Washoe County commissioners on Tuesday overturned a recommendation by the Planning Commission to deny a tentative subdivision map for 358 single family homes in the Red Rock area.
Silver Hills, Village 1, is the first phase in a series planned by Lifestyle Homes at Red Rock Road and Silver Knolls Boulevard. Once built out, Silver Hills would contain approximately 1,872 homes. Trails and parks are also planned.
Village 1 would be on 309 acres and have lots ranging from 5,000 to 8,072 square feet. It’s planned for the west side of Red Rock Road, three-quarters of a mile north of its intersection with Silver Knolls Boulevard.
Planning commissioners in July denied the map, stating it didn’t meet design standards and wasn’t consistent with the county’s master plan, the Silver Knolls Specific Plan and North Valleys Area Plan.
Roger Pelham, Washoe County senior planner, said the project’s map was in compliance with code and was mostly consistent with plans, although not entirely.
For example, Pelham said the map doesn’t provide a variety of housing options, solar didn’t get consideration, and minimizing curb gutter and sidewalk wasn’t addressed. Planning commissioners were concerned because they didn’t have the entire project to look at, he said.
“Perhaps the biggest criticism the Planning Commission had was that this is only one small piece of a possible overall development,” Pelham said. “This map does not, in and of itself, comply with all the components of the specific plan, in that it requires different types of housing and only one is proposed. Others may be proposed in the future and in subsequent villages or phases. Then again, they may not.”
Lifestyle Homes had been consulting with Washoe County for the past two years and has held about a dozen community meetings seeking public input, said Garrett Gordon, who represents Lifestyle Homes. Land will also be donated for a future elementary school, he said.
When questioned by commissioners about traffic calming, Gordon said devices are planned every 500 to 600 feet. These include speed bumps and miniature roundabouts.
Commission Chairman Bob Lucey said he hopes Lifestyle Homes will work closer with county staff and listen to concerns.
“What you have presented in the tentative map does not represent anything what we initially had this discussion about,” Lucey said.
Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the Silver Hills tentative map with Commissioner Jeanne Herman dissenting. Herman, who represents the Red Rock area, said she heard from constituents who told her they were scared to speak against the development at the meeting for fear of retribution.
