Planning commission partially approves Cinder Lane easement abandonment, retains 20-foot northern access

The Washoe County Planning Commission on June 2 partially approved abandonment case WAB26-00003, a request by Tom Tornstrom to abandon 33-foot government patent access easements around a roughly 2.5-acre parcel on Cinder Lane.

Senior Planner Chris Bronzik told the commission staff reviewed the application and recommended a partial approval: "Instead of the full 33-foot abandonment on that northern property line, we're recommending a maximum of a 13-foot abandonment and retaining 20 feet," he said, adding that the applicant would not be allowed to block or place structures in the remaining 20-foot access easement. Bronzik also said utility providers including AT&T and MB Energy reviewed the request and required that public utility easements not be vacated as part of this process.

Bringing the motion, a commissioner moved to approve the staff recommendation to partially abandon Washoe County's interest in the easements with conditions in Exhibit A and the findings required by Washoe County Code section 110.806.20 and Nevada Revised Statute 278.48(3). Commissioner Linda Kennedy seconded the motion, which passed with no recorded opposition.

Staff noted two written public comments were received during noticing: one requested maintaining access on the northern property line (which is reflected in the partial retention) and another raised fire-safety concerns tied to easement widths on the east end. The motion includes conditions from Exhibit A addressing agency comments and easement/utility protections.

The commission’s action is administrative and appealable to the Board of County Commissioners under the county's appeals procedure; the staff notice referenced the 10-calendar-day appeal period and related filing requirements.

What happens next: the county will record the action in accordance with the conditions and utility providers’ processes; the applicant must complete any separate utility-abandonment or relocation steps through the appropriate utility channels.