The Reno City Council will hear an appeal of a permit to allow permanent festival grounds with live music and crowds most nights in the summer on a 2.3-acre site fronting Fourth Street within earshot of residential buildings in west downtown. The project is part of the so-called Neon Line District proposed by Jacob’s Entertainment.
 

Scenic Nevada is opposed to the permit. The large entertainment space, which includes a 1,600 square foot stage, is a poor choice for revitalization. Our mission is to preserve, protect and enhance community character as well as scenic beauty. We don’t think empty festival grounds downtown most of the year enhances the neighborhood.Too often it will be an unused eyesore and when in use will become a public nuisance destroying the quality of life for citizens who live nearby. We believe the space should be developed into a vibrant live-work-shop area to bring people downtown.

Send the city council your comments online. Click here.  Or attend the evening council session to comment in person. See the agenda for more details on providing public comment. 
 

Planning Commission Recommendation
 

The Reno Planning Commission recommended approval to the city council in a 4-3 vote of the conditional use permit in March. Two neighbors to the proposed project, Art Rangel and Lacy Foster, each filed appeals to the decision saying they would be adversely affected by noise, traffic, crime and hours of operation. The applicant, Jacob’s Entertainment, also filed an appeal to the council to preserve a right to judicial review in case it objects to the council’s final decision next week.

Mr. Rangel, a retired certified city planner with 45 years’ experience in redevelopment, economic development and master planning, noted in his written appeal that downtown is home to “thousands of permanent residents” in high-rises and if approved the festival grounds would “likely change their lives for the worse.”

 

The festival grounds (above) would host outdoor concerts and operate from about July 1 to September 3 from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday, according to a city staff report. Live music would be allowed from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. with noise limits of up to 85 decibels at smaller events (under 3,700 attendees). A special event permit would be required for over 3,700 and the decibels can exceed the 85-decibel cap set for smaller events. The larger events are limited to 20, 1-to-4-day events, per year. The venue’s capacity would be about 6,700 patrons.

That’s not what city staff recommended but what Jacob’s entertainment asked for. City staff wanted the decibel limits set at 75 from 8 a.m.to 10 p.m. And staff recommended the cut off for requiring a special event permit for events at 2,000 attendees. Once triggered, the special event permit could include additional requirements. The planning commission majority recommended approval of the changes. Commissioners Peter Gower, Mark Johnson and Silvia Villanueva were opposed.
 
Mr. Rangel is requesting the city council deny the permanent permit for now and instead allow events after being reviewed and granted the special event or activity permit for each occasion, no matter the size, for a year to determine whether the venue is workable for downtown.
 

Scenic Nevada’s Lawsuit Status
 

Meanwhile, Jacob’s Entertainment is obviously moving forward with it’s plans despite Scenic Nevada’s lawsuit looking to void a development agreement for the Neon Line District encompassing the northwest section of downtown along Keystone. The agreement between Jacob’s and the city was approved in October 2021.

Scenic Nevada contends the development agreement is illegal under state law because it includes parcels within the project area Jacobs did not own when the agreement was approved by the council in a 6-1 vote. State law limits development agreements to land in which a developer has a legal or equitable interest. Proposals for three big, bright LED lit signs are part of the package of giveaways in the development agreement. We believe the signs the city and Jacobs agreed to match the definition of a billboard and violate Reno’s sign codes.

The lawsuit became mired in procedural objections and our Amended Petition for Judicial Review was switched in March from Judge Connie Steinheimer’s court room to Judge Scott Freeman. We are awaiting a briefing schedule which would mark the beginning of the judicial review process.

Please send your comments in to the council or attend next Wednesday. And thanks for your participation.

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