Setback Requirements for MU-RES: Mixed-Use Midtown Residential District in Reno

In the City of Reno, the MU-RES: Mixed-Use Midtown Residential district requires a minimum front setback of 10 feet, which is measured specifically from the back of the curb or the proposed curb. The district also mandates a minimum side setback of 5 feet and a minimum rear setback of 5 feet. While a 10-foot front setback is standard, the City of Reno allows a zero-foot setback if the property line abuts an alley with at least 24 feet of total backup space for parking.

Minimum Setback Standards

Development within the MU-RES district of the City of Reno must adhere to the following dimensional standards for building placement. Unlike many other districts, the front setback in the MU-RES: Mixed-Use Midtown Residential district is calculated from the curb line rather than the property line to ensure adequate space for public infrastructure [Section 18.04.1003(a)(2)a].

Setback Type	Minimum Requirement	Measurement Point
Front Setback	10 feet	Back of curb (or proposed curb)
Side Setback	5 feet	Property line
Rear Setback	5 feet	Property line
Street-Facing Garage	20 feet	Back of sidewalk or planned sidewalk

Special Conditions for Front Setbacks

Alley Access Exception: A minimum zero-foot setback is permitted in the City of Reno when the property line abuts an alley, provided that at least 24 feet of backup space (inclusive of the alley width) is available for all garage doors and parking spaces [Section 18.02.313, Table 2-26].
Sidewalk and Parkway Allocation: Within the 10-foot front setback required for the MU-RES district, the City of Reno requires a minimum of 5 feet to be dedicated to a sidewalk and a minimum of 5 feet to be used for street trees or a landscaped parkway strip [Section 18.04.1003(a)(4)c].
Street-Widening Projects: If the Adopted Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) identifies a street-widening project for the area, the front setback must be measured from the future back of the curb following that expansion [Section 18.04.1003(a)(2)a.1].

Residential Adjacency and Stepbacks

In addition to standard setbacks, the City of Reno imposes "stepback" requirements on MU-RES: Mixed-Use Midtown Residential properties when they are located near lower-density residential zones.

Height-Based Stepbacks

Any new building in the MU-RES district built within 150 feet of a property zoned Large-Lot Residential (LL), Single-Family Residential (SF), Multi-Family Residential (MF-14), or Downtown Powning (MD-PD) must provide additional horizontal separation as the building height increases [Section 18.04.1003(c)(1)].

For any portion of a building exceeding 24 feet in height, a minimum of an additional 1-foot horizontal setback (a 1:1 height-to-stepback ratio) is required for every foot of height above that 24-foot threshold [Section 18.04.903(c)(1)a]. This standard applies to any property line abutting the sensitive districts mentioned above.

Other Placement Considerations

Building Orientation: Primary buildings in the City of Reno MU-RES district must be oriented to promote the pedestrian and bicycle experience, with primary entrances facing the street [Section 18.04.1005(d)(3)b].
Parking Location: Off-street parking must be accessed from an alley or the side of the structure and must be located behind the front facade of the primary building [Section 18.04.1005(d)(3)a].

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