Council upholds Planning Commission, approves 336‑unit North Hills townhome project with traffic condition

The Reno City Council on July 29 denied an appeal and approved a tentative map, conditional use permit and an alternative‑equivalent compliance for a 336‑unit townhome community proposed on North Hills Boulevard. The decision follows presentations from staff, the applicant and neighboring residents who raised traffic, drainage and fire‑safety concerns.

Council members and staff said the approval is conditioned on engineering and public‑works requirements that must be satisfied before a final map or permits are recorded. Those conditions require the developer to complete required drainage, grading and public‑improvement engineering and to demonstrate mitigation complies with the Truckee Meadows Regional Drainage Manual before final map recordation. The project provides 948 parking spaces (exceeding code minimums) and a mix of three‑ and four‑bedroom for‑sale duplex/triplex townhomes with internal amenities and landscape buffers along the freeway.

Neighbors testified to recurring local flooding, the basin’s recent inclusion of additional homes in county flood mapping and limited roadway capacity at North Hills, Beckworth and Buck Drive. The council added a condition directing the applicant to consult in good faith with the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) about a road‑impact fee agreement and an intent to install a traffic signal at Beckworth and North Hills; the council and applicant said they will pursue RTC coordination and possible use of developer impact funds to address the crossing. Officials noted RTC’s programmed widening work on North Hills is scheduled in the regional plan and preliminary engineering funding in later years, so interim design and coordination are needed.

Planning staff clarified the tentative map stage requires final engineering (including drainage infiltration and detention design) before recordation; councilmembers said they wanted the technical studies submitted and certified before the final map is recorded. The council vote was unanimous to deny the appeal and approve the project with the added RTC‑consultation condition.