Busy Week Ahead for the Reno City Council & Planning Commission
Previews and updates for the week of May 19, 2025
[UPDATE: Word came down on May 20 that the scheduled May 22 meeting of the Reno Planning Commission has been CANCELLED.]
This is a busy week for the City of Reno, with meetings of the City Council, Redevelopment Agency Board, and Planning Commission, including budget adoptions, decisions on multiple outlying developments like StoneGate and Talus Valley, and updated ordinances governing the city’s Sign and Building codes.
For links to all of the week’s upcoming public meetings, click here. For the full City of Reno calendar (where Community Forums and events are listed), click here.
With so many items of relevance to land development (in addition to everything else on the agendas), I’ll just provide brief descriptions of selected issues, with links to additional published information, as available.
Tuesday, May 20 at 5:30pm: Community Forum with Ward 2 Councilmember Naomi Duerr
Finally a hybrid “Community Forum” that can be attended virtually! Ward 2 Councilmember Naomi Duerr is holding one of these forums on Tuesday, May 20 at 5:30pm at the Moana Nursery at 1100 West Moana Lane. To register for the virtual option click here. The program will include discussions about Boards and Commissions, Virginia Range Horses, and the Good Neighbors Warming Center.
Wednesday, May 21 at 10am: Reno City Council & Reno Redevelopment Agency Board
You can access the full May 21 City Council agenda and all supporting materials here and register to view/participate online here. Items with ties to land development, land use, and planning include the following:
Item C.1 - Regional fire collaboration efforts
This is a joint presentation from the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and the Reno and Sparks Fire Departments about their ongoing regional fire collaboration efforts, with an update from the Reno Fire Department on City-wide fire emergency evacuation planning. It will include discussion of SB319, currently working its way through the State Legislature. You can view the Staff Report here.
RELATED: Fire regionalization bill gutted to focus solely on study (This is Reno)
Item C.2 - Nevada state legislative update
There is so far no uploaded presentation for this update on the current session of the Nevada Legislature, but the sole bill sponsored by the City of Reno is SB48, which has been amended multiple times, most recently on Friday, May 16.
RELATED: Nevada Legislature advances bill altering planning commission rules after controversy (This is Reno)
Item C.3 - City of Reno public engagement strategies
This is the postponed item from the last Council meeting, where City staff will explain the current hiatus of most citizen boards and commissions and discuss the City’s plan to evaluate its community engagement strategies. Staff Report here.
RELATED: My May 12 Brief, “What Does ‘Community Engagement’ Mean to You?”
Item D.1 - Final City budget presentation for adoption
This item would approve a resolution adopting the final budget and fee schedule for the City of Reno for FY 25/26. You can view the Staff Report here.
RELATED: Six-part series from This is Reno on local government spending:
Part 1: ‘Employees are our biggest expense’: A look at local government pay
Part 4: Collective bargaining in local governments has dramatically increased employee costs
Part 5: How do Reno and Washoe compare to other jurisdictions?
Part 6: Government officials blame lack of tax revenue for financial woes
[NOTE: Approval of the Redevelopment Agency budget is the only item on the Redevelopment Agency Board Agenda. You can view that Staff Report here.]
Item D.3 - Ordinance Introduction - Signs
This is a first reading of an ordinance amending the City Code specific to sign code regulations. View the Staff Report here.
RELATED: New Scenic Nevada Alert on Fast-Moving Digital Neighborhood Signs and 5/14/25 Memo to City Council with Planning Commission Recommendation
Item D.4, D.5, D.6 - Master Plan and Zoning amendments for StoneGate Heinz Ranch development
This request to amend the Master Plan and Zoning for the StoneGate Heinz Ranch development was denied by the Planning Commission. View the Staff Report here for the background, explanation of the technical denial, and required findings.
RELATED: Planning commission rejects StoneGate request to reduce housing, add industrial space (RGJ) and Cold Springs developer faces setback as board rejects shift from housing to industrial (News 4 Reno)
Item E.1 - General Obligation Sewer Bonds
This is an ordinance authorizing the issuance of bonds to finance sewerage projects for the City of Reno. Staff Report here.
Item E.2 - City of Reno Building and Housing Code Ordinance
This is an ordinance to adopt the 2024 Building Codes and 2024 Northern Nevada Amendments to Title 14 “Buildings and Construction.” The Staff Report provides an overview and lists significant changes to the code.
