Protect Our Washoe

Fighting to save the Ballardini Ranch and for a better quality of life

QUICK INDEX Contact Protect Our Washoe Expert Research Latest News Legacy Farms Archive Maps of the Area News Archive 2002 News Archive 2000-2001 Resolutions of Support from Public Bodies Summary of 2002 Activity Support Documents and History

Protect Our Washoe was established in the 1970s and has worked on a wide range of public interest issues. We successfully opposed the "A-Line" route for U.S. 395 South between Reno and the Mt. Rose Highway. More recently, P.O.W. provided input to the 2030 regional transportation plan.


In 2002, we continued our longrunning efforts to preserve the Ballardini Ranch and successfully opposed attempts to increase the density of the neighboring ArrowCreek development.

We'll keep you posted. If you are not already on our mailing list, please request inclusion and please consider supporting our work by sending a contribution to the address, below.


Thank you.

 

MINNESOTA OWNERS BEGIN ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP BALLARDINI RANCH It's Crunch Time "A race is on to find money to buy the Ballardini Ranch and preserve it as open space because the owners now are asking the Reno City Council to annex the northern portion..." Reno Gazette-Journal Sept. 19, 2003 Hearing scheduled on latest proposal Please attend and spread the word Monday, October 6, 2003, 6:00 p.m. Ward 2 Neighborhood Advisory Board Meadow Wood Court Yard Hotel - 5851 S. Virginia St., Reno (next to Wild Oats, across from Meadowood Mall) Download the meeting agenda in Adobe Acrobat Reader C. LDC04-00076 (Evans Creek/Ballardini Ranch) — A request for voluntary annexation of the northern ±419 acres of the Ballardini Ranch, located on the south side of McCarran Boulevard at the Manzanita Drive intersection. PLANNER: Arlo Stockham, Senior Planner MEETING DATE: City Council - November 19, 2003 UPDATE — The developers pulled the request.     Don't let ranch purchase die Reno Gazette-Journal Editorial Sept. 16, 2003 Ballardini owner no longer wants to sell 1997-2003 BALLARDINI ACQUISITION TIMELINE Reno Gazette-Journal Sept. 13, 2003 Reno Council unanimously declines Ballardini annexation Reno Gazette-Journal Sept. 11, 2003 Washoe County Commission unanimously opposes annexation RENO (Aug. 12, 2003) — The Washoe County Commission voted unanimously to send a letter to the Reno City Council in opposition to a developer proposal to annex the Ballardini Ranch into the city. The council considered the application on Sept. 10. Please send a note of thanks. (Contact info below.)      The Southwest Truckee Meadows Citizen Advisory Board reviewed the annexation on August 21. (See below.) The City of Reno Ward 2 Neighborhood Advisory Board heard it on Sept. 8. Each member stated opposition.      "As you are aware, the Ballardini Ranch has been identified for acquisition, not only for open space as a property designated in the approved Regional Open Space Plan, but also by the voters of this community," the Washoe County Commission wrote to the Reno City Council on Aug. 19.      "Any annexation of the Ballardini Ranch will immediately, even without development, affect its assessed valuation and, therefore, likely increase the market value of the property for acquisition purposes," the letter, signed by all five commissioners, continued.      Thanks to everyone who attended or contacted the commission in support of preservation. Click here to download the county staff recommendation and the working draft of the commission's letter in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you may download it free from Adobe.com. (All five commissioners signed the final version of the letter.) Reno City Council Contact Info IMayor & Council Fax: (775) 334-2097 Mayor Bob Cashell 334-2001 David Aiazzi 334-2016 Dwight Dortch 334-2015 Toni Harsh 334-2011 Pierre Hascheff 334-2014 Jessica Sferrazza 334-2012 Sharon Zadra 334-2017 Multiple e-mail: Highlight and copy the following into your e-mail program (Keep the commas.) aiazzi@cityofreno.com, cashellr@cityofreno.com, dortchd@cityofreno.com, harsht@cityofreno.com, hascheff@cityofreno.com, sferrazzaj@cityofreno.com, zadras@cityofreno.com, U.S. Mail address: P.O. Box 1900 Reno, NV 89505      BACKGROUND — Earlier this year, the developers proposed 43 units on 600 acres of the southern parcel of the ranch. At the time, Protect Our Washoe stated that "If this portion of the Ballardini Ranch is developed, at least as constituted, it would have the implications of permanently deteriorating wildlife protection goals of the citizens, would serve as a potential precursor for substantially increased density (including traffic impacts resulting from potential development on the northern parcel), and begin an unfortunate slide toward development of the whole Ballardini Ranch."      