Japanese power tool company Makita has a new warehouse coming to the North Valleys. The Reno City Council last night overrode the Reno Planning Commission’s denial of the company’s permit to build the facility on 47 acres located near Echo and Military Road. The commision’s denial was because of a split vote, and the council’s approval comes in the wake of Washoe County considering even bolder moves to address flooding in Lemmon Valley.
North Valleys residents spoke against the project, but developers assured council members that the project will exceed building standards and requirements set by the city.
City staff said that flood concerns at Swan Lake will be addressed with retention basins in order to meet code requirements.
“That means that if you’re increasing your volume of water with your development, which you will … you have to mitigate [that volume] somehow…,” said Mike Mischel, the city’s engineering manager.
There will be two buildings covering 820,000 square feet on the 46 acres. The project is expected to increase traffic by 1,400 trips a day from workers and delivery trucks.
The Planning Commission’s approval of a special use permit failed from a 3-3 tie vote. One commissioner abstained from voting because of a conflict of interest, so the project’s permit was then denied. Developer Prologis then appealed the failed motion to the City Council.
City Council member Jenny Brekhus was the only one to vote against the project.
“It’s a site that’s almost the size of Meadowood Mall on a smaller lot size,” she said.
Other council members called it “a great project.”
