In 2021, the residents of Lakeridge were blindsided. The Reno City Council approved a development that locals said would permanently alter the character of their quiet, golf-centered neighborhood. To add insult to injury, a former city councilmember even implied that only the “entitled” lived in Lakeridge—and that it was time for that to change.

It was a message that didn’t just sting—it stuck.

In the shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains, a familiar story plays out in Reno—one that pits ordinary citizens against the machinery of local government and deep-pocketed developers. The latest chapter in this ongoing saga comes from the Lakeridge neighborhood, where residents have reluctantly abandoned their fight against a five-story apartment complex that will tower over the existing two-story landscape. Their retreat raises disturbing questions about the true nature of civic engagement in the Biggest Little City.

Well, grab your popcorn and your protest signs, folks - the sequel nobody asked for just dropped at Lakeridge. And unlike most sequels, this one's actually more terrifying than the original.

Picture this: A five-story monstrosity that looks like someone played Tetris with storage containers and called it "luxury living." Local residents are calling it "jail house rock" - though that's honestly unfair to jails, which occasionally have better architectural design.

The November 19, 2024, City of Reno Neighborhood Advisory Board Meeting regarding Lyon Living's conditional use permit application proved to be an exercise in frustration for community members. The presentation by Wood Rodgers' representative Andy Durling was hampered by significant audio issues, making it nearly impossible for YouTube attendees to follow the crucial details of the proposed development. We could all see Durling’s presentation but not necessarily hear him or the questions being asked by the attendees.