not meet the thresholds of the City’s Hillside Development Ordinance as the site is relatively flat with slopes of less than 5% over the entire site. The addition of ten residential units will not alter slope characteristics.

SOIL

Final geotechnical reports are required prior to the issuance of any building permits. The addition of ten single-family homes in place of a neighborhood park will not alter soil characteristics.

FINDING T9:

The recommendations and comments of those entities reviewing the tentative map pursuant to NRS 278.330 to 278.348, inclusive, have been considered.

City staff has received comments from Washoe County School District that are addressed in Finding T6 above. No comments were provided by other outside agencies regarding this application.

FINDING T10:

The availability and accessibility of fire protection, including, but not limited to, the availability and accessibility of water and services for the prevention and containment of fires, including fires in wild lands has been considered.

Fire protection service will be provided by the Sparks Fire Department and municipal water service for the containment of fires will be provided by TMWA as discussed above in Findings T4 and T6.

FINDING T11:

The application, as submitted and conditioned, will address identified impacts.

This section identifies project-specific issues not discussed above such as:

Landscaping:

Conceptual landscape plans submitted with this request show landscaping for village entries and common areas, which include landscaping adjacent to the right-of-way (Exhibit 2 – Tentative Map). Common areas must be maintained by the landscape maintenance association (Condition 13). All residential lots must conform with the Handbook’s landscaping requirements prior to issuance of building permits.

Architecture:

Residential architecture will meet the requirements of the Handbook; architectural elevations must be approved by City staff prior to the recordation of a final map (Condition 6).

FINDING T12:

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

Public notice for tentative maps is accomplished through posting the agenda for a public meeting. The Planning Commission agenda was posted on July 23, 2020.  The Planning Commission and the City Council meetings function as the public meetings for this item.

1. The City Council can approve the tentative map amendment as recommended by the Planning Commission.
2. The City Council can approve the tentative map amendment with changes to the Conditions of Approval.
3. The City Council can deny the tentative map amendment.
4. The City Council can remand the tentative map to Planning Commission with direction.

I move to approve an amendment to the tentative map for Pioneer Meadows Village 6 (TM080001) to add 10 lots, increasing the number of lots from 183 to 193, on a site approximately 44.69 acres in size located in the PD (Planned Development – Pioneer Meadows) zoning district located at 7000 Rolling Meadows Drive, Sparks, Nevada, adopting Findings T1 through T12 and the facts supporting these findings as set forth in the staff report, and subject to Conditions of Approval 1 through 17.