Parking Lies, Developer Ties, and Reno’s Latest Neighborhood Sellout

Shaun Mullin is the protector of neighborhoods from what the City of Reno is trying to push through.

If you’ve spent five minutes on Nextdoor lately, you’ve likely seen the name Shaun Mullin—keyboard warrior, neighborhood watchdog, and unofficial spokesperson for everyone sick of seeing Reno carved up like a real estate buffet.

This week’s target? The Hello World project—an ironically named development that’s about to say goodbye to sanity in Ward 2. The proposal? 50 units and just 32 parking spaces, conveniently crammed onto Reno Avenue. Because apparently, the new urban planning motto is: If they don’t have a place to park, maybe they’ll just disappear.

And who’s cheering it on? Vice Mayor Kathleen Taylor, of course. Known for her warm embraces—not of her constituents, but of the deep-pocketed developers who keep knocking on Reno’s zoning doors with bad ideas and worse math.

Let’s be clear: smart growth isn’t about shoving high-density units into quiet neighborhoods without basic infrastructure, walkability, or enough parking. That’s not urban planning. That’s urban cramming. And the people who live there? The folks who shovel their sidewalks, walk their dogs, and pay their taxes? They get treated like an afterthought.

Remember that other development the Planning Commission had the good sense to reject—near the corner of Plumas and Mt. Rose Street? Yeah, City Hall was devastated. Not because they care about smart land use—but because someone’s deal fell through.

Now, rumor has it J.D. Drakulich—yes, the very same J.D. who’s reportedly gearing up to run for Ward 2 City Council—is trying to sell his judge-relatives property to revive that development by giving it the ingress and egress it needs to squeeze through the back door.

You really can’t make this stuff up. One day you’re representing neighborhoods, the next you’re brokering family deals to help developers bulldoze them.

Let’s be honest—this isn't just about Hello World or Plumas Street or Mt. Rose. This is about a city government that’s more interested in developer profits than resident peace of mind. A city that cries “affordable housing” while waving through projects that are neither affordable nor housing anyone who lives here now.

If you live in Reno and you're tired of being treated like a speed bump on the road to someone else's payday, now is the time to say enough. Our neighborhoods are not blank canvases for investors. They are communities—with history, character, and actual people who deserve to be heard.

So take a note from Shaun Mullin and fire up those keyboards. Show up to council meetings. Share the rumors. Fact-check the deals. Knock on doors. Ask hard questions.

Because if we don't stand up for our neighborhoods, no one will.

And while Hello World may sound cute, we’d rather say: Goodbye developers. Hello accountability.