The Reno City Council on Wednesday approved millions in fee reductions for a number of affordable housing projects, bringing the total number of subsidized affordable units in the city to 1,883. With the approval of five new subsidy projects, the amount of subsidies given in sewer connection fee reductions and building permit fee reductions surpassed $10 million.
In 2019, Nevada state law was changed to enable local governments to reduce or subsidize enterprise fund fees, and in 2020, the Reno City Council adopted an ordinance setting affordable housing fee reduction standards and criteria.
Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, the program had subsided 1,459 affordable housing units throughout the city with a total fee reduction cost of $612,308 in building subsidies and $7.3 million in sewer subsidies.
Council member Naomi Duerr said she would like staff to investigate whether each of the projects addresses safety and security measures, such as having elevators on separate generators or installing fire sprinklers for multi-floor developments.
“I just want to make sure these are fabulously safe places for our residents,” Duerr said.
The Eddy House Transitional Living project, located at 888 Willow St., was granted $17,432 in building permit fees and $316,412 in sewer connection fees. The project includes 26 units of transitional living for homeless youth with incomes at or below 30% area median income (AMI).
The Carville Park Apartments Redevelopment Project, 1244 Carville Drive, was granted $25,967 in building permit fees and $714,246 in sewer connection fees. The project includes 208 units of affordable housing for residents with incomes at or below 50% AMI, with an emphasis on seniors and disabled individuals.
The Nevada Cares Campus Phase 4 Supportive Housing project, 1800 Threkell St., was granted $26,087 in building permit fees and $433,782 in sewer connection fees. The project includes 50 units of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals.
The Orovada Street Senior Apartments Phase II project, 2580 Orovada St., was granted $24,506 in building permit fees and $305,808 in sewer connection fees. The project includes 34 units of affordable housing for senior veterans with incomes at or below 50% AMI.
The Village at Sage 2.0 project, 360 Sage St., was granted $8,116 in building permit fees and $313,507 in sewer connection fees. The project includes 96 units of affordable housing for residents with incomes at or below 60% AMI.
Developers from each project were available for questions during the meeting, and council members offered praise for all of the projects.
“This is amazing work being done,” Council member Devon Reese said.
Duerr said she was concerned that as AMI goes up throughout the region, so too will rents tied to the AMI, which will leave seniors and individuals with disabilities, who are on fixed incomes, struggling to make up the rental gaps. She encouraged developers to meet with her so they could determine some ways to keep this from becoming an issue for residents.
Abandonment request near historic church postponed
Much of the meeting’s public comments were on the proposed abandonment of a portion of Bell Street to Jacobs Entertainment. Concerns surrounded the Bethel AME Church, 220 Bell St., the oldest surviving African American church in Nevada.
The proposed abandonment totals around 30,600 square feet of the northern portion of Bell Street, including a number of alleyways.
“You cannot come up here and plan a city in an eight-hour council meeting.”
Many residents spoke or wrote in opposition to the abandonment request, including a number of individuals who incorrectly believed the church was going to be torn down as part of the abandonment.
However, 21 unmetered parking spots nearby could be destroyed, which some believe would negatively affect the church.
Rev. Debra Whitlock-Lax of Bethel AME Church said she met with Jeff Jacobs, CEO of Jacobs Entertainment, who agreed to postpone their abandonment request until they could better come to a compromise that would benefit both the church and the development project.
“Certainly, my concern is always making sure our property and its access is stable, as well as making sure that African-Americanism isn’t just pushed aside,” Whitlock-Lax said. “I just want to say I was pleased with the meeting yesterday. I was pleased to see that Mr. Jacobs was interested in negotiating what we’re doing. I was glad to hear he was willing to postpone his petition to come back to the table to look at other opportunities.”
Prior to the council meeting, Whitlock-Lax also wrote in opposition of the proposed abandonment, stating that the church is already constrained by limited parking availability and allowing Jacobs to close part of the street would exacerbate these issues.
Council member Jenny Brekhus said that Jacobs Entertainment should withdraw the request for abandonment in its entirety because the council has “given Jacobs everything they’ve asked for,” which Brekhus said she opposed.
Garrett Gordon, on behalf of Jacobs Entertainment, said Brekhus was misinformed about the project despite it being within her ward and that she has refused to meet with members of the project multiple times.
Mayor Hillary Schieve said she was also concerned about Brekhus’s comments since Brekhus has “never been at the table” during project discussions.
“You cannot come up here and plan a city in an eight-hour council meeting,” Schieve said.
Brekhus then accused Schieve of holding “behind-the-scenes meetings” with Jacobs Entertainment.
“Nothing is behind the scenes, Council member Brekhus—you just don’t want to do the work and meet with people. I’ve been meeting with all the people you won’t meet with.”
Council approved the withdrawal of the item while Jacobs Entertainment continues negotiations with the church.
Other items
- Council approved a $55,000 Underrepresented Communities Grant by the National Park Service for activities relating to a Northeast Reno African American Historic Resource Survey and National Register Nomination.
- Reno is one of 21 recipients of these grants. The project will generate data that will be used to complete a National Register of Historic Places nomination.
- Included will be data regarding the African American experience in Reno circa 1900 to 1979; a survey of the northeast Reno area; identification of significant properties eligible to be listed in the National Register; and drafting of a National Register nomination associated with Black history.
- Council approved the purchase of the Crime Fighter Barcoded Evidence Analysis Statistical Tracking Laboratory Information Management System for up to $350,000, contingent upon the approval of grant funding. The software will be used to track evidence and forensic information.
- In addition, the council approved the purchase of a fingerprinting capture system using $125,000 in grant funds.
- Council approved the dedication of property at 0 Old Town Road in Verdi from BT South, LLC. for a future fire station site.
- Former Council member David Aiazzi was reappointed as a Commissioner to the Reno Housing Authority by unanimous vote.
