The Reno City Council voted 4-3 to rezone the area of Butler Ranch and Rattlesnake Mountain. Now the plan heads to the Regional Planning Commission. Daybreak will cover 980 acres if it gets final approval.
"We're obviously very excited and obviously there's still steps to go in the process," Andy Durling, Vice President of Wood Rodgers said. "The planning process is long and arduous at times."
The original plan called for 3,995 homes. The City Council shot down that plan. That caused Newport Pacific Land Company to sue the City. Then it came back with a new offer. It reduced the number of homes by 700 units, which is 15 percent. It says it will also have more open space and it made some changes to flood mitigation. The City Council passed the first reading 4-3. Wednesday's vote was the second reading.
Councilwoman Naomi Duerr voted against the plan. She says nearly 1,000 acres is too much for that area, and that she may have gone along with a smaller project of about 400 acres on the Butler Ranch.
"To increase that to cover 1,000 acres instead of 400 acres and to put very intense development in that location, I don't think is appropriate," Duerr said. "I don't think it meets our master plan. I don't think it's safe for the public."
The biggest concern is the flood plain. Durling is confident that the mitigation plan will prevent other communities from flooding and says the plan calls for 25 percent more flood storage.
"The bottom line is we're providing more flood storage on this property then exists out there, right now," Durling said. "So any time when your talking about flood storage, which this is a little bit unique, more storage is always going to be better."
Durling says some of portions of the property are outside of the flood plain, so construction could begin on those sooner than other portions. He hopes to break ground as soon as late next year.
Meanwhile, the second phase of Bella Vista Ranch plan to change about 16 acres of commercial property to residential zoning will have to wait. The developer asked the City Council to continue the agenda item to a later date. The property covers 77 acres southeast of the end of South Meadows Parkway and north of the end of Rio Wrangler Parkway. The request allows for the development of 612 units, which is 37 more than is allowed.
Some residents are concerned about issues like possible mercury contamination in the soil. There are also about 400 feral horses that live in that part of the Virginia Range. Many of them use the Steamboat Creek and the nearby wetlands for their water. The plan calls for 25 acres to be set aside for wetlands. Balancing what is best for the developer, the horses and public safety is the tricky part. Tracy Wilson is a horse advocate who says a requirement to build a fence is intended to protect the horses but could have devastating consequences.
"That helps keep the wild horses from the range from getting on city streets, getting hit by cars, causing accidents," Wilson said. "Once that fencing goes in, it will completely cut the horses off from about 4,000 linear feet of water that they're currently accessing."
Other council members voiced concerns about houses being built up the base of the mountains, possibly putting homes closer to fire danger.
