Setback Requirements for MU: Mixed-Use Urban District in Reno

In the City of Reno, properties within the MU: Mixed-Use Urban district are subject to a front setback of 18 feet when abutting Virginia Street or Fourth Street and 12 feet when abutting any other street, with these distances typically measured from the back of the curb. While side and rear setbacks in the MU: Mixed-Use Urban district are generally 0 feet, a minimum 5-foot setback is required if the property is immediately adjacent to a residentially zoned district. Additionally, building components in the MU: Mixed-Use Urban district that exceed 24 feet in height must provide increased horizontal setbacks when adjacent to lower-density residential areas [Section 18.02.307 and Section 18.04.1003].

MU: Mixed-Use Urban Setback Standards

The City of Reno establishes specific building placement requirements for the MU: Mixed-Use Urban district to support integrated, high-density residential and commercial development near transit corridors. The following table outlines the minimum setbacks required for principal buildings and structures:

Setback Category	Requirement
Front (Virginia Street and Fourth Street)	18 feet [1]
Front (All Other Streets)	12 feet [1]
Side	0 feet [2][3]
Rear	0 feet [2][3]
Street-Facing Garage	20 feet [4]

Table Notes and Provisions

[1] Measurement Point: Front setbacks in the MU: Mixed-Use Urban district are measured from the back of the curb or the proposed curb rather than the property line [Section 18.04.1003(a)(2)a].
[2] Alley Provisions: A 0-foot setback is permitted when a property line abuts an alley, provided there is at least 24 feet of total backup space (including the alley width) for all garage doors or parking spaces [Section 18.02.307].
[3] Residential Adjacency: If a building in the MU: Mixed-Use Urban district is located immediately adjacent to a residentially zoned property, the minimum side and rear setbacks are increased to 5 feet [Section 18.02.307].
[4] Garage Placement: The setback for a street-facing garage is measured from the existing or planned sidewalk to the face of the garage [Section 18.02.307].

Additional Compatibility Standards

The City of Reno mandates further setbacks for the MU: Mixed-Use Urban district to ensure compatibility when high-intensity development occurs near established residential neighborhoods.

Building Stepbacks

For any new building in the MU: Mixed-Use Urban district built within 150 feet of a property zoned Large Lot Residential (LL), Single-Family Residential (SF), or MF-14, specific "stepback" rules apply. For any portion of the structure exceeding 24 feet in height, the City of Reno requires an additional 1-foot horizontal setback (or 1:1 height-to-stepback ratio) for every foot of height above that 24-foot threshold [Section 18.04.1003(c)(1) and Section 18.04.903(c)(1)].

Setback Exceptions and Adjustments

Existing Buildings: If an existing building is already closer to the curb than the minimum 12- or 18-foot requirement, the owner must provide the maximum possible setback without being required to remove the existing structure [Section 18.04.1003(a)(2)a.2].
Street Widening: If the Adopted Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) identifies a future street-widening project for a specific road, the front setback in the MU: Mixed-Use Urban district must be measured from the projected future back-of-curb line [Section 18.04.1003(a)(2)a.1].

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