The Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Governing Board reversed its denial of the StoneGate Master Plan on Oct. 9.
The master plan is being developed by Heinz Ranch Land Company. Lumos & Associates is the civil engineer. The proposal currently consists of 1,350 housing units and 12MSF of industrial space. (NVBEX, May 28; Sept. 17)
The reversal ultimately approves the zoning change at the regional level. Sparks councilmember Dian VanderWell said the commission had overstepped its boundaries.
Regardless of the reversal, the developer still must go through the City of Reno’s permitting process. Two commissioners voted against the reversal due to the incomplete study from the Western Regional Water Commission.
Other community members have discussed concerns about the master plan housing a data center. While the developer said a data center is possible, there aren’t any current plans for one. If a data center were to be proposed, it would be subject to the permitting process.
As the proposal stands, it is projected to create roughly 8,880 jobs. Project representatives said developers were ready to break ground as early as 2021 but had to wait due to economic conditions. The project has returned to compete with other regional industrial hotspots like the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center.
Previously, the Reno City Council approved the zoning change on a 4-3 vote after the Planning Commission had recommended its denial. The Regional Planning Governing Board issued its original denial after City Council’s approval.