NOVEMBER 17 UPDATE:

The Stonegate Heinz Ranch project will move forward after being voted on Monday night.

The Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency has decided that the project conforms to the Truckee Meadows Regional Plan by a vote of six to three.

They looked at several factors, including population growth and natural resources.

The project was recently approved to move forward with a more industrial focus, rather than housing.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE (OCTOBER 9):

The Stonegate Heinz Ranch Development Project was initially dedicated to housing. It was set to be in Cold Springs, south of White Lake. 

In 2018, the developers and the Regional Planning Commission set out to develop the area with over 5,000 housing units, community amenities, first responder infrastructure, and even schools. 

In August, the Planning Commission and the developers reached an agreement to re-zone part of the site for industrial build-up, featuring plots for warehouses and a possible data center. 

The Regional Planning Commission then raised an appeal that this re-zoning was not within the original Master Plan, and today that appeal was rejected by the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Governing Board. 

This means the re-zoning is affirmed, and the development site will plan on featuring this industrial infrastructure, in place of housing.

Plans have also been converted to include around 1,300 apartments. 

Members of the community voiced their opinion about the re-zoning.

"Residents of Cold Springs are in staunch opposition to this because it is going to raise their energy rates and also use vital water," said Tara Tran, who also mentioned a neglect to current issues with housing. "Instead of reining in the unreasonably high housing costs down here in downtown, we are looking at developing further and further out of the Reno city limits, where there is not sufficient water and there is not sufficient infrastructure." 

Many public commenters during the hearing mentioned concerns over issues such as traffic, removal of first responder infrastructure, and lack of partnership between the developer, city, and residents. 

"Definitely against voting for this rezoning. But I also think that we need to analyze how we are using necessary resources like water, energy, and or public lands, in general, because, you know, it isn't good."Â