An apartment complex developer and an adjacent homeowners association came to an agreement regarding access between parcels, garnering unanimous approval from the Reno City Council on Wednesday for construction on the apartments to move forward.
Plans for Mountain View Mixed Residential Villages consist of 283 multi-family units on 22 acres at the northwest corner of Summit Ridge Drive and West Fourth Street across three parcels of land. It was granted a special use permit due to grading with cuts exceeding 20 feet and fills in excess of 10 feet.
The Reno Planning Commission unanimously approved the project at its April 15 meeting with an added conditions to ensure pedestrian and bicycle access to the adjacent public utility and an access easement leading to the Reno Vista Ridge trail network.
However, an appeal was filed by Maddox, Segerblom, and Canepa, LLP on behalf of the Reno Vista Ridge Property Owners Association, which had issues with rock-crushing operations and with the added conditions. It stated the utility easement on one of the parcels is not a public right of way and that the city doesn’t have the authority to open up private property for public use.
“Access on the north was the original condition,” Angela Fuss, Reno acting community development director, told council members. “Access on the south is the proposed condition. From Summit Ridge Drive, the applicant will put in a sidewalk on the north side that will connect to an existing sidewalk on Summit Ridge.”
Fuss also said a modified condition includes rock crushing occurring between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays on the eastern side of the property, which is about 1,200 feet from the nearest homes in the neighborhood.
“The new point of connectivity will actually be a 700-foot shorter walk to the park for the vast majority of people who live in our development,” Mountain View developer Ken Krater said.
Council members said they were pleased Reno Vista Ridge and Mountain View representatives could come to an agreement.
“The concept of interconnectivity and ability to transfer and transport through our community is a key element of our master plan and it’s been very, very important to all of us,” Councilwoman Naomi Duerr said.