PUD: Planned Development Zoning District in the City of Reno

The PUD: Planned Development district in the City of Reno is a special purpose zoning classification that requires a minimum of ten contiguous acres and allows for the integrated development of various land uses. This district enables the City of Reno to grant greater flexibility in exchange for creative, high-quality designs that provide significant public benefits, such as enhanced open space and recreational amenities. All development standards within a PUD: Planned Development are custom-tailored to the specific project and must be approved by the City of Reno City Council through a multi-phase review process [Section 18.02.507].

Purpose of the PUD District

The PUD: Planned Development district is established by the City of Reno to achieve several strategic planning goals that standard zoning districts may not accommodate. These include:

Master Plan Implementation: Ensuring that large-scale developments directly support the goals and policies of the City of Reno Master Plan [Section 18.02.507(a)(1)].
Land Use Integration: Allowing the combination of residential, commercial, public, and industrial uses within a single, functionally integrated entity [Section 18.02.507(a)(2)].
Compatibility Mitigation: Using specific site design to minimize potential impacts when higher-intensity uses are located adjacent to residential areas [Section 18.02.507(a)(3)].
Design Innovation: Encouraging imaginative layouts that offer a higher level of public amenities than those typically produced under strict standard zoning district regulations [Section 18.02.507(a)(4)].

General Character and Development Standards

The PUD: Planned Development is characterized as a single-entity development where the property remains under the control of a landowner to be developed as a cohesive project [Section 18.09 Article 4]. Unlike standard districts in the City of Reno, the building and site standards for a PUD: Planned Development (such as height, bulk, and setbacks) do not follow a fixed table in the code. Instead, they are proposed by the developer and finalized by the City of Reno City Council [Section 18.02.507(d)].

Key Development Requirements

Standard	Requirement in the PUD: Planned Development District
Minimum Development Size	10 contiguous acres (unless the City of Reno determines a smaller size is justified) [Section 18.02.507(c)]
Location Requirement	Must be located within the City of Reno corporate limits [Section 18.02.507(d)]
Design Basis	All standards should generally be based on an existing City of Reno base zone district, with the applicant demonstrating the benefits of any proposed modifications [Section 18.02.507(e)(1)]
Common Open Space	Residential components must provide common open space developed with active recreational amenities [Section 18.02.507(f)(1)]
Public Safety Standards	Requirements pertaining to public safety, natural resources, and public infrastructure cannot be modified or reduced [Section 18.02.507(e)(3)]

Permitted Land Uses

The PUD: Planned Development district does not have a restricted list of "by-right" uses. Instead, it allows for any combination of uses permitted in any other City of Reno zoning classification. However, these uses must be planned in a manner that is compatible with both the internal project environment and the surrounding neighborhood [Section 18.02.507(b)].

Review and Approval Process

Because the PUD: Planned Development district involves custom regulations, the City of Reno requires a rigorous three-phase review process:

Initial Concept Review (Optional): A high-level discussion with the City Council to obtain preliminary feedback on the feasibility of the project's land-use mix and infrastructure [Section 18.08.505(c)(1)].
Tentative PUD Plan: A detailed evaluation phase where the City of Reno Planning Commission and City Council review the basic development plan, scale, and environmental impacts [Section 18.08.505(c)(2)].
Final PUD Plan: The technical finalization of the plan where the applicant addresses issues raised in the tentative phase [Section 18.08.505(c)(3)].

Sections Cited