Planning commission limits Juniper Hills bridle-path abandonment to 15 feet after residents oppose full removal

The Washoe County Planning Commission on Aug. 4 partially approved an application to abandon part of a recorded 30-foot bridle-path easement in the Juniper Hills subdivision, voting unanimously to limit the abandonment to 15 feet and retain a continuous 15-foot corridor.

Senior Planner Courtney Weicki told commissioners staff recommended a partial approval that would abandon part of the recorded 30-foot easement while preserving a usable corridor: "Staff is actually recommending a partial approval," she said during the staff presentation. Weicki noted the request stemmed from a building-permit review and that the county accepted the original easement dedication in 1959, but that the county has not consistently maintained every bridle path.

Applicant Chris Novich, who said he lives on Bridle Way and filed the request on behalf of affected property owners, argued the segment in question has never been developed or maintained and that photos submitted by opponents often show private property rather than the recorded easement: "My name is Chris Novich, resident of 4400 Bridle Way... Since 1959, it's never been approved. So or never been constructed and or used." Novich asked the commission to abandon the easement on paper so homeowners could use the affected area.

Longtime residents pressed a contrary view during public comment. "I live at 4365 Bridal Way since 19 80 82, which is over 40 years," said Marcy Welch, who said the bridle paths were a selling point and an asset that connects to other trails. Other speakers including Chip Cooper, Tammy Ruff and Krista Waddington described multigenerational use, trail connectivity, equestrian needs and concerns that even a partial removal could set a precedent that erodes the system.

Commissioners questioned staff about overlapping utility easements and the legal status of structures already within the recorded easement, and discussed the trail-width standards staff used in recommending a retained corridor. Staff cited a 12-foot optimal tread width for equestrian trails and noted that abandonment would not affect the 10-foot public-utility easement that crosses the area.

Commissioner Kennedy moved to partially approve WAB25-0009, limiting abandonment to a 15-foot portion of the existing 30-foot bridle-path easement while retaining a continuous 15-foot corridor and subjecting approval to revised legal descriptions and exhibit maps approved by engineering. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

The decision preserves a narrower public corridor and imposes conditions and revised legal descriptions prior to recordation; the staff report and the commission’s motion require revised exhibits and engineering approval before any final recordation.

What happens next: the staff conditions require revised legal descriptions and maps approved by engineering and reference the conditions in exhibit A; any appeal would follow the county’s appeals process and the decision is subject to the county’s written findings.