If you feel like it’s more difficult than ever to keep track of all the development and related policymaking activity around here, believe me, you are not alone.
After a few highlights from this week’s NAB 2 & 4 and Planning Commission agendas, I want to draw our attention to the North Valleys, StoneGate, and Data Centers. But first, here’s a rundown of this week’s public City of Reno meetings.
City of Reno meetings for the Week of August 18, 2025
Check out the Current and Upcoming Meetings page for this week’s meeting schedule.
Monday, 8/18 at 4pm: Arts & Culture Commission. Agenda here.
Tuesday, 8/19 at 5:30pm: Ward 2 NAB. Agenda here.
Tuesday, 8/19 at 6pm: Recreation and Parks Commission. Agenda here.
Wednesday, 8/20 at 6pm: Reno Planning Commission. Agenda here.
Thursday, 8/21 at 6pm: Ward 4 NAB. Agenda here.
And, as always, keep an eye on the full City calendar for other events and activities.
Ward 2 NAB - Tuesday, August 19th, 5:30pm
NOTE: This hybrid meeting is being held at City Hall, where Councilmember Naomi Duerr has often opted to hold NAB meetings where she expects especially high attendance.
You can find the Ward 2 Neighborhood Advisory Board meeting agenda with the link to view/participate via Zoom here. There are two projects up for discussion.
B.1 - Lakeridge Resort Services SPD (LDC25-00061)
The first item is an application from Duncan Golf to rezone approximately 12.5 acres of the Lakeridge Golf Course (including the driving range) to enable construction of a “golf resort” projected to include pickleball and tennis facilities, a swimming pool, dining, a non-gaming hotel, and event/meeting space.
The request is for: 1) a Master Plan amendment from Parks, Greenways and Open Space (PGOS) to Suburban Mixed Use (SMU); and 2) a zoning map amendment from Parks, Greenways, and Open Space (PGOS) to Specific Plan District (SPD).
The site is the south side of S. McCarran Blvd. between Golf Club Dr. and Plumas St.
Community members started the website savelakeridge.com several months ago and regularly post updates. You can find information there about the last community meeting they held and their preview of this week’s NAB meeting.
B.2 - Mount Rose Junction SPD (LDC25-00018)
The second project on the Ward 2 NAB agenda is an application to rezone a site on the west side of Plumas Street, 145 feet south of Mount Rose Street. Here’s that map.
The applicants want a Master Plan amendment from Mixed Neighborhood (MX) to Suburban Mixed-Use (SMU) and a zoning map amendment from MF-14 (14 units per acre) to a Specific Plan District (SPD). They want to change the base zoning to Neighborhood Commercial (NC), to increase the height allowance from 25 to 38 feet, and the allowed density from 30 dwelling units acre to 40 dwelling units per acre (which is about the size of the parcel).
This application was denied by the Planning Commission on June 5th. You can watch the discussion of that item starting here. Because the application involves a Master Plan amendment, it will be heard by City Council even though it received a technical denial (a tie vote) from the Planning Commission. This presentation to the Ward 2 NAB is an intermediate, courtesy step.
The last time this application came to the NAB, members expressed concerns that it was too vague and that they didn’t know what was going to be built there, so perhaps the applicant will provide more details in Tuesday’s meeting.
Reno Planning Commission - Wed., August 20th, 6pm
You can find Wednesday’s Planning Commission agenda here. The sole development project up for review is Item 6.1: a request for a tentative map to allow for a 198-unit detached residential subdivision in the Talus Valley development (Staff Report here).
Ward 4 NAB - Thursday, August 21, 6:00pm
NOTE: This hybrid meeting is being held at the Stead Airport Community Room.
You can find the Ward 4 NAB meeting agenda with the link to view/participate via Zoom here. There are two development projects up for discussion.
Item B.1 - Orrcrest Drive Zoning Amendment (LDC26-00001)
This is a request to rezone 2.36 acres at 555 and 645 Orrcrest Drive from Large-Lot Residential to Mixed Employment. The application states that the owner is clearing the land to sell it and that no projects are being proposed at this time.
