I was glad to hear that Rep. Mark Amodei’s plan to sell off public lands in Washoe, Clark, Lyon and Pershing counties did not move forward.
I’ll side with many Dems when I say I was concerned about the lack of transparency around the land-sales proposal. But I take issue with many Dems on another front—the diehard NIMBYism that comes along with trying to address our housing crisis and ongoing population increase.
Most Renoites seem to agree that we need more housing. We also seem to agree that we need it anywhere but in our own neighborhoods.
So, how do we best plan for Reno’s inevitable expansion, with its patchwork of conflicting priorities and stakeholders? I honestly don’t know. But we do need to face the reality that most states in the West—and Nevada in particular—have high rates of transiency and transplants, and probably will for the foreseeable future. At some point, we’ll need to embrace that reality if we want to maintain access to one of the best things about living in the Reno metro area—all of that amazing open space nearby. Getting used to the idea of urban infill is going to be a necessary step.
On another note, the RN&R’s 2025 Best of Northern Nevada readers’ poll is now open. You can write in your favorite businesses, personalities and all of the other things that give our region its own special flavor during first-round voting, open through Friday, June 6.
In Round 2, open June 16 to July 20, you can cast your final vote from a list of finalists.
We’ll share the results with you online at RenoNR.com on Aug. 29, and in our September print edition. Visit vote.renonr.com to vote!