Guide to the I: Industrial Zoning District in the City of Reno

The I: Industrial zoning district in the City of Reno is intended to accommodate intensive land uses, including heavy manufacturing and large-footprint warehousing, while requiring separation from residential areas via man-made or natural buffers [Section 18.02.401]. In this district, residential dwellings are strictly prohibited, and development is regulated by a minimum lot size of one acre and a maximum building height of 55 feet [Section 18.02.401]. Most permitted uses focus on production, storage, and distribution, with specific parking and screening standards designed to mitigate the impacts of heavy industrial activity [Section 18.04.1103].

District Purpose and Intent

The primary intent of the I: Industrial district within the City of Reno is to provide space for the heaviest industrial uses that require significant mitigation of impacts. These sites typically feature large-footprint buildings used for manufacturing, flex space, and wholesaling. To ensure the safety and welfare of the community, the City of Reno requires these areas to be located near major transportation systems, such as railways and freeways, and to be buffered from schools and residential neighborhoods [Section 18.02.401].

Technical Development Standards

The City of Reno enforces specific dimensional and building standards for all properties zoned as I: Industrial to manage the scale and density of industrial development.

Dimensional Standards for I: Industrial

Standard	Requirement
Minimum Lot Size	1 acre
Minimum Lot Width	150 feet
Minimum Front Setback (Sites ≤ 20 acres)	10 feet
Minimum Front Setback (Sites > 20 acres)	20 feet
Minimum Side Setback	0 feet (10 feet if adjacent to residential)
Minimum Rear Setback	0 feet (10 feet if adjacent to residential)
Maximum Building Height	55 feet
Minimum Landscape Area	100% of front yard (excluding driveways)

Note: For buildings exceeding 35 feet in height, the City of Reno requires an additional one-foot step-back for every foot of height above the 35-foot threshold when adjacent to streets or residential property [Section 18.02.401].

Allowed Land Uses

The City of Reno categorizes land use permissions into several types: Permitted (P), Minor Conditional Use Permit (M), and Conditional Use Permit (C).

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Storage Uses

The following uses are the core activities allowed in the I: Industrial district:

Permitted (P): Collection Station; Custom and Craft Manufacturing; Food Processing or Wholesale Bakery; Indoor Manufacturing, Processing, Assembly, or Fabrication; Maintenance, Repair, or Renovation Business; Printing and Publishing; Heavy Machinery and Equipment Rental, Sales, and Service; Mini-warehouse; Outdoor Storage; Railroad Yard or Shop; Salvage or Reclamation of Products (Indoors); Tow Yard; Warehouse or Distribution Center; Wholesale [Table 3-1].
Conditional Use Permit Required (C): Animal and Animal Byproduct Processing; Chemical Processing and/or Manufacture; Crematorium; Asphalt or Concrete Batch Plant; Mining Operations; Septic Tank Services; Transfer Station; Truck Terminal; Wrecking Yard, Salvage Yard, or Junk Yard [Table 3-1].
Use Specific Standards (*): Cannabis Cultivation, Testing, and Production facilities are permitted but subject to strict separation requirements from schools (1,000 feet) and residentially zoned property [Section 18.03.306(a)].

Commercial and Service Uses

While primarily industrial, the City of Reno allows certain supporting commercial uses:

Permitted (P): Animal Clinic; Bar, Lounge, or Tavern; Commercial Kitchen; Microbrewery, Distillery, or Winery; Restaurant; Restaurant with Alcohol Service; Hotel; Hotel-Condominium; Call Center; Financial Institution; Office (General); Recording Studio; Cleaners (Commercial); Personal Service (General); Wedding Chapel; Amusement or Recreation (Inside); Event Center/Banquet Hall; Building, Lumber, and Landscape Material Sales; General Retail (all sizes); Plant Nursery [Table 3-1].
Conditional Use Permit Required (C): Gun Range (Indoor); Package Alcohol Sales; Pawn Shop [Table 3-1].

Public and Institutional Uses

Permitted (P): Minor Government Facility; Public Park or Recreation Area; Adult Education [Table 3-1].
Conditional Use Permit Required (C): Major Government Facility; Utilities (Major) [Table 3-1].

Prohibited Uses

To maintain the industrial character and safety of the district, the City of Reno prohibits several categories of use within the I: Industrial designation:

Residential Uses: All forms of household living, including Duplex, Triplex, Fourplex, Multi-family, and Single-family dwellings (Attached or Detached) are prohibited [Table 3-1].
Specific Group Living: Assisted Living Facilities, Boarding or Rooming Houses, Convents, and Fraternities are prohibited [Table 3-1].
Civic/Institutional: Cemeteries, Funeral Parlors, Libraries, Museums, Prisons, and Schools (Primary/Secondary) are prohibited [Table 3-1].

Parking and Loading Requirements

Parking in the I: Industrial district is generally calculated based on the gross floor area of the building.

Use Type	Minimum Parking Requirement (Level 2 District)
Manufacturing / Processing	1 space per 1,000 sq. ft.
Warehouse / Distribution	1 space per 3,300 sq. ft.
General Office	1 space per 400 sq. ft.
General Retail	1 space per 250 sq. ft.
Heavy Machinery Sales/Service	1 space per 500 sq. ft.

The City of Reno also requires off-street loading areas for all nonresidential developments exceeding 30,000 square feet. For buildings over 30,000 square feet, one loading space is required, plus one additional space for every 30,000 square feet thereafter [Section 18.04.708].

Sections Cited

Section 18.02.401 - I: Industrial
Table 3-1 - Table of Allowed Uses
Section 18.03.306 - Industrial Uses (Specific Standards)
Section 18.04.705 - Off-Street Parking Requirements
Table 4-6 - Off-Street Parking Requirements
Section 18.04.708 - Off-Street Loading and Stacking
Section 18.04.1103 - General Standards for Employment Districts