Item B.2 - North Valleys Storage Project near Red Rock Road & Lemmon Drive (LDC26-00005)
The North Valleys Storage project is a 100 MW, 4-hour standalone storage battery sited on 10 acres of a subdivided portion of private land. The North Valleys project is located within unincorporated Washoe County, but within the City of Reno’s Sphere of Influence. It is located on an undeveloped parcel (APN 087-021-18) off of North Red Rock Road, 6.4 miles north of Hwy 395. This request is a Project of Regional Significance (PRS) and requires an amendment to the Truckee Meadows Regional Plan to establish a new regional utility corridor.
Updates from the August 13th Reno City Council meeting
You can find the City of Reno’s official recap of the last City Council meeting at August 13, 2025 Reno City Council Meeting Highlights.
The local media covered a few items. First, the Reno City Council approved the Resolution overhauling non-mandated boards and commissions. Details here:
City Council made a few more changes to the Resolution before approving it, and Ward 5 Councilmember Devon Reese was the sole vote against it because he didn’t want to make any of the changes that other Councilmembers had suggested during their lengthy discussion, and wanted all Neighborhood Advisory Boards to meet not in the neighborhoods, but at City Hall.
Reese’s motion to adopt the Resolution as drafted by staff wasn’t seconded, and failed. Ward 3 Councilmember Miguel Martinez then made a motion to pass the Resolution with the changes that everyone had discussed (including allowing Councilmembers to hold NAB meetings where they want). That motion passed with Reese voting no.
The proposed abandonment of an alley in the Old Southwest was granted.
City abandons alley in Old Southwest for Reno Housing Authority affordable housing (This is Reno 8/17/25)
And This is Reno covered the presentation from the RSCVA about the state of tourism in Reno and Tahoe:
City, tourism officials mull more sporting events amid tourism revenues decline (This is Reno 8/16/25)
You can watch Bob Conrad and Kristen Hackbarth of This is Reno discuss the tourism item, data centers, and more in their “Reno News Talk” chat—here’s the link to that and a helpful summary of many of the week’s news stories:
Reno News Talk: Tourism revenues are on the decline and the bad news about data centers (This is Reno 8/17/25)
Do the North Valleys get enough respect?
Shortly after I published my last Brief, Kristen Hackbarth and Bob Conrad of This is Reno posted an editorial that I think is important for everyone to read, discussing the longstanding, often-battered, unjustly underdog status of the North Valleys:
EDITORIAL: North Valleys residents have legitimate concerns (This is Reno 8/10/25)
It reminded me of an email I recently received from a longtime reader, who sent me a map of Reno city limits along with the question, “How can a ‘city’ shaped like this ever be governed properly?” and “Does this map suggest why we don’t have any feeling of political unity?”
Here’s the map of Reno with the wards delineated in various colors. Ward 4 is green, essentially including everything within city limits north of N. McCarran Boulevard.
Bob Conrad and Kristen Hackbarth write, “Local politicians have treated the valleys as an underdog, annexing properties so governments can increase their tax base, and that has caused myriad problems over recent decades.” Today, are the North Valleys considered an equal part of Reno, comparable with the other wards, or just as an expanse of available land to be used as those in power see fit? As the editorial argues, the current issues of StoneGate and data centers bring these questions into focus.
City of Reno may appeal the StoneGate rezoning denial
As I reported on August 10th, the request to rezone the StoneGate development for more industrial use was denied by the Regional Planning Commission on August 4th. Now, it appears that the Reno City Council will soon vote on whether to file an objection and launch an appeal of that denial, as reported by This is Reno.
City of Reno staff starts process to appeal regional planning commission’s StoneGate rezoning denial (This is Reno 8/14/25)
The full August 13th Memo from City staff to City Council, titled StoneGate Denial by Regional Planning Commission and Next Steps, includes the following summary:
“Planning staff will be bringing an item to Council at the September 10, 2025 City Council meeting for Council to make a recommendation on authorizing and directing staff to file an objection to and subsequently appeal, as necessary, the Regional Planning Commission’s determination of nonconformance.”
