YOUR INPUT REQUESTED: Lear Theater, Northeast Connector, Parks, Evacuation Plan
Public surveys and feedback requests with upcoming deadlines, plus updates from the Jan. 28 Reno City Council/Redevelopment Agency Board meetings & what's up next
That’s right, it’s a surprise Friday evening edition of The Barber Brief. Realizing that the deadline to fill out the City’s first community survey regarding the Lear Theater is Saturday, January 31st, I thought I’d take this opportunity to alert you to a number of online surveys and comment opportunities currently open to local residents.
Our public bodies place a lot of emphasis on survey results and solicited comments as they formulate policies and plans—as well they should. But their accuracy as a gauge of public sentiment is entirely dependent upon widespread participation. That means we need to take advantage of every available feedback opportunity pertaining to the issues we care about.
After my overview of these four public input opportunities, I’ll have some updates on this past week’s public meetings and a preview of the week of February 2nd.
Lear Theater Survey: Due by 11:59 pm on Sat., January 31
The online survey about the Lear Theater (the historic First Church of Christ, Scientist) was issued by the City of Reno in conjunction with the community meeting that I helped lead along with City of Reno Arts and Culture staff members and Councilmember Naomi Duerr at the McKinley Arts and Culture Center on January 10.
You can access the survey on the City of Reno’s Lear Theater website here.
You need not have attended the meeting to take the survey, but it would be very helpful if you could first familiarize yourself with some of the information we presented there. On that website, you can find a link to the recording of the entire meeting. Some of the topics covered include the following:
An explanation of the property’s significance
A timeline of the property’s ownership
What we learned from the commissioned Historic Structures Report
The current condition of the building
Recommendations for building stabilization and short-term improvements
Rehabilitation options and considerations
Preliminary conceptual alternatives and cost estimates
Potential sources of funding and options for future participation
You can also take an interactive virtual tour of the building.
The survey not only asks for your thoughts on some potential uses, configurations, and management/ownership arrangements, but also whether (and how) you would like to be involved from this point forward—help advise or steer the project, raise funds, pitch a proposal, attend meetings, etc. Sign up for “Lear” updates here.
The Reno City Council is scheduled to hear a report about the meeting, discuss the recommendations from the Historical Resources Commission, and review the survey results on February 25th. More on those recommendations and what’s next here:
You don’t have long, so jump on and get this survey done before midnight on Jan. 31.
RTC Washoe Northeast Connector Study: Comment period extended
The public comment period for RTC Washoe’s Northeast Connector Feasibility and Alignment Study has been extended from its original deadline of January 16.
FOR RELEASE: RTC Extends Public Comment Period for Northeast Connector Study Following Increased Community Interest (RTC Washoe 1/23/26)
As the RTC explains, this study was undertaken “to evaluate the potential for a new roadway connection linking east Sparks and Spanish Springs in Washoe County to the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) in Storey County.”
You can find more information on this project here. Materials available on the RTC’s website include a recording of the informative 25-minute presentation delivered at the December 17th public meeting at the Red Hawk Golf Resort, a Fact Sheet, the presentation slides, and the entire draft report itself.
You can submit your comments through a form at the bottom of the webpage. It’s not clear how long public comments will be accepted in this phase, so hop on it.
Parks and Recreation Service Plan Feasibility Study
The Parks and Recreation departments of the City of Reno, City of Sparks, and Washoe County have jointly issued a survey to help them to “evaluate the potential for developing a single service district governance model for the region.”
The survey is available here. It doesn’t list a deadline, so I’d say take it ASAP.
You can learn a bit more about what a “Service Plan” is in a Staff Report for the Reno City Council meeting item that approved partial funding for this study last June. As that report explains, “Park Districts are an alternative funding source that can be used to acquire, build, and maintain parks, pools, and recreation centers.”
Survey contents include such questions as the following:
Rate the conditions of parks you have used in the various jurisdictions
Report how frequently you use local public parks
Rate how satisfied you are with the value you receive for taxes paid to support Parks and Open Space operations in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County (each considered separately)
What types of amenities you use in area parks and through what organizations
Questions about Parks Service Districts, whether you would vote to establish one, what additional annual costs you’d support, how you’d want any additional funding to be spent, etc.
Countywide Evacuation Plan Survey: Deadline March 30
You have a little more time for this one, but why not fill it out while you’re in the survey mode?
Washoe County is seeking input on its new countywide evacuation study intended “to identify hazards and hurdles to emergency evacuations and determine the best procedures to increase safety and efficiency in evacuations.”
You can read more about the “Swift Exit” planning project here. On that page, you’ll find a link to the Swift Exit Community Portal, which provides information and the opportunity to ask questions and submit feedback.
Specifically, you have the opportunity to do the following:
Share your lived experiences with fire evacuations
Identify challenges in your neighborhood or daily routes
Ask questions and help neighbors prepare
Suggest practical ideas that improve readiness
You can also watch an evacuation video and participate in numerous topical discussions through the website. Feedback is requested by March 30 at 4:59 pm.
Updates from the January 28 Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board meetings
And now for just a few updates on this past week’s big ticket items in Reno. For the City of Reno’s official meeting highlights, click below:
And here’s some coverage of the Lakeridge Resort and Reno Aces items, and more:
Marathon Reno council meeting ends with Lakeridge hotel approval, Aces deal (This is Reno 1/30/26)
Lakeridge Golf Course hotel plan clears first Reno council reading (RGJ 1/29/26)
Reno Aces to stay through 2049 under new Greater Nevada Field deal (RGJ 1/28/26)
City of Reno meetings for the week of February 2, 2026
You can view all agendas and supporting materials for next week’s City of Reno public meetings on the Current and Upcoming Meetings webpage. They include the Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (RAAB) on Monday, Reno Planning Commission on Wednesday, Neighborhood Advisory Board meetings for Wards 3 and 6, and many more.
That’s it for now. Take care, 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.
Really appreciate the effort to consolidate all these deadlines in one place. The point about survey accuracy depending on widespread participation is so important. I've seen cities make questionable decisions based on surveys that only hardcore opponents bothered to fill out. Getting the silent majority to engage is honestly the hardest partof local democracy. The virtual tour for the Lear Theater is a ncie touch too.