RELATED: The staff presentation from the May 7, 2025 Council meeting
To comment on any City Council meeting item, you can speak in person; submit an online form at Reno.Gov/PublicComment; email comments to Publiccomment@reno.gov; or comment live via Zoom by registering at this link.
Thursday, May 22 at 6pm: Reno Planning Commission
You can access the May 22 Reno Planning Commission agenda and all supporting materials here. To view/participate online, register here.
5.1 - Dave & Buster's CUP (LDC25-00054) - Staff Report
5.2 - Talus Valley Village 22 (LDC25-00049) - Staff Report
5.3 - Swartz Major Deviation (LDC25-00053) - Staff Report
5.4 - Mt Rose Street Junction MPA and SPD (LDC25-00018) - Staff Report
To comment on any Planning Commission item, you can speak in person; submit an online public comment form at www.reno.gov/PCPublicComment; (2) send an email to RenoPlanningCommission@reno.gov; or comment live via Zoom by registering here.
New Development Permit Applications
Check out the latest news on the Land Development Projects webpage where you can send in comments on applications including those below. The links will take you to the Accela Citizen Access website. Once there, click on the “Record Info” drop-down menu to find the Attachments that include the full permit applications.
Santerra-Quilici Abandonment for Secondary Access (ABN25-00003)
Bethel AME Church Historic Resource Designation (CHR25-00001)
NEWS DIGEST: The latest in local urban development
Last week, I spoke with News 4 reporter Ben Margiott for a piece about why so many major development projects proposed for Reno have fizzled out, and why in Reno we may be especially susceptible to promises of sweeping transformation. City of Reno Assistant Development Services Director Angela Fuss offers her take of why many of these projects are never realized, while Revitalization Manager Bryan McArdle urges us to remember all the projects that have come to fruition in the city.
Downtown Reno development/developer news
Downtown movie theater goes up for sale...again, but with a deep price cut (Downtown Makeover)
Truckee River and Virginia Street placemaking updates and events (Downtown Makeover)
Gold n Silver Inn to be remodeled (Downtown Makeover)
Reno Kimpton project land sold for $1 million at foreclosure auction (RGJ)
Uprise Fiber CEO surrenders in major fraud scandal, faces 31 felony counts (News 4 Reno)
Homelessness and Mutual Aid
Reno warming center findings challenge homelessness narratives, organizers urge community-led solutions (This is Reno)
Aid Group: Downtown Reno Partnership reverses course on city plaza access after facing criticism (This is Reno)
County recommends Volunteers of America run Our Place homeless shelter for $1.1 million more than current operator (This is Reno)
Broader Planning/Housing Issues
Reno median home sale price jumps in April, almost cracks $640,000 again (RGJ)
Reno named No. 5 emerging data center market in the world just behind Abu Dhabi (RGJ)
OPINION: Building Smarter: A Shared Path Forward on Data Centers and Reno (Manny Becerra)
OPINION: Switch loses another round in data center dispute at industrial park (John L. Smith, Nevada Independent)
VIRTUAL PRESENTATION: Everything you want to know about the City of Reno’s historic preservation program
Join City of Reno staff at noon on Thursday, May 22nd, for a FREE virtual presentation about the city's historic preservation program:
Staff will provide an overview of historic preservation at the city level along with the goals of the program. Learn about the process to designate a historic property as well as what happens after a property is added to the city register. Finally, staff will review the tools available from the city to learn more about your home's history, how to protect historic character, and where to find information about the historical context of Reno's development.
To view the presentation, register at https://links.reno.gov/AC-5-22-25.
That’s it for today. Have a great week, everyone.
Be sure to check out my Citizen Guide for helpful resources and links to help anyone become more informed and engaged in issues related to urban development (& more) in Reno.
You can view this and prior newsletters on my Substack site, subscribe to receive each new edition in your email inbox, and follow the Brief (and contribute to the ongoing conversation) on X, Facebook & Instagram. If you feel inspired to contribute, you may purchase a paid subscription through Substack or contribute via Venmo at @Dr-Alicia-Barber or via check to Alicia Barber at P.O. Box 11955, Reno, NV 89510.