The SPR special planning review zone is intended to provide protections to current mining and milling and the historical remnants within American Flat, Gold Hill, and Virginia City. It provides mechanisms by which remnants of historical mining and milling are preserved. It provides for an environment that remains suitable for current and future mining and milling practices when findings of fact show no substantial impact to surrounding uses and the community. Preserving remnants of historical mining and milling extends to permanent historic structures, cemeteries, mine dumps, and other artifacts existing at or predating the year 1942, and remaining cultural landscapes that are identified in the county master plan as needing special attention when land use are proposed.

(Ord. No. 20-307, 10-6-2020)

All allowed uses in the SPR special planning review zone must comply with the applicable provisions of Chapter 17.12, General Provisions, and must be reviewed and approved by the board with action by the planning commission. The allowed uses are as follows:

A.

One single-family dwelling of permanent character in a permanent location.

B.

Accessory use, buildings and structures if they are clearly incidental to a permitted use, placed upon the same lot or parcel with a permitted use, and in compliance with Sections 17.12.045 and 17.12.046.

C.

Agricultural and horticultural uses for domestic purposes and incidental to the permitted uses. Uses included community gardens.

D.

Equestrian establishments.

E.

Museums including those related to history, natural resources, mining, milling, trains, railroads, and other subjects.

F.

Library and cultural services.

G.

Any material or site improvement to enhance and promote the V&T Railroad and/or V&T Railway.

H.

Civic uses including:

1.

Public facilities and offices for fire, emergency services, and sheriff. Jails are prohibited.

2.

Helipads and heliports for use only by medical evacuation transport services. These uses are prohibited for any other purpose.

3.

Public utility and transmission substations, water storage facilities and storm water drainage, detention, retention and storage.

4.

Libraries, governmental offices, post offices, and community centers.

5.

Education including elementary, middle, and high (K-12) schools and academies, colleges and higher education, technical and vocational education, apprentice training, whether public, private, or parochial. A special use permit is required student residential and boarding accommodations.

6.

Picnicking areas, parks, dog parks, walking and bicycle trails, interpretive trails, restroom facilities, and information kiosks.

(Ord. No. 20-307, 10-6-2020)

A special use permit will be required for following uses or development which is determined by the board with action by the planning commission to be potentially incompatible or detrimental to the purpose and intent of the SPR special planning review zone:

A.

Mining and extraction as regulated by Chapter 17.92, Exploration, Mining, and Extraction.

B.

Milling and processing associated with mining and extraction.

C.

Temporary (less than one year) concrete and asphalt batch plants when not incidental to an on-site construction project or when located within 2,500 feet of a CR, E, R, or SPR zone.

D.

Bed and breakfast inns offering accommodations for up to eight guests, subject to providing one off-street parking space for each additional ten thousand square feet of lot area.

E.

Education facilities that include student residential and boarding accommodations.

F.

Indoor and outdoor archery clubs and indoor gun club for the sport of shooting at moving or stationary targets or education related to the use and safety of firearms and archery.

G.

The keeping of five or more dogs or three or more pot-belly pigs more than twelve weeks of age. A minimum of ten acres is required.

H.

Animal boarding and grooming. Outside facilities require a minimum of ten acres.

I.

Cemeteries, but not columbariums, crematories, mausoleums, mortuaries, or funeral parlors.

J.

Congregational establishments, including religious institutions, fraternal lodges, recreational and social clubs, labor halls, service clubs and facilities for other private clubs.

K.

Wild animal keeping.

L.

Open storage.

M.

Bee keeping.

N.

Child care facilities.

O.

Single-family dwellings less than eight hundred square feet.

P.

Other similar uses to the above which are determined by the board with action by the planning commission to be consistent with the uses permitted within the zone.

(Ord. No. 20-307, 10-6-2020)

The SPR special planning review zone must have a minimum acreage limit. The minimum acreage limit number is the suffix for the respective zone (e.g., "SPR-5" is an SPR zone with five thousand square feet minimum parcel area). A parcel zoned SPR must be at least five thousand square feet. The area contained within the SPR zoned parcel includes all easements, including easements for access to an adjacent parcel. SPR zones have the following designated minimum parcel area and minimum parcel width. The minimum area and width for each SPR zone is indicated in the following table:

(Ord. No. 20-307, 10-6-2020)

The required distance between the building and the property line is indicated in the following table. Setback requirements for accessory structures must comply with Section 17.12.045:

(Ord. No. 20-307, 10-6-2020)

A building, manufactured home, or structure may not exceed a height of three stories or thirty-five feet, whichever is higher, except as may be allowed by a special use permit. The requirements of this section do not apply to church spires, belfries, cupolas, domes, chimneys, grain silos, water towers, or flagpoles. The height of support structures (towers) for radio, television, other communication antennas, and wind energy turbines is regulated under Chapter 17.12, General Provisions.

(Ord. No. 20-307, 10-6-2020)

Home enterprises, including in-home childcare, are regulated under Chapter 17.12, General Provisions.

(Ord. No. 20-307, 10-6-2020)

No single-family dwelling may have a floor area of less than eight hundred square feet for a one-bedroom residence; one thousand square feet for a two-bedroom residence; and one thousand two hundred square feet for a three or more bedroom residence, unless a special use permit has been obtained.

(Ord. No. 20-307, 10-6-2020)