Community Development Community Workshops

We hope you'll join us!

We are looking forward to providing a series of educational workshops that will be hosted quarterly by the Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment. 

The first workshop provided an "Introduction to Washoe County Planning" with an overview of the role of Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment in the planning process.

Check back for information on our next workshop!  Do you have a workshop topic you'd like us to consider?  We're happy to hear what it is you'd like to learn more about:  sdelozier@washoecounty.us

Washoe County's New Planning System!

What does this mean to you?  If you or a client are considering submitting an application for a land use or master plan change soon, we would like to hear from you!

Washoe County's recent adoption of new Master Plan maps and Regulatory Zone maps for all areas of unincorporated Washoe County means that the old system of amending zoning through the Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) process is being replaced with Master Plan Amendments and Regulatory Zone Amendments (MPAs and RZAs).  The new system is currently under review by the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency to determine conformance with the Regional Plan.  Prior to a finding of conformance, we are asking applicants to determine if they wish to proceed with a CPA or wait for the new system to begin. Upon a finding of conformance, the new system will be implemented and Comprehensive Plan Amendments will no longer be available. T he Conformance Review is scheduled to be heard by the Regional Planning Commission September 8, 2010.

In order to ensure a smooth transition for applicants and staff, pre-application meetings are strongly recommended for any Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Master Plan Amendment, or Regulatory Zone Amendment you may be considering.

If you or a client has plans to submit a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Master Plan Amendment, or Regulatory Zone Amendment please call staff at the number provided to arrange for a pre-application meeting. At this meeting, staff will explain the new planning system and help you determine which of the available processes best fits your needs - the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, the Master Plan Amendment or the Regulatory Zone Amendment.  You will also receive the appropriate application, application submittal instructions, and answers to your questions about how to accomplish your land use goals.

Thank you for working with us to ensure a smooth transition!

Wind Energy in Washoe County

A new wind energy web page has been created for information
relating to wind energy in Washoe County.

Verdi Historic and Architectural Context Report

The Verdi Historic and Architectural Context Report documents the history of Verdi and provides a preliminary examination of architecture as preserved through photographs and remaining structures.   This project has been funded with assistance of the Nevada State Preservation Office through a Department of Interior Grant.

In 2003, with the assistance of a Historic Preservation Fund grant, Washoe County prepared a survey of historic architectural and historic archaeological resources within the unincorporated portions of the County, not including tribal lands (Kimball and Kautz 2004). In 2005, the County received a second grant to prepare a study of how it could go about completing an inventory of historic architecture in order to apply for CLG status. With the realization that the size of the County and the number of properties to be surveyed would require a number of years to complete, a strategy was proposed that would divide the County into distinct areas and focus work in one such area each year.  Accordingly, Washoe County planning staff contracted the services of Kautz Environmental Consultants, Inc. (KEC), a Reno firm with experience conducting architectural documentation, to assist them in that initial phase.

report (18.8MB)

map (12MB)

Incline Village/Crystal Bay Nuisance Workshop Report

A community workshop hosted by the Incline Village, Crystal Bay Citizen Advisory Board and Washoe County Community Development was held February 16, 2008.  The below listed reports reflect the input received at that meeting.  The report is divided into two parts.  The first portion of the report is staff's effort to categorize the comments under topical headings/subheadings.  The second portion of the report is the list of comments as provided by each table.

Report - part 1

Report - part 2