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IC: Industrial Commercial Zoning District Guide for the City of Reno

Jurisdiction: Reno•Code Version: Amended January 14, 2026

The IC: Industrial Commercial zoning district in the City of Reno is designed to accommodate a mix of industrial, research and development, and commercial uses, typically involving moderate-footprint buildings up to 500,000 square feet. This district allows for flexible production and employment activities but requires a minimum lot size of 0.5 acres and establishes a base height limit of 55 feet [Section 18.02.402]. While primarily nonresidential, the City of Reno permits specific high-density or integrated housing types such as Live/Work units within this designation [Table 3-1].

Purpose and Character

The City of Reno established the IC: Industrial Commercial district to provide for a blend of employment-focused uses. The district is intended for warehousing, flex space, manufacturing, and supporting office uses. A key requirement for this district is that it must be separated from residential development by natural or man-made buffers to mitigate operational impacts [Section 18.02.402].

Development Standards

Development within the IC: Industrial Commercial district must adhere to specific intensity and dimensional requirements.

Table 1: IC District Dimensional Standards

Standard Requirement
Minimum Lot Size 0.5 acre [Section 18.02.402]
Minimum Lot Width 50 feet [Section 18.02.402]
Maximum Building Area 500,000 square feet (may be exceeded with Major Site Plan Review) [Section 18.02.402]
Front Setback (Sites <= 20 acres) 10 feet [Section 18.02.402]
Front Setback (Sites > 20 acres) 30 feet [Section 18.02.402]
Side Setback 0 feet (10 feet if adjacent to residential) [Section 18.02.402]
Rear Setback 0 feet (10 feet if adjacent to residential) [Section 18.02.402]
Maximum Height 55 feet [Section 18.02.402]
Height Stepback 1 foot of additional stepback for every 1 foot of height above 35 feet [Section 18.02.402]

Allowed Uses

The City of Reno utilizes a "Table of Allowed Uses" to define permissions within the IC: Industrial Commercial district. Permissions are categorized as Permitted (P), Minor Conditional Use Permit (M), or Conditional Use Permit (C).

Residential Uses

The IC: Industrial Commercial district is largely nonresidential.

  • Allowed: Dwelling, Live/Work (P); Group Home (P) [Table 3-1].
  • Prohibited: Most traditional residential forms are prohibited, including single-family detached, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and standard multi-family dwellings [Table 3-1].

Public, Institutional, and Civic Uses

The City of Reno allows several civic functions to operate within the IC: Industrial Commercial district.

  • Permitted (P): Library, Art Gallery, or Museum; Minor Government Facility; Private Club, Lodge, or Fraternal Organization; Public Park or Recreation Area; Religious Assembly; Adult Education; Childcare Center; School, Vocational or Trade; Blood Plasma Donor Center; Hospital, Acute and Overnight Care; Medical Facility, Day Use [Table 3-1].
  • Minor Conditional Use (M): School, Public or Private (subject to use-specific standards) [Table 3-1].

Commercial Uses

The district supports a wide range of commercial activities.

  • Permitted (P): Animal Clinic/Shelter; Bakery (Retail); Bar, Lounge, or Tavern; Commercial Kitchen; Microbrewery, Distillery, or Winery; Restaurant (with or without alcohol); Hotel-Condominium; Hotel; Call Center; Financial Institution; Laboratory; Office (General); Recording Studio; Cleaners (Commercial); Wedding Chapel; Adult Business; Amusement or Recreation (Inside); Country Club (Private); Event Center/Banquet Hall; Building, Lumber, and Landscape Material Sales; Cannabis Dispensary (Medical and Adult-use); Convenience Store; General Retail (all sizes); Plant Nursery or Garden Supply; Auto Service and Repair; Automobile, Truck, Mobile Home, RV, Boat, and Trailer Sales or Rental; Parking Lot (Open); Public Transit or School Bus Shelter [Table 3-1].
  • Minor Conditional Use (M): Urban Farm; Amusement or Recreation (Outside) [Table 3-1].
  • Conditional Use Permit (C): Convention Center; Gun Range (Indoor); Sports Arena, Stadium, or Track; General Retail (Package Alcohol Sales); Pawn Shop; Bus or Other Transportation Terminal; Car Wash; Gas Station; Truck Stop/Travel Plaza [Table 3-1].

Industrial, Storage, and Manufacturing Uses

As an industrial-heavy zone, the IC: Industrial Commercial district allows extensive production and distribution uses.

  • Permitted (P): Cannabis Independent Testing Laboratory (Medical and Adult-use); Cannabis Production Facility (Medical and Adult-use); Collection Station; Crematorium; 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 (C): Chemical Processing and/or Manufacture; Hazardous Waste Facility; Outdoor Manufacturing, Processing, Assembly, or Fabrication; Asphalt or Concrete Batch Plant; Mining Operations; Data Center; Truck Terminal [Table 3-1].

Prohibited Uses

Uses specifically excluded from the IC: Industrial Commercial district in the City of Reno include:

  • Cemetery or Mausoleum.
  • Funeral Parlor.
  • Major Government Facility.
  • Prison or Custodial Institution.
  • Public Meal or Homeless Services Provider.
  • Stable (Commercial).
  • Bed and Breakfast Inn.
  • Hotel with Nonrestricted Gaming.
  • Motel (with or without Nonrestricted Gaming).
  • Recreational Vehicle Park.
  • Animal and Animal Byproduct Processing.
  • Septic Tank Services.
  • Transfer Station.
  • Wrecking Yard, Salvage Yard, or Junk Yard [Table 3-1].

Parking Requirements

Off-street parking in the IC: Industrial Commercial district generally follows "Level 2 Parking District" standards unless the property is within 600 feet of a Downtown or Level 1 district [Section 18.04.705].

Table 2: Representative IC Parking Ratios (Level 2)

Use Type Minimum Requirement
General Office 1 per 400 square feet [Table 4-6]
General Retail 1 per 250 square feet [Table 4-6]
Manufacturing/Industrial 1 per 1,000 square feet [Table 4-6]
Warehouse/Distribution 1 per 3,300 square feet [Table 4-6]
Restaurant 1 per 200 square feet [Table 4-6]

Sections Cited

  • Chapter 18.02 Zoning Districts
  • Section 18.02.402 IC: Industrial Commercial
  • Chapter 18.03 Use Regulations
  • Section 18.03.206 Table of Allowed Uses (Table 3-1)
  • Chapter 18.04 Development Standards
  • Section 18.04.705 Off-Street Parking Requirements
  • Table 4-6 Off-Street Parking Requirements

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