On Tuesday, April 28, the Washoe County Commission approved the extension of the Sierra Reflections development in the Pleasant Valley area south of Reno. This extension was first brought forward on April 15 for a “first reading“. With the second reading on Tuesday, it could be acted upon by the board. This is a zombie project that was first approved in 2006, but for which the final map has not been submitted. The final map submission indicates that there is a construction plan to a detail level with review and approval by various agencies. It has been extended several times.
The Steamboat Valley and Pleasant Valley areas are sparsely populated and the area has a rural character. The Sierra Reflections development is a high-density, suburban development that will overwhelm the area. Area residents dread that this project may be built.
In Public Comment, there was a concern that this is the largest, most dense development south of Mt. Rose Highway in the area. The speaker was concerned by the recent contraction of fire services in the area and made the point that there will need to be a plan to expand fire services if this development is built.
The motion passed unanimously with all 5 commissioners present or online: Lucey, Berkbigler, Jung, Hartung, and Herman.
The poorly-defined, South Valleys Sewer Bond, is likely intended to increase sewer capacity to support this growth. It looks like taxpayers are being asked to subsidize development.
Washoe Residents for Appropriate Planning 
The developer said that the County would provide sewer service, and that the fact that Steamboat Creek (which is polluted with mercury) runs right through the property “is not a problem”. There are also old mill sites in the area, with mercury and lead on the ground and in the dirt, and an abandoned lead mine. Seems like an ideal site to raise children.
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