Setback Requirements for the ME: Mixed Employment District in the City of Reno
In the City of Reno, the ME: Mixed Employment district requires a minimum front setback of 10 feet. While side and rear setbacks are generally 0 feet, they must be increased to a minimum of 10 feet whenever the ME: Mixed Employment property is immediately adjacent to a residentially zoned property. Additionally, projects within 150 feet of specific residential zones are subject to increased horizontal setbacks and stepbacks for any portion of a building exceeding 24 feet in height.
Minimum Setback Standards
The City of Reno establishes specific lot and building standards for the ME: Mixed Employment district to accommodate a mix of employment-focused uses such as light manufacturing, processing, and office development. The primary setback requirements are outlined in the table below:
Table: ME: Mixed Employment Setback Requirements
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Front Setback (Minimum) | 10 ft. [Table 2-29] |
| Side Setback (Minimum) | 0 ft. [1] [Table 2-29] |
| Rear Setback (Minimum) | 0 ft. [1] [Table 2-29] |
| Building Separation | 10 ft. between principal buildings [Table 2-29] |
[1] Residential Adjacency Note: If the ME: Mixed Employment building is located immediately adjacent to a residentially zoned property, the minimum side and rear setbacks are increased to 10 feet [Section 18.02.403, Table 2-29, Note 2].
Residential Adjacency and Compatibility Standards
When development in a City of Reno ME: Mixed Employment district is built within 150 feet of properties zoned Large-Lot Residential (LL), Single-Family Residential (SF), Multi-Family Residential (MF-14), or Downtown Powning (MD-PD), additional compatibility standards apply to protect the character of those neighborhoods [Section 18.04.1103(c)(1)].
Height-Based Stepbacks
For any ME: Mixed Employment building portion exceeding 24 feet in height, the City of Reno requires an additional 1-foot horizontal setback (or a 1:1 building height/stepback ratio) for each foot of height over 24 feet. This standard applies to any property line that abuts the residential districts mentioned above [Section 18.04.903(c)(1)a].
Exceptions to this height-to-setback ratio may be requested through a major site plan review if the applicant can demonstrate that the impact on the residential adjacency is mitigated through other means [Section 18.04.903(c)(1)b].
Screening and Buffering
Developments in the ME: Mixed Employment district must provide specific landscaping and screening when adjacent to residentially zoned property. The width of this landscaped area is determined by the size of the project:
- General Requirement: Minimum 10 feet wide.
- Large Projects: Increased to a minimum of 15 feet for developments exceeding 150,000 square feet or located on a site of 10 acres or larger.
- Very Large Projects: Increased to a minimum of 20 feet for developments exceeding 300,000 square feet or located on a site of 20 acres or larger [Section 18.04.1103(d)(2)].
Additional Siting Requirements
- Loading Areas: In the ME: Mixed Employment district, all buildings and structures must be designed so that the loading and unloading of materials occurs entirely within the property lines of the lot [Section 18.04.1103(a)(3)].
- Public Streets: Using public streets for the parking or staging of trucks awaiting loading is prohibited within the ME: Mixed Employment district. The site must be able to accommodate all necessary truck maneuvers without backing from the street [Section 18.04.1103(b)(1)].
- Trash and Loading Areas: These areas must be centralized and screened. If the property is located along the Truckee River, the City of Reno prohibits placing outdoor trash or loading facilities on the river side of the property [Section 18.04.1103(a)(4)].
Sections Cited
- Section 18.02.403, ME: Mixed Employment
- Section 18.04.903, General Standards for Residential Districts
- Section 18.04.1103, General Standards for Employment Districts (I, IC, ME & MA)