SOUTHWEST TRUCKEE MEADOWS CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Southwest Truckee Meadows Citizens Advisory Board (the Advisory Board) has been instrumental in the development of land use and transportation for the Southwest Truckee Meadows for twenty (20) years;

WHEREAS, the Advisory Board has been the principal architect of the land use and transportation plan since it was first adopted in 1974, which was adopted by the Washoe County Commission following a 2-3 year period during which numerous studies and hearings took place involving the appropriate land use and transportation plan and the aftermath of the decision making process which resulted in the Highway Alignment and deleted the A Alignment through the Southwest Truckee Meadows for I-80 from McCarran Boulevard to the Winters Ranch;

WHEREAS, a foundational goal of the Advisory Board, backed by the County Commission, was to preserve the rural residential character of the Southwest Truckee Meadows and preserve the foothills from McCarran Boulevard