I can’t help but notice that in one of those only-in-Reno scenarios, the memo was written by City of Reno Development Services Assistant Director Angela Fuss, who was the representative for StoneGate back in 2018 when she worked for Lumos.
As a reminder, here’s the location of StoneGate, just south of Cold Springs.
If you want to get caught up on how long we’ve been talking about StoneGate, you can read about their original 2018 application (and more) here:
Reno Council approves StoneGate development after people pack meeting to voice opinions (News4Reno 2/14/18)
A piece on the project and its site, the former Heinz Ranch, which Reno annexed in 2005: Stonegate Developers Defend Proposed Community (KUNR 2/14/18).
Coverage from Washoe Residents for Appropriate Planning: Stonegate Development
The StoneGate development website: https://stonegatereno.com
Data Centers: a new application for downtown Reno and more planned discussions
Many recent discussions of data centers have concerned sites in the North Valleys, but that’s not the only area being considered. In fact, a new application has been received for one on the west side of downtown Reno—but not new construction.
Lumen Data Center - LDC26-00009
A request has been made for a conditional use permit to allow a data center within an existing ±5,925 square foot building. The ±0.28-acre site is located on the east side of Gardner Street, approximately ±160 feet north of its intersection with West Second Street (220 Gardner Street). According to the application, which you can view here, “The subject property has not changed in use since the existing building was constructed in 1999. The building was developed as a digital data center and telecommunications switching hub and still remains the same to date,” but the business license has expired, requiring a new Conditional Use Permit.
At this point, it’s slated to be presented at the Ward 1 NAB on September 8th and the Planning Commission on October 1st. Read the latest Development Projects newsletter for info on how to provide comments prior to those meetings, if you like.
Of course, this week brings the Community Conversation on data centers that I’ve been promoting for several weeks—Wednesday, Aug. 20th at 6pm at the Discovery.
And I just noticed an announcement of a Data Center Forum titled “Powering the Future: Data, Innovation, and Infrastructure in Northern Nevada” to be held at the Atlantis on October 16th. More info here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/powering-the-future-data-center-forum-2025-tickets-1534390085049
Lastly, here’s a relevant article published this past week in the New York Times:
Big Tech’s A.I. Data Centers Are Driving Up Electricity Bills for Everyone (New York Times 8/14/25). Electricity rates for individuals and small businesses could rise sharply as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and other technology companies build data centers and expand into the energy business.
BRIEF DIGEST: The latest news in local urban development
Reno appeared high on a list this past week, though not one you’d like to see:
This Nevada city is in the top 10% of priciest housing markets in the U.S. (RGJ 8/15/25) - Spoiler: It’s Reno.
More local development news
Washoe County jail seeks $436,000 for remodel to upgrade ICE partnership (RGJ 8/11/25)
Nation's largest landlord, Greystar, settles price-fixing suit with feds (RGJ 8/12/25) Company owns multiple complexes in Nevada, including five in Reno.
Massive housing development west of Reno gets new owner after foreclosure sale (RGJ 8/13/25) The 303-acre Meridian 120 South housing project in Verdi is expected to go back on the market after its foreclosure sale.
Oh, and thanks to all who took last week’s poll about whether or not you would subscribe to a weekly e-newsletter from the City of Reno about the week ahead—100% of those who responded (more than 200 of you!) said YES. I hope it happens; the City of Reno’s social media person wrote that something is in the works, so we’ll see.
Have a good 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.
This article is about transparency, which is why as a professional planner I read the Barber Brief. In a profession that is bound to a code of ethics - one which centers on serving the public interest - this becomes an important disclosure. Ms. Fuss' history is relevant because staff is advising City Council on making an objection to TMRPA's PC decision.
I objected to the use of the “Only in Reno” phrase. This imparts that the transition between private consulting to public service also creates a situation where impartiality is left by the wayside. This is not the case and as such I believe that Ms. Barber chose poorly and should correct the statement. The person in question is a good professional who has served both her private sector clients and her public sector clients well. Ms. Barber’s choice of wording casts an aspersion. She should remedy the situation.