Updating Reno's top development issues, Pt. 2
Checking in on some of our hottest local topics, plus more calls for public input.
With the July 4th holiday approaching, there’s just one City of Reno public meeting this week: the Reno Planning Commission meets on Wednesday, July 1st (agenda here). Topics include Item C.4: the Ladera Properties Master Plan & Zoning Map Amendments concerning a 161.2-acre site south of the Mt. Rose Highway (Staff Report here) (Case Maps here).
On a regional level, the Community Homelessness Advisory Board (CHAB) meets on Monday, June 29th at 9:00am (agenda here).
Last week, I revisited the first five of ten development issues that I had identified in January 2026 (see Part 1 & Part 2) as critical topics for local discussion (Casinos, Data Centers, Downtown Revitalization, Historic Preservation and Homelessness).
Today, we’ll cover the final five: Housing, Politics, Public Spaces, the Reno Redevelopment Agency, and the Truckee River. And below that, I’ll have links to some new and continuing public input opportunities.
ISSUE #6 - HOUSING
Here’s what I wrote in January. The update since then isn’t great; according to recent reports, Reno’s housing market continues to break records for both renters and buyers, and not in a good way:
Reno-Sparks median home price hits record amid sharp drop in supply (RGJ 6/24/26) The combined median price for an existing home in Reno-Sparks set a record high in May as inventory continues to fall sharply.
See the Reno-Sparks neighborhoods with lowest, highest apartment rents (RGJ 6/15/26) Apartment rents in Reno-Sparks hit a record high for two quarters in a row. Which neighborhoods have the highest and lowest rent?
Tenants’ rights remain an important topic, too:
State’s eviction prevention program on shaky financial footing, lawmakers told (Nevada Current 6/25/26) Rental assistance funding allocated by state lawmakers last year has prevented evictions for nearly 1,700 households in Nevada, but there still is a need for bolstering tenant protections, state lawmakers were told last week.
Along with issues of affordability, the Reno-Sparks area continues to contend with urban sprawl, which increases reliance on automobiles, exacerbates traffic congestion, requires the ongoing extension of infrastructure into outlying areas, and in many cases, involves building in areas on the wildland-urban interface (WUI). At the same time, subdivisions in outlying areas continue to be planned and approved:
Sierra Reflections approved by regional planning commission (This is Reno 6/16/26)
These intersecting dynamics continue to make housing an issue to watch in 2026.
ISSUE #7 - POLITICS
Here’s what I wrote on this topic in January. Long before that, in May of 2025, I asked “Will land use planning and development be the central issue of the 2026 City of Reno elections?” I think what I wrote there (yes!) still holds true. Here’s part of it:
“I’ve lately been pondering how issues of land development and planning have grown to occupy such a central place in our local politics. Of course there are many other critical local issues, from the budget to public safety to homelessness to supporting small businesses, and I hope this will finally be a local election where we actually discuss candidates’ positions and (where relevant) voting records regarding all of them.
But land use planning—deciding what can and should be built, and where—pertains to all of those issues and more. It’s the subject that hits all of us literally where we live (and work and play), whether we’re talking about Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), data centers, digital signs, affordable housing, historic preservation, wild horses, parks and public spaces, infill, transportation, wildfire prevention, redevelopment, revitalization, and more. And there’s a lot of money at stake, too. A lot.
Land development will shape the landscape of Reno’s future. Do you like where things are headed? Now’s the time to start asking yourself that question. Nothing about development is predetermined, but once a course is set, it’s difficult to change.”
We’re now past the primaries, and the general election candidates have been set, as Bob Conrad and Kristen Hackbarth of This is Reno discussed in a recent podcast:
PODCAST: Reno’s primary election results: Major upsets, City Hall shakeups and what’s next (This is Reno 6/16/26)
As they recap in their summary:
“The biggest story of the election was Kate Marshall’s dominant performance in the Reno mayoral race. She is headed for a runoff against Council member Kathleen Taylor, but her commanding primary lead over the rest of the field suggests many voters are looking for a new direction at City Hall. We discuss the struggles of incumbent-backed candidates, public frustration with development issues and whether growing dissatisfaction with the status quo contributed to the results.”
It’s four months until the General Election, and it’s going to be critical to distinguish between these candidates’ statements, priorities, and (when available) voting records, in order to elect a candidate you feel you can trust. I’ll do my best to help out with that.
To that end, I have updated my 2026 RENO ELECTION GUIDE and will continue to add more information to it, providing links to media coverage, informational sources, and upcoming opportunities to hear from candidates. Let’s really get the word out this year and encourage our friends & neighbors to VOTE!
ISSUE #8 - PUBLIC SPACES
Here’s what I wrote in January. Back then, I was already bemoaning the fact that the City of Reno was focusing on just about every other public space but the City Plaza. Since then, we’ve seen an unsolicited private proposal to put development and operation of the plaza into private hands, as I wrote about earlier this month:
I’m not entirely sure what’s next for this proposal, but I’d imagine it’s likely to be brought up in a joint City Council/Redevelopment Agency Board discussion either upon the return of those two bodies on July 22nd or soon thereafter.
