City of Reno's Greatest Show: Making Ethics Disappear
Proposed development at the old site of the Lakeridge Tennis Club - as approved by the Reno Planning Commission in December 2024. The filed appeal is time certain on January 22, 2025 at 6PM at Reno City Hall.
Watch in amazement as the City of Reno's "Gang of Seven" performs their most spectacular illusion yet - making developer deals vanished before the 2024 elections, only to reappear like magic in 2025.
What's that behind your ear? Oh, just another zoning change.
Renoites start paying attention to what the City of Reno Government is up to. Remember the city put all their developer buddies, builder pals, and lobbyist BFFs on hold in 2024 so they could get reelect.
Nothing says a failed campaign like a goose-egg of a development in a quite burb that the residents don’t want. Or how about adding more traffic on already burdened neighborhood streets. Or hey, a pesky ethics complaint hearing pushed past the general election.
Our example: Councilmember Kathleen Taylor barely squeaked by, only winning by 287 votes. Taylor will be doing anything and everything to make it appear she cares about constituents, but half of Ward 1 won’t be dupped. Based on her Contribution and Expense reports we predict ethic complaints in the upcoming year for Taylor with the amendments, zoning changes, and map changes that were put on hold in 2024.
Washoe County Election Results November 2024.
Why were these changes/requests allowed to be pushed into 2025? A vanishing City Manager (now you see him, now you don’t) Doug Thornley who departed the city in March 2024 but officially on June 30, 2024. With Thornley being missing the Reno City Attorney’s Office should have been looking out for all us residents but instead they seem to have been too busy defending their own drama on their watch, the former Reno City Manager’s departure and that unfortunate domestic disturbance call. Plus, the Reno City Attorney had those pesky expensive trips of Councilmember Devon Reese and Miguel Martinez to defend. So why watch out for the public?
The City of Reno was simply moving hearings and it was being allowed by the City Manager’s Office, and the Reno City Attorney. The City of Reno is smart, they know from the multitude of surveys they push out, with lackluster repose, that residents have all but given up on the city and don’t think their involvement can fix anything, (AKA make a difference). The city knew if they put the developers off, the citizens will forget about it, vote for Reese/Martinez/Taylor (the chosen ones) and once reelected the councilmembers and mayor can do their contributors the favors they so desperately need. They have the magic, you know four votes on the dais.
Arlington Office Master Plan Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment. Close your eyes and think of the amount of traffic at Arlington and W. Plumb Lane.
That is what is starting to take place,
· Example One: Lakeridge Tennis Club
· Example Two: Arlington Office Master Plan Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment
· Example Three: Rancharrah PUD Handbook Amendment & Master Plan Amendment
Rancharrah PUD Handbook Amendment and Master Plan Amendment. When Reno residents were SOLD this development it was going to be a sleepy community where people would live, board their horses, live a “country” life. Not so much - the barn is already kaput.
But wait, there's more. Witness the incredible timing as they cram a year's worth of favors into 2025, because nothing says "good governance" quite like rushing through development deals before another election year. Because in 2026 they have three “names” be touted for Reno Mayor, Beth Smith, Alexis Hill and Devon "Mayor Wannabe" Reese. This amuses Picon because with former Nevada Lieutenant Governor Kate Marshall throwing her hat in the ring, the other Democratic contenders should be graciously bowing out.
Renoites will be watching in horror as traffic gets so bad, astronauts can make it to the moon faster than you can get through that intersections by Lakeridge, Rancharrah, or Arlington Avenue. Oh, and hey, what about a natural disaster such as the Los Angeles fires, think of McCarran and Plumas, or McCarran and Lakeside if residents needed to evacuate.
Hey, City of Reno have you done a disaster study? Lately?
In this circus, the only thing more predictable than the tricks is who they're designed to benefit, and that sure is not the residents of Reno.