Developer seeks zoning for townhome project along river

The appeal of the Truckee River continues to attract residential developers even in industrial areas.

TCI Group of Reno and San Jose, Calif., plans to build 108 single-family townhomes on an eightacre site at the southwest corner of Dickerson Road and Rissone Lane west of downtown Reno.

The group's plans to build the residential project called the Truckee River Townhomes follows a successful run of developing Rancho San Rafael Townhomes on Madison Marie Lane, which is now in its third phase.

The development company, which is also a builder, expects the construction of the $22 million project to start next spring.

Currently, part of the property is zoned industrial and the rest as multifamily, a combination which allows for 14 units per acre.

The company has filed an application to change the zoning of the entire lot to multifamily, allowing 21 units per acre.

Beverly Straub, an assistant planner with the city, says the request reflects what has been a continuing trend of residential development along the river.

In all probability, she says the application, which is currently being reviewed by the planning department, will be decided Nov.

16.

Walt Oxley, managing member of TCI, hopes the project will be approved without any objections being raised.

"Behind it, on Dickerson Road it's industrial, but across the river you've got condos, next door to us is residential on both sides and a lot of other areas along the river are going residential even though they may be industrial now," Oxley says.

Residential real estate broker Rick Lund, owner of Ferrari-Lund Real Estate, points out that the area is prone to flooding, and the project should protect against high water.

But Lund says he always wondered why industries were allowed to gather in the most beautiful part of the town along the river.

And townhouses, he says,may be in strong demand.

"We all of a sudden have a lot more condo projects coming on line that we never had," Lund says."We might be building too many, in fact, and so townhouses are a good alternative."

The area's appeal to homebuyers is the view of the river, Oxley says.

"The setting there is just fabulous when you get down right on the river.

It's a beautiful setting," he says.

The two-story units will range from 1,208 square feet to 1,635 square feet.

Units will share only roofs and foundations and won't have common walls.

"There is a one-inch air space between each unit," Oxley says."And each unit will also have a rear deck off the living area."

The units will be priced between from the low $200,000s to the mid-$300,000s.

"Our goal is to bring good, nice looking housing for entry-level buyers," Oxley says.