Reno's Infill Fantasy: When "Harmonizing" Means Jamming Square Pegs Into Round Holes
The way it was a small farmhouse-ish home on a large lot in Reno with lots of trees at Mt. Rose Street & Plumas - and what the developer wants to build.
On June 5, 2025 at 6:00PM at the Reno City Council Chambers the Reno Planning Commission is once again being asked to perform municipal magic: transforming a landlocked property with a single access point on an already congested street into a development that somehow "harmonizes with the surrounding community."
If this sounds familiar, it's because it's become the city's standard playbook. Developer identifies unsuitable lot, city staff waves the magic wand of "housing need," and suddenly traffic nightmares become acceptable trade-offs for density.
The developer's claim that this project "harmonizes with the community" deserves some kind of award for creative fiction. Perhaps they're using a different definition of "harmony"—one where cramming incompatible development into inappropriate spaces creates a beautiful symphony rather than discordant noise.
Let's examine this "harmony": A landlocked property with one way in and one way out, feeding directly onto a street that's already struggling with traffic flow. The existing neighborhood presumably features properties with reasonable access and traffic patterns that don't require residents to play Frogger every time they leave home.
But the city's response is predictably tone-deaf: "We need housing." It's become the municipal equivalent of "abracadabra"—a phrase that supposedly makes all practical concerns disappear.
Yes, we’ll say it again, Reno needs housing. But Reno also needs housing that doesn't create traffic disasters, doesn't overwhelm existing infrastructure, and doesn't force current residents to endure the consequences of poor planning decisions.
The single access point alone should disqualify this project. Emergency vehicles, daily traffic, delivery trucks, and residents all funneling through one choke point onto an already busy street isn't harmony—it's a recipe for gridlock with a side of safety hazards.
Meanwhile, the Planning Commission faces another developer spinning tales about how their inappropriate development will somehow blend seamlessly into a neighborhood it clearly doesn't fit. Does a jackhammer belong in a string quartet?
The real question isn't whether Reno needs housing—it's whether the city is so desperate for development that it's willing to approve projects that create more problems than they solve. Seems like it from what is being approved.
True harmony in development means projects that complement existing neighborhoods, enhance traffic flow rather than obstruct it, and add value to communities rather than burden them.
What's being proposed sounds more like municipal malpractice disguised as housing policy.
The Planning Commission has a choice: rubber-stamp another questionable infill project or demand that developers actually demonstrate how their projects improve rather than degrade the neighborhoods they're imposing upon.
Given the city's track record, don't expect them to choose harmony over developer profits.