The developer filing was scheduled to come before the Southwest Truckee Meadows Citizen Advisory Board on Feb. 20, 2003, but was taken off the agenda because the submission was incomplete. (Read more about it.) The new proposal to annex the entire ranch came before the SWTMCAB on Thursday, August 21. The panel voted unanimously to oppose the annexation. Aug. 6, 2003 — The developer proposal to annex the Ballardini Ranch into the City of Reno was discussed before the city's Ward One Neighborhood Advisory Board at Reno City Hall. A show of hands asked for by the NAB and entered into the record found 22 of attendees opposed vs. only 4 in favor of annexation. While the NAB did not formally vote, a majority expressed opposition. Their comments will be forwarded to the Reno City Council. Councilwoman Toni Harsh was in attendance. (Click here to read the transcript of the meeting.) For complete information on the fight to save the ranch, scroll down. Nov. 19, 2003 — Developers pulled a request before the Reno City Council for voluntary annexation of the northern ±419 acres of the Ballardini Ranch, located on the south side of McCarran Boulevard at the Manzanita Drive intersection.      Please help us stress the need to protect the Ballardini Ranch and raise your concerns with respect to these and other issues.       Watch this website for more important announcements. Please consider getting on our mailing list.       Any contributions to Protect Our Washoe are welcome. It is a purely volunteer effort and your help would be most appreciated. Checks payable to "Protect Our Washoe" may be mailed to the address, below.       Thank you. (12-17-2003) — Say NO to commercial development in our residential neighborhood! Do you want Huffaker Lane to look like Moana at Lakeside or Kietzke at McCarran? Stand up for our neighborhood! A developer is seeking a master plan amendment, a zoning map amendment, and a special use permit to allow professional office buildings to be built on 6.39 acres on West Huffaker Lane, immediately across Huffaker from Casitas de la Sierra. Protect our residential neighborhood! Attend the Reno City Council meeting Wednesday, December 17, 6:00 p.m. Reno City Hall, 490 S. Center Street, Council Chambers Attendance at the meeting is crucial. If you absolutely cannot attend the meeting, make sure the City Council members know you don't want professional offices in your residential neighborhood. If you can attend, consider writing or calling, too! RENO CITY COUNCIL CONTACT INFORMATION Update: the council approved the amendment.

 

Maps Ballardini Ranch/aerial view Ballardini Ranch/streets and environs Map of the Truckee Meadows Regional Plan Resolutions of support from public bodies Reno City Council Washoe County Commission Southeast Truckee Meadows Citizen Advisory Board Southwest Truckee Meadows Citizen Advisory Board Reno Central Neighborhood Advisory Board 2000 Resolutions of Support Expert Research McCarran Blvd. Traffic Study Skyline Blvd. Traffic Study Traffic studies by Bruce Arkell Ecological Impact Study, October 23, 2000 by Paul T. Tueller, Ph.D. Support documents before public bodies/history Funding Report No. 1 to Regional Planning Gov. Board May 22, 2002 Funding Report No. 2 to RPGB May 23, 2002 Protect Our Washoe Report to the Executive Committee of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) May 16, 2002 Letter to the Regional Planning Governing Board May 8, 2002 Regional Planning Governing Board Minutes of February 10, 2002, meeting In-depth historical background and issues Reno Gazette-Journal Feb. 9, 2000

Protect Our Washoe
P. O. Box 20397
Reno, NV 89515

You may send your contribution to help fund the fight to the above address. Thank you.
E-mail: info@protectourwashoe.org

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