The Fernley City Council has adopted a long-range plan guiding the future of approximately 10,000 acres in South Fernley, but some residents of the Highlands cautioned the city not to lose the rural character that drew them there in the first place.
The council voted 4-0 Aug. 19 to adopt the South Fernley Area Plan for land generally south of the Truckee Canal and east of U.S. Highway 95A.
The plan is the last of three area plans required under Fernley’s 2018 Comprehensive Master Plan for the city’s major future development areas. Until an area plan was completed, development within those designated areas was restricted.
Acting Planning Director Treston Rodriguez emphasized that adoption does not rezone property or approve any specific development.
“This document is intended to serve as a long-range policy framework for South Fernley,” Rodriguez said. “It does not approve individual development projects or guarantee that development within the plan will occur.”
Future projects will still have to go through the city’s normal development review process and meet applicable zoning, infrastructure and development standards.
The plan grew out of public workshops, stakeholder meetings, surveys and discussions with the Planning Commission and City Council. City officials said a recurring message from residents was to preserve the area’s rural character while improving roads, emergency access and infrastructure.
More than 5,000 acres are designated Rural Residential, intended for large-lot homes, agriculture, grazing and open space. Other portions are designated for low- and medium-density housing. At theoretical full buildout, the land-use designations could accommodate as many as 19,443 housing units, although the plan does not suggest that development will occur at once or that all of that capacity will ultimately be built.
The plan also includes only about 157 acres of commercial property, envisioned for small neighborhood-serving businesses rather than big-box stores or regional shopping centers.
Rodriguez said several medium-density residential areas were added partly in response to property-owner requests and discussions about creating additional housing opportunities for personnel associated with Naval Air Station Fallon.
That higher-density housing was one of Councilwoman Felicity Zoberski’s concerns.
Zoberski said portions of Farm District Road still include farms and free-range cattle and questioned placing some of the plan’s densest residential development near those properties.
“We do still have a lot of agriculture towards the end,” she said. “I’m supportive of the map. I’m worried about that area.”
Zoberski said once an area is identified for medium-density housing in the plan, it could become more difficult for surrounding residents to oppose that type of development later.
Residents echoed that concern.
Michael Barrow, who lives on a five-acre property on Desert Shadows Lane, told the council he moved to the Highlands specifically for the rural lifestyle.
“We live out there for a reason,” Barrow said. “We like our privacy.”
He said he was concerned that vacant five-acre parcels near existing homes could eventually support significantly more houses and that paving roads such as Desert Shadows Lane could bring increased traffic through the Highlands.
“You don’t have to put neighborhoods on every vacant piece of land,” Barrow said.
Resident Stephen Johnson said he understood that Fernley will continue to grow and supported planning for it but also raised concerns about impacts on existing Highlands residents and whether neighbors had received enough information about the process.
City officials said at least 60 people attended each of the two public open houses held during development of the plan. Zoberski offered to meet with Highlands residents who had questions about how the new plan affects their existing property and zoning.
Councilman Ryan Hanan stressed that the area plan itself does not change anyone’s zoning.
“This is sort of a blueprint to say this is what we need and we want and we can do here,” Hanan said.
He said each future project will still come before the appropriate city bodies, giving residents additional opportunities to comment.
Hanan also acknowledged what he called one of Fernley’s biggest problems: communication.
The city meets statutory notification requirements by posting agendas, publishing notices and holding public meetings, he said, but that information still does not always reach residents.
“There is some responsibility that lies on the public as well to be engaged, and I think there’s a gap there,” Hanan said. “So, I’m hoping that we bridge that gap.”
Infrastructure may ultimately determine how quickly South Fernley can develop.
Much of the area is currently served by unpaved roads, and access across the Truckee Canal is limited. The plan identifies two potential canal crossing improvements and additional roadway connections aimed at improving both everyday circulation and emergency access. City planning documents warn that some existing roads and bridges cannot adequately accommodate fire trucks, ambulances or large-scale emergency evacuations.
Extending city water service will also require major improvements, including new distribution lines, pumping facilities and storage because much of the planning area lies outside the elevation range currently served by the existing water system.
The plan adopts what it calls an “Infrastructure First” approach, calling for roads, utilities and public services to be available before or alongside new development. Potential funding mechanisms include developer contributions, impact fees, special districts, tax increment financing and state and federal grants.
At full buildout, city consultants estimate development envisioned by the plan could generate approximately $8.2 million annually in property taxes, although that figure is a long-range projection rather than expected near-term revenue.
Zoberski reminded residents after the vote that the plan remains a “living document” that can be amended as conditions change.
“They’re not going to start building tomorrow,” she said.
Comment
Comments