What the Heck Is Washoe County Up to with Burning Man—and What Do Gerlach Residents Think?
Meeting is today, and Washoe County Government hasn’t done much to push this out. We ponder if Commissioner Jeanne Herman will be showing up.
The Gerlach Gateway: Art, Recreation, or Something Else?
Something’s going on around the edges of Burning Man country, and do the residents of Gerlach in the loop. Enter the Gerlach Gateway Initiative: a “collaboration of multiple partner organizations seeking the development of a multi-use recreational area and art site in Gerlach.” Sounds dreamy, right? Pizza included.
Here’s the rub: while the flyer promises community workshops, feedback sessions, and art features, the deeper question is who’s driving this and who’s benefiting.
For years, Burning Man’s chosen home has meant opportunity—and awkward tension—for the tiny town of Gerlach. Washoe County appears to be leaning into that tension with the Gateway plan. But instead of openly asking Gerlach’s long-term residents, they’re spinning the narrative that this is your idea and your community. Pizza at a workshop is nice—but cookie and coffee won’t compensate for losing your town to something you didn’t ask for.
At the workshop, you’ll learn about potential features. You’ll get to share thoughts. But you’ll also see the subtle framing: “Let’s make this place awesome for visitors AND locals.” Translation: locals get to host the show; outsiders get to fund it—and ride the wave.
Hungry for some deeper issues? Here are a few punch list items for residents to chew on:
Will new infrastructure connect to public funds—or private event dollars?
Who really hand-picks the art and “uses” of the site? Locals, or the event promoters?
What happens when this “recreational area” starts competing for resources (water, roads, policing) with year-round residents?
Are we talking about community development, or community development for visitors?
If you’re from Gerlach—or you care about communities invisible to most headlines—this is one to watch. When local government says “modernization” and “partnership,” ask: partnerships with whom? When they say “workshop,” ask: who’s designing the agenda? And when free pizza shows up, ask: what’s the catch?
Because the right questions don’t require acronyms—they just require a willingness to question who really holds the microphone.