On an adjacent note, the inaccessibility of a block of the Tahoe-Pyramid trail along the north side of the river has been a topic of inquiry by News4’s Joe Hart, who asked why the path is gated and locked between Center and Lake Streets:
To be honest, I hadn’t realized that this entire path wasn’t subject to a public easement. If you’re on Facebook, you can follow Joe’s reporting on this issue here.
Like the City Plaza, this pathway issue draws attention to the incoherence of Reno’s central riverfront. Wouldn’t it be something if Reno could finally figure out how to make that whole five-block stretch along the Truckee River from Arlington Avenue to Lake Street attractive, active, safe, and universally accessible? It’s not that long.
Why, for instance, hasn’t the current site of The Eddy been developed into housing? Can the Masonic Building at the NW corner of the Virginia Street Bridge be modified or replaced to activate its river-facing facade? Does the AT&T Building really have to remain on the north bank of the river, where it does absolutely nothing for activation? And there were once plans to convert the parking lot between the historic post office building and the river into seating, plantings, something attractive. Can the City of Reno do something to encourage all of that to happen? Right now, its primary attribute is squandered potential.
ISSUE #9 - RENO REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY (RDA)
Here’s what I wrote in January on the RDA. As I reported then, the Agency may be on the cusp of some major changes. For one thing, it’s apparently been rebranded as “re:up” with a new website at https://renoreup.com/.
Even more importantly, as I discussed just a few weeks ago, the Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (or RAAB), which is the citizen advisory board to the RDA Board (Reno City Council) recently held a workshop to formulate a whole slew of recommendations to revamp the RDA’s policies, programs, and administration. We’ll be seeing those in a final form when they’re compiled and presented to the RDA Board at a future meeting. If you want a sneak peek, you can check out their June 15th Special Workshop on YouTube.
ISSUE #10 - THE TRUCKEE RIVER
Here’s what I wrote in January on the river. At the time, my thoughts included these:
“Over the past few decades, increased attention has been paid to the critical role the river could and should play in downtown Reno’s revitalization. In September 2024, Council adopted the 223-page Truckee River Vision Plan for a central 17-mile stretch (including City Plaza), but its designs are mostly unfunded, so expect more discussion of which areas and projects to prioritize as the budget allows….There’s still a lot of room for discussion of how to better plan for development along the Truckee River, particularly in the section that falls into Redevelopment Area #1.”
We’ve since seen the reopening of the Arlington Avenue bridges and the completion of a larger berm and expanded pedestrian path along Riverside Drive.
And I’ve become aware of a citizen-led petition urging the City of Reno to repair, complete, and maintain the Whitewater Park. Click the image below to access that.
That’s a brief update on my initial selection of ten top local development issues, but they’re not the only ones we need to monitor closely. For instance, SUSTAINABILITY is something else that deserves our focused attention, as are matters of public and private TRANSPORTATION, from bicycle networks to ongoing highway expansions. I’m sure there are others of concern to you, too.
Drop me a line at thebarberbrief@substack.com or just reply to this email if you’d like to tell me what’s of greatest concern to you in the realm of land development.
CURRENT PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITIES
Some of these input opportunities are new this week, while others have been mentioned before. Remember that these opportunities are an important way to ensure that your opinion on important matters is recorded and factored into decisions.
FEEDBACK REQUESTED: City of Reno Strategic Plan
You have until Tuesday, June 30th to provide your input on Reno’s updated Strategic Plan. See my prior explanation of this at PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITY: The City of Reno requests feedback on the City’s new Strategic Plan.
Washoe County School District: Help name a new elementary school!
The WCSD is requesting resident input on the name for a new elementary school to be built on the site of Pine Middle School. The final 11 options are listed here:
As that report indicates, three final options will be chosen at a public meeting on July 27th at 5:30 p.m. at the school district’s administration building, and then sent to the board of trustees for the final decision. You can find a link to the survey on the above website. The deadline to submit the survey is Tuesday, June 30th at 5pm.
SURVEY: The Locust Taylor Kirman Wells Corridor Study
The Locust–Taylor–Kirman–Wells Corridor Study is intended to improve transportation safety and circulation in this area. The project is being conducted by RTC Washoe in collaboration with the City of Reno, the Washoe County School District, and the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). Here’s a link to the Project Information Webpage and Fact Sheet.
The proposed transportation improvements you can read about there were developed based on input received during the Neighborhood Network Plan and follow-up traffic safety and mobility analysis. The RTC is now asking for residents to complete a survey to let them know what you think of these options. The survey is open through July 10, 2026 (Link to Survey here).
That’s all for today. Have a great week and HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
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, via the Buy me a coffee platform, or via check to Alicia Barber at P.O. Box 11955, Reno, NV 89510. Thank you!