Carson City Supervisors officially repeal 17.10 ‘Open Space Development’
On second reading Thursday, Carson City supervisors repealed 17.10 Open Space Development, which has been hotly contested in recent years.
The term Open Space is a misnomer; in fact, 17.10 has allowed developers to reap many benefits without actually being required to provide communal space for the public to gather or recreate.
With 17.10 gone, developers will be able to choose from two development procedures: 17.05 and 17.09.
17.05 is the traditional subdivision that can be found all over Carson City, which involves dividing all property into lots that are privately owned. So a homeowner will have their house, with or without a yard, and nothing more; no HOA owned club houses or public spaces. All density and minimum lot area requirements are set by zoning.
17.09 the Planned Unit Development, has specific requirements and regulations that allow flexibility within developments. While lot size under 17.05 is strict, 17.09 lot sizes can be flexible, which could allow for more units in a development, but it also carries an additional requirement: Open Space requirements.
Under a PUD, 30 percent of the gross land area must be Open Space, which includes yards as well as areas like parks and trail systems, with no more than 25 percent being private (yards vs. common areas). A PUD also allows for a 10 percent bonus in density.
Under 17.10, density was set per zoning, but minimum lot areas remained flexible. However, as opposed to the 30 percent Open Space Requirement found in the PUD, only 250 sqft per unit is required — and there was no requirement at all for common open space.
The decision to repeal 17.10 was unanimous.