What to Know: Week of October 7, 2024
Reno City Council, news of the Grand Sierra Resort, RSIC, Lear Theater & more
Happy October! You can find the list of this week’s City meetings and links to agendas and associated materials here. Public meetings include the Ward 5 NAB on Tuesday 10/8 at 5:30pm, Reno City Council on Wednesday, 10/9 at 10am (that agenda is online here), and the Historical Resources Commission on Thursday, 10/10 at 4pm. Be sure to check the calendar for other meetings and events of interest to you.
For Reno City Council, I’ll be highlighting Item D.4 related to the Lear Theater/First Church of Christ, Scientist property (501 Riverside Drive). But first, I want to draw your attention to a few recent presentations sure to interest and inform.
Grand Sierra Resort Expansion
As I and others have mentioned before, the Grand Sierra Resort has submitted a Conditional Use Permit application to begin phase one of a major expansion. The first public meeting related to this application took place on October 1 at the Ward 3 NAB meeting, where GSR Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Andrew Diss presented the property’s plans for this and future phases. You can view his presentation on YouTube here and review the accompanying slides in the PDF below.
On a related note, Downtown Makeover recently reported on Item B.2 on Wednesday’s Reno City Council agenda, a permit for the Grand Sierra Resort to operate a new cabaret in its old movie theater space. You can read what he’s learned in “White Rabbit Theater and Lounge coming to GSR” (Downtown Makeover, 10/7/24).
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony planning presentation
While we’re on that side of town, the Planning & Community Development Department of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony (RSIC) was invited by the Reno Planning Commission to deliver a presentation on October 2 about who they are and what they do, and to share some of their current projects, challenges, and concerns.
Delivered by RSIC Planning Department Director Candace Stowell, the presentation is just over 20 minutes long, and I highly encourage everyone to view it here.
The RSIC, which was established in 1917 with just under 20 acres, is in the process of adopting a 2040 Comprehensive Plan. They own trust lands as well as fee lands, and the parcels within Reno city limits that they have purchased outright are subject to the City of Reno’s regulatory authority. The RSIC also has land in other portions of Reno, as well as in Sparks, Verdi, Spanish Springs, and of course, thousands of acres of tribal lands in Hungry Valley. Here’s a draft map of their intended future land uses for the properties on and around the original site.
The RSIC was deeply involved in the creation of the City of Reno’s Truckee River Vision Plan and I’m excited to see the next stages of their plans come to fruition, including improvements to their riverfront properties for enhanced use by RSIC members and the general public.
It would benefit everyone in Reno to learn more about the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, beginning with a visit to their website. Thanks so much to Reno Planning Commissioner Manny Becerra for recommending and helping to coordinate this presentation with the City’s Planning staff, and for drawing my attention to it. The two entities plan to make these presentations annual and to keep the lines of communication open year-round.
Now on to Wednesday’s Reno City Council meeting.
Use of ARPA Funds for Landscaping and Security at the Lear Theater property (501 Riverside Drive)
Item D.4 on the October 9 Reno City Council Agenda pertains to the City’s previously-approved plan to dedicate $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward various projects related to the historic First Church of Christ, Scientist building, commonly known as the Lear Theater, and the parcel on which it sits. That amount was intended to fund the commissioning of a Historic Structures Report (in progress now) and several landscaping, maintenance, security, and fencing projects.
I’ve been trying to get an official update on this all day, since the reason this is on the agenda is that it did not appear that the City would be allowed to install their proposed new fence around the property—but that appears to have changed.
This immensely important site is subject to some special protections, not just due to its listing on the City of Reno’s historic register and the National Register of Historic Places, but due to special “covenants” implemented after receiving several rounds of state and federal funding. Those covenants are governed by Nevada’s Commission for Cultural Centers and Historic Preservation (CCCHP). That means proposed changes to the property (including its landscaping) must be approved not just by Reno’s Historical Resources Commission but by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), to ensure protection of the property’s historical integrity and adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s (SOI) Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
This item was put on the Reno City Council agenda because the Nevada SHPO initially did not approve the installation of the proposed fencing as designed (it would be a six-foot high, wrought-iron fence, as you can view in the plans here). You can read SHPO’s reasons for the denial in a letter written on June 24, 2024 that appears alongside the Staff Report. If that denial had stood, then the City of Reno would have had to decide how to reallocate the funding that was previously allotted for the fence (and the Staff Report provides some suggestions for how it could be spent).
This seems to have been resolved on October 4, when the CCCHP met to discuss this and—I am told—came up with a solution. My understanding is that the City of Reno agrees that this fencing will only be temporary, and that it will be removed within eight years. I’m told there was also agreement regarding the proposed landscaping—but again, the Staff Report (as of 10/7) doesn’t mention these new developments.
I’m assuming that if these plans for the fencing have now been approved by SHPO (albeit with some conditions), then all the funding can be directed toward this property as originally approved by City Council last year, rather than requiring reallocation. As of Monday, October 7, the item is still on the agenda with its original wording and Staff Report, so if you would like to encourage the City of Reno to follow through with its original plan to dedicate the full $1 million in ARPA funds toward the Lear Theater property, you’ll want to comment on Item D.4.
Be sure to read through the full October 9 Reno City Council agenda for anything else that interests you. You can attend the meeting in person or virtually by registering here. Comments can be delivered in person, by submitting an online public comment form at Reno.Gov/PublicComment; (2) emailing Publiccomment@reno.gov; (3) leaving a voicemail at 775-393-4499; or 4) participating in the meeting via Zoom.
News Digest: The Latest in Local Development
There’s been some additional news coverage of the September 25 Reno City Council meeting since my last Brief:
“Former homeless shelter sold for affordable housing, to be demolished within six months” (Kelsey Penrose, This is Reno, 10/1/24)
“Council members continue funding downtown cleanup despite frustration with lack of results” (Kelsey Penrose, This is Reno, 10/1/24).
“All Truckee-adjacent properties owned by city will become parkland; Truckee River Vision Plan adopted” (Kelsey Penrose, This is Reno,10/2/24)
And as usual, Mike with Downtown Makeover is on top of the latest developments in downtown Reno and beyond (see the above note related to the Grand Sierra Resort):
“Notice of Sale posted for Kimpton property, over $11 million still due” (Mike Van Houten, Downtown Makeover, 10/4/24)
Reno City Council General Election info
As Election Day draws ever nearer, don’t forget about my Guide to the General Election for Reno City Council, which you can access here. It includes links to all candidate websites, their interviews with local media outlets, information on Reno’s new six-ward configuration, and more. Please read and share!
Upcoming Events
I’m involved with a few events this week that readers might enjoy. First up is a reception to celebrate the opening of my dear friend Emily Najera’s photography exhibit for the Capital City Arts Initiative. The exhibit is called Nevada Roadsides: Northern Routes and can be viewed at the Carson City Courthouse Gallery through January 30, 2025. The exhibit’s website is https://www.ccainv.org/najera-nv-roadsides/.
Emily is a visual storyteller whose work is exhibited alone and also found on the platforms of major news organizations. Here’s part of the exhibit description:
“Emily Najera is a photographer and visual artist dedicated to capturing the essence of America’s evolving landscapes. With years of experience in photography, Emily has developed a singular perspective on documenting the shifting scenes of cities, roadways, and buildings. Her key themes include recording revitalization and change, such as the redevelopment of historical sites, and blending artistic vision with journalistic storytelling to address diverse topics. Najera took all of the images for this exhibition on highways US 40 and US 50, which historically brought travelers across the state.”
CCAI will host a reception for the exhibit on Wednesday, October 9 from 5-6:30pm, with the artist’s introduction at 5:30. I was honored to be invited to write the official essay accompanying this exhibit and will share a few words at the reception. The Courthouse is located at 885 East Musser Street, Carson City, and the gallery is open Monday through Friday, 8am – 5pm. Join us this week or check it out on your own!
Nevada Humanities Literary Crawl
The annual Nevada Humanities Literary Crawl takes place this coming Saturday, October 12 from 11am-7pm in downtown Reno. You can download a digital version of the program guide at https://www.nevadahumanities.org/literarycrawl.
Here’s the official description of this event, from Nevada Humanities:
“Join us in downtown Reno for a festival that celebrates the written word! Explore a joyful day of panel discussions, book signings, workshops, and family-friendly activities that brings together the rich literary talent of Nevada and beyond. All events are hosted at local business venues throughout the California Avenue corridor in downtown Reno. The Nevada Humanities Literary Crawl is free and open to participants of all ages.”
I will be participating in a session from 4-5:15pm that includes a screening of the award-winning documentary A Black Springs Homecoming: Finding History (2023), produced by Nevada Humanities and directed by Tsanavi Spoonhunter.
A Black Springs Homecoming: Finding History tells the story of Black Springs—a small Nevada neighborhood—and the ability of its residents to establish an enduring sense of community in the face of widespread racial discrimination and economic hardship. Current and former residents of Black Springs recall how the community worked together in the 1960’s and 1970’s to secure their own volunteer fire department, reliable water service, a community center and park, and to purchase homes for Black families against seemingly insurmountable odds. Together with community partners, they describe ongoing efforts to strengthen the neighborhood’s identity while preserving the story of Black Springs for future generations.
You can read more about the project here. I was honored to consult on the film and to appear in it alongside my fellow panelists Helen Townsell-Parker and Demetrice Dalton, who will be discussing the film with me after the screening and taking questions from the audience. We’ll also have some exciting updates to share about our recent work related to the Black Springs community.
Our session will begin at 4pm in the Nightingale Sky Room of the Nevada Museum of Art and the film itself is 26 minutes long. Again, it’s free, so please join us. And be sure to check out the full program for other sessions and events happening throughout the day. Hope to see you there!
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.
As always, 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 support my writing and research with a financial contribution, you can sign up for a paid subscription through my Substack site or contribute to my Venmo account at @Dr-Alicia-Barber or via check to Alicia Barber at P.O. Box 11955, Reno, NV 89510. Thanks so much for reading, and have a great week.
Fences and walls are so important to the appearance of Reno, because they are so widely in use. As with any architectural feature, certain types of fencing look shockingly out-of-place in certain environments, and this is striking all over Reno. When planning a wall or fence, many factors must be accounted for - permeability, durability, height, interior and exterior light, and more. And --- in Reno temporary never means temporary: it can be extended for a long, long time!