Washoe County Planning Commission Meeting - October 6, 2026

The Washoe County Planning Commission met at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, with Chair Dan Lazaretti presiding. A quorum was present. After opening procedures and an initial public comment period, the commission approved its agenda and prior meeting minutes, then heard three public hearing items. The principal item, the 34-lot Palomino Farms subdivision, drew extensive public opposition from residents, community groups, and a tribal community member, and was ultimately approved on a 4-1 vote.

Consent Calendar

• The commission approved the agenda as written and the minutes of the September 1, 2026 meeting without substantive discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

Initial public comment period (before agenda approval)

• Carolyn White, a Warm Springs Rural CAB member and neighbor, opposed the Palomino Farms application, citing basin groundwater overdraft. She stated NDWR estimates the Warm Springs Basin perennial yield at 3,000 acre-feet, current commitments at 8,351.15 acre-feet, and long-term pumping of 4,000-6,000 acre-feet per year. She also cited a county staff report acknowledging that current groundwater dedication requirements are insufficient.
• Lori Squartzhoff, a six-year property owner, argued the dedication rate is based on a 4,000 acre-foot perennial yield rather than the recognized 3,000, and commits only 1 acre-foot per domestic well while wells may legally use up to 2 acre-feet annually.
• Andy Webb, a resident, said domestic wells grew from about 205 in 1992 to over 770 today, with 1,500+ parcels representing 3,000+ acre-feet of commitments. He said over 400 residents signed a petition urging a moratorium on new subdivisions in Warm Springs until a sustainable water budget is adopted.
• Wayne Mortenson raised wastewater and groundwater pollution concerns, including 99,000 pounds of nitrogen in soils beneath the site and the vulnerability of the unconfined aquifer.
• David Dudley, a 27-year resident, said 28 percolation tests were required; 10 showed rates over 40 minutes per inch, 9 less than 6 minutes per inch, and only 7 fell in the ideal range, creating septic filtration risks.
• Robbie Moen said emergency medical response to Warm Springs is estimated at over 30 minutes in 90% of cases, and sheriff response over 40 minutes, far exceeding national and county standards.
• Julie Osborne, a retired firefighter, said Warm Springs is a high fire hazard area, the closest full-time station has a 20+ minute response time, and there is no plan for a full-time station in Warm Springs.
• Cindy Bruns said Palomino Valley has no public transit; the nearest RTC service is a 15-minute drive and the proposed subdivision would increase vehicle miles traveled and traffic on Pyramid Highway.
• Laura Levin said staff misidentified the schools serving the subdivision; she said students would attend Alice Taylor Elementary, Shaw Middle, and Spanish Springs High School, and detailed overcrowding and inadequate capacity in those schools.
• Jan Mortensen said Whiskey Springs Road is a chip-sealed road unsuitable for primary access, and the subdivision would conflict with the Warm Springs SPA development handbook's planned spine road and developer-financing obligations.
• Brent Dowell said the application was not updated to reflect preliminary FEMA floodplain revisions placing portions of the site in an AE floodplain.
• Scott Hooper said the drainage plan relies on ditches and a retention basin rather than the SPA's planned major drainageways, conflicting with the regional drainage manual.
• Brian DeMambro, a 23-year resident, said the site overlaps or is near two critical source water protection areas, including the Ironwood Equestrian Center well across Whiskey Springs Road, yet the application did not evaluate impacts from 34 septic systems.
• Linda Waterhouse cited the Carson Wandering Skipper, sage grouse, Lahontan cutthroat trout, and cui-ui, and said the application failed to identify or mitigate impacts to rare and endangered species.
• Zane Vaughan said the geotechnical report's fault claims were inaccurate, including that a strand of the Warm Springs Valley Fault lies about 0.3 miles south of the site, and warned of seismic risk for dense development.
• Sharon Korn said NV Energy has not confirmed capacity, seasonal fire-safety shutoffs have caused multi-day outages, and the area is vulnerable without backup power for wells.
• Karen Gates said the subdivision would degrade the Pyramid Highway scenic corridor, placing 34 homes within 2,000 feet of the highway and a retention pond within 100 feet.
• Robin White said the project would harm dark skies, and alleged the applicant's neighborhood meeting summary misrepresented resident concerns about lighting.
• Pam Roberts said the SPA's promised infrastructure never materialized and the subdivision would open the floodgates to more development in a flood-prone area.
• Mark Sturdevan, in unscripted remarks, said the county would face lawsuits related to the horse facility, irrigation pumping changes, street ownership by the GID, and inadequate funding. He said it would be Lemon Valley all over again.
• Faith Johnson, via Zoom, strongly opposed the project, saying it would destroy wildlife habitat she views each morning and that the applicant's mitigation analysis was inadequate.

Public comment during the Palomino Farms public hearing

• Paul Woods opposed the subdivision as leapfrog urban sprawl, citing traffic, nitrate contamination, and incompatibility with surrounding 40-acre rural parcels; he suggested 10-acre zoning instead.
• Britt Giannotti said light pollution from Spanish Springs already affects the valley and the project would further degrade the night sky.
• Sally Armstrong said she spent $20,000 to deepen her well and worried more homes would worsen water scarcity.
• Stephen Lagreca cited stormwater runoff and groundwater contamination risks from new impervious surfaces; he later returned during final public comment to ask why approval proceeded despite what he called gaps in the review.
• Christine Biglieri criticized the lack of infrastructure and the failure of agencies to respond to requests for comment.
• Brian Wadsworth, a Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe member and candidate for Washoe County Commission District 5, said he stood with residents, raised concerns about traffic and highway deterioration, and said he was concerned about the lack of tribal consultation and impacts on groundwater and Pyramid Lake.
• Julie Osborne, a retired firefighter, warned that piecemeal development would bypass the SPA's planned public water/sewer and fire protection, and noted that the only two HOAs in the valley had dissolved, raising questions about long-term maintenance of promised HOA amenities.

No public comment was offered on the Project Max abandonment or the NV Solar WRX condition amendment.

Discussion Items

Project Max abandonment (WAB26-0009)

• Staff presented a request to abandon approximately 115,036 square feet of a 60-foot-wide public access easement on Reno Park Boulevard to support future industrial development. A replacement access easement has been recorded, the remaining portions of the road will continue to provide access, and 12 adjacent owners were noticed with no responses received.
• The commission approved the abandonment with conditions in Exhibit A.

NV Solar WRX condition amendment (WAC26-0014 / WSCP26-0008)

• Planner Julie O'Lander explained that the amendment adds a condition to the previously approved special use permit prohibiting construction of the solar electric generating facility in the playa area of the parcel, in conformance with Envision Washoe 2040's policy to buffer playas and protect water resources. The condition had not been included in the original staff report. No public comment was received, and the amendment was approved unanimously.

Palomino Farms tentative subdivision map (WTM25-0001)

• Staff planner Tim Evans presented the request for a 34-lot common open space subdivision on 773.36 acres, with lots from 2.5 to 2.82 acres, approximately 99.9 acres of development area, and approximately 102.76 acres of common open space. Grading would involve about 28,500 cubic yards. Staff noted the maximum theoretical density for the site is 615 lots; the applicant's representative later stated the applicant could have built up to 461 lots, a discrepancy not resolved on the record.
• The subject property is in the Warm Springs planning area with multiple zoning districts. Water would be provided by individual wells and wastewater by individual septic systems; Northern Nevada Public Health granted a variance reducing the minimum lot size to 2.5 acres, with a resulting density of one septic system per five acres.
• Thirty-five agencies were given notice; six provided conditions. Thirty-seven property owners were noticed; 11 public comments were received, 10 in opposition and 1 in support. A traffic letter projected about 26 a.m. and 34 p.m. peak-hour trips.
• Staff recommended approval with conditions, including a revised Exhibit A. New condition 7C requires proof of groundwater right relinquishment at the rates in effect when the final map is considered. County Engineer Dwayne Smith stated Washoe County is updating Warm Springs water dedication requirements and the rate may increase from 2.5 to approximately 5 acre-feet per lot. Staff also recommended deleting conditions 3A through 3G because they were inadvertently written for a community water/sewer system rather than wells and septic systems.
• Applicant representative Brooke Oswald said the project would replace irrigated agriculture using about 830 acre-feet per year with 34 homes expected to use about 34 acre-feet per year, plus about 34 acre-feet for irrigation. She highlighted 105 acres of open space, an HOA-maintained trail and roads, private construction of infrastructure, fire breaks, two access points, and a rebuilt Whiskey Springs Road. She said the project meets all findings and accepted staff conditions.
• Commissioner Linda Kennedy disclosed she lives in Palomino Valley but outside the noticed area and stated she could make an impartial decision. She later questioned missing information on NV Energy capacity, school capacity, fire prevention, and hydrology. Staff responded that NV Energy declined to comment and the school district did not respond. Commissioner Barnes said he could not make Finding D (availability of services) because public safety response times do not meet county targets, but he voted for approval because the fire and sheriff agencies did not object.
• A motion to deny the Palomino Farms application failed for lack of a second. A substitute motion to approve passed on a roll call vote.

Key Outcomes

• Approved Project Max abandonment case WAB26-0009 with conditions.
• Approved NV Solar WRX amendment WAC26-0014 for special use permit WSCP26-0008 unanimously.
• Approved Palomino Farms tentative subdivision map WTM25-001 for Palomino Farms LLC, 4-1, with Chair Lazaretti, Commissioner Barnes, Commissioner Nelson, and Commissioner Owens voting yes, and Vice Chair Kennedy voting no. The approval included Exhibit A conditions, deletion of conditions 3A through 3G, and addition of condition 7C. Commissioner Barnes stated on the record that he was unable to make Finding D (availability of services).
• The commission requested a future presentation from emergency preparedness staff once the in-process evacuation plan is completed.
• Staff reported that the equine code update had been adopted and the heat mitigation plan had been found in conformance with the regional plan.
• The appeal procedure was read: decisions are appealable to the Board of County Commissioners in writing within 10 calendar days of the decision being reduced to writing, filed with the planning commission secretary and mailed to the applicant.