Decisions, Deliberations & Data Centers

Updates and previews for the week of December 16, 2024

The City of Reno will take a break from public meetings the week of December 23, but there are several this week. You can view their agendas and materials on the Current and Upcoming Meetings page. They include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Tuesday, Dec. 17, 5:30pm - Ward 2 Neighborhood Advisory Board (NAB)

• Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6pm - Reno Planning Commission (HTML agenda here)

• Thursday, Dec. 19, 6pm - Ward 4 Neighborhood Advisory Board (NAB)

Be sure if you live in Ward 2 or 4 to check out those NAB agendas and attend if you can, online or in person. They’re a great opportunity to ask questions and provide comments regarding any item being presented before it heads higher up the chain.

Below, I’ll shine a spotlight on data centers, which appear on two of this week’s agendas, but first, let’s take a quick look back at last week’s decisions & deliberations.

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Updates from the December 11, 2024 City Council meeting

You can read the City of Reno’s highlights from the December 11 meeting here. In addition, This is Reno covered the items related to wild horse fencing:

• “NDOT contributes $280,000 for South Reno horse fencing” (Kelsey Penrose, This is Reno, 12/13/24)

This is Reno also had an update on the ethics complaints against Reno City Councilmembers Miguel Martinez and Devon Reese related to travel spending:

• “City officials admit to state ethics commission mistakes were made in overseeing council member travel, spending” (Bob Conrad, This is Reno, 12/11/24)

Other than that, most coverage of City Hall last week focused on two items: the appointment of a new City Manager and the anti-camping/loitering/etc. ordinance:

City Council appoints Jackie Bryant as City Manager

• “Jackie Bryant selected as Reno city manager” (Kelsey Penrose, This is Reno, 12/12/24)

• “Jackie Bryant named Reno city manager after initially refusing role” (Jaedyn Young, Reno Gazette-Journal, 12/11/24)

• “After $75k search, Reno council picks interim city manager Jackie Bryant for permanent job” (News4, 12/11/24)

City Council passes the first reading of a new anti-camping+ ordinance

• “Reno City Council advances new ordinance expanding rules against loitering, camping” (Kelsey Penrose, This is Reno, 12/15/24)

• “Reno wants expand downtown ban on homeless camping to whole city. Here's why” (Jaedyn Young, Reno Gazette-Journal, 12/12/24)

• “Criminalizing homelessness or cleaning up the city? Reno council passes anti-camping law” (Ben Margiott, News4, 12/12/24)

Related: “Annual Washoe County homeless count cancelled for 2025. Here's why” (Ben Margiott, News4, 12/12/24)

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A concerning but ultimately reassuring discussion of the Lear Theater

I’m including the above image not because I had anything to do with last Wednesday’s Council discussion of the Lear (other than provide a public comment) but because it’s the title slide of a presentation I delivered to the local Good Old Days (G.O.D.) Club about the status of the Lear Theater on November 15. That was just one day after I had watched and commented on the Historical Resources Commission’s review of the fantastic Historic Structure Report recently completed for the building.

The G.O.D. Club had specifically requested an update on the Lear, and I was happy to provide one, as I have for multiple groups over the past ten or so years, explaining the significance of the building, its history, its architect, and its current status. This time, I talked about the critical report that was just generated, a document that outlines for the first time the building’s overall significance, its development and current condition, recommendations for its maintenance and treatment, and general descriptions and estimated costs for two alternatives that would fulfill the funds-driven mandate that the building remain a cultural center of some kind.

It’s a document that might never have been produced had the City not acquired the building, and it’s an absolutely critical resource to help initiate realistic conversations about how the building can be made safe and useable again. Securing this report has been the primary goal of the Historical Resources Commission since the City took possession of the property, knowing that any informed discussion of the building relies upon first having accurate and updated information about it.

There has been no formal public outreach and no structured public process by the City to discuss the future of this building since they acquired it, other than the many conversations held by the Historical Resources Commission to generate this report and review its contents, as well as the landscaping, fencing, and security improvements previously planned.

There has, for instance, been none of the following:

• outreach to local and state historic preservation groups (i.e., the Historic Reno Preservation Society, Preserve Nevada, and Nevada Preservation Foundation)

• outreach to local and state historical organizations (Our Story, Inc., Nevada Historical Society, Nevada State Museum, others)

• outreach to local and state planning, architectural, and design organizations

• outreach to the local and broader African American community due to the enormous significance of architect Paul Revere Williams’ status as a pioneer and groundbreaking 20th century African American architect

• outreach to other groups with demonstrated interest in Paul Revere Williams (like the Nevada Museum of Art, which recently hosted an exhibit related to his work)

• the identification of an individual person to serve as a primary contact for the building (which could be listed on the City’s Lear Theater webpage)

• any public meeting, town hall, or workshop focused specifically on the building

• social media announcements on any platform specifically soliciting public input or participation in conversations about the building

And while there have been none of those things, that is just as it should be because this Historic Structure Report had to come first. It is the basis for everything, and will now enable the City to initiate the very multi-pronged outreach that I just outlined above, as well as to engage in discussions of who specifically might use the building were it to become a dedicated theater or a flat-floored cultural center. Those discussions have never happened under the auspices of the City of Reno, and not at the hands of any of the property’s prior owners, either, who were fixated on making it a theater alone.

Knowing that, as so many of us do, made it difficult to watch portions of last week’s Council discussion (which I previewed here), as several Councilmembers displayed a sense of weariness regarding its progress, with Councilmember Devon Reese stating that “we have been having process about this building for 25 years,” and that the very idea of pursuing “more process” regarding the building’s future is “anathema” to him, repeatedly urging Council to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit outside ideas for it. Ward 1 Councilmember Kathleen Taylor, in whose ward the building sits, expressed her personal preference for issuing an RFP or even selling the building outright. You can watch the entire hourlong discussion here, if you like.

Happily, Mayor Schieve and Councilmember Naomi Duerr stood out as fierce advocates for following a methodical and community-based process to determine the next steps for this now-public building. As Mayor Schieve stated, “I need a committee to be put together where we’re fundraising, we’re doing it together….if you really want it, we need your help….that is a gem in our community. If we lose it, we are in big trouble…once it’s out of the City’s hands, you can rest assured, we’re losing it.”

Councilmember Duerr then outlined what those next steps could be:

“….after the first of the year, in January, we’re going to have an ‘all call’ and set up a support group called a cheerleader group—not a nonprofit—but a group to support us in our efforts to cheerlead, to help us raise funds. And while it’s a disappointment that we’ve lost this one million dollars, and it’s really $825,000 or whatever….that is a disappointment but we go on. It’s a setback, but it’s not terminal to the project. We have to raise $20 million and so [now] we have to raise $21 million. But we’re going to do it, and with the community’s help as [Mayor Schieve] said, with the call to action that [she] just made, I’m going to help you follow through on that and execute that.”

These were encouraging and welcome words, confirming what so many of us in the community, those I’ve been speaking with about the Lear for years, have been assuming could, would, and should now happen—that exciting stage of organized outreach to make sure we are all having the same conversation and working together.

In the end, the Council thankfully did not vote to issue an RFP but deferred any specific action, deciding to include the building in next year’s budget discussions related to capital improvements and potential future redevelopment revenues.

In the meantime, I recommend that anyone interested in participating in those future discussions about this beloved and important building reach out to Councilmember Duerr, who serves as the City Council liaison to the Historical Resources Commission. You can reach her at duerrn@reno.gov.

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Detail from Exhibit D. Preliminary Elevations, Webb Data Center, for 12/18/24 Reno Planning Commission item 5.1

Hot Topic: Data Centers

All at once, it seems we’re seeing data centers everywhere—on the landscape, and, increasingly, in the media, both nationally and locally. Just this past week, John L. Smith wrote two opinion pieces about them in The Nevada Independent:

• “OPINION: Data centers hum along in Nevada without much discussion: That should change” (John L. Smith, Nevada Independent, 12/8/24)

• “OPINION: Northern Virginia’s data center experience can provide insight for Nevada” (John L. Smith, Nevada Independent, 12/15/24)

These pieces, advocating for increased discussion and potential state legislative action, join the flurry of national press about data centers including the following:

• “Data Centers Are the Next Big Front in Environmental Wars” (Heather Souvaine Horn, The New Republic, 12/13/24)

• “New bill aims to curb environmental impact of AI data centers” (Lucy Hodgman, Times Union, 12/13/24)

Two proposed data centers appear this week on the meeting agendas of two different City of Reno bodies: the Reno Planning Commission and the Ward 4 NAB:

• 12/18/24 Reno Planning Commission - Item 5.1 - Case No. LDC25-00014 (Webb Data Center) - A request has been made for a conditional use permit to allow: 1) development of a data center, and 2) business operations between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The ±6.02 acre site is comprised of three parcels located on the north side of North Virginia Street ±1,170 feet east of its intersection with Stead Boulevard. Staff Report here.

• 12/19/24 Ward 4 NAB - Item C. 1 - LDC25-00022 (Oppidan 5MW Data Center) (For Discussion Only) - A request has been made for a conditional use permit to allow: 1) development of a data center, and 2) business operations between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The ±7.02 acre site is located on the north side of North Virginia Street ±2,470 feet east of its intersection with Stead Boulevard.

Local calls for organized discussions of this important issue include a letter submitted to Reno City Council just last week by current Reno Planning Commissioner Manny Becerra to accompany his public comment about the Zoning Code Clean-Up.

In the letter, Becerra calls for the City, regional partners, utilities, and industry representatives to work together to formulate clear and comprehensive policies regarding data centers and suggests a temporary moratorium on new discretionary Conditional Use Permit applications for them until that occurs. As Becerra states,

“Since good planning is a future-forward process and action this pause would not halt progress but rather ensure that data center development reflects Reno’s innovation and sustainability policies and clarify current knowledge gaps encountered in our existing development review process.”

You can read Becerra’s full letter here, and watch the Planning Commission’s discussion of the Webb Data Center permit application on Wednesday, December 18.

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Looking Ahead to 2025

According to the official City of Reno calendar, the only meeting currently scheduled for the week of December 30 is the Reno Planning Commission (on Jan. 2), but keep an eye on the Upcoming Meetings page for more additions.

According to the December 13, 2024 Development Projects newsletter (accessible here), we’ll see the return of the Stevenson Street Abandonment Request (which I last discussed on October 29, 2024) at the first Reno City Council meeting in January.

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Time to apply for the 2025 Reno Constituents Institute

You can now apply for the Reno Constituents Institute, an excellent opportunity for anyone hoping to learn more about how the City of Reno is run (or maybe even hoping to join the ranks of those who run it). The sessions are scheduled for Thursday evenings from 6-8pm for 12 weeks beginning in February. You can find much more information and the application here.

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Seeking the perfect holiday gift? Look no further!

May I suggest my book Reno’s Big Gamble? It’s currently on sale for 50% off through my publisher, the University Press of Kansas—but only until Dec. 26. Just visit the book’s webpage here, add it to your cart, and enter the code 24HOLIDAY2024 at checkout. That brings the paperback version down to $15 + shipping.

However, as indicated on the home page, you can get free shipping on orders over $75.00, so why not order a bunch of copies for your book club or organization and schedule a chat with me about it? I’ve had a wonderful time speaking to several book clubs this year, with more planned in 2025. Let’s keep the conversation going!

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Barring any monumental developments that I feel you need to know about (or some rigorous analysis I feel compelled to write), I plan to take a week or two off from writing the Brief to rest and recharge. Have a wonderful holiday season, take care of yourselves and those around you, and you’ll be hearing from me again soon!

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Be sure to check out my Citizen Guide for helpful resources and links for anyone hoping to become more informed and engaged in issues related to urban development (& more) in Reno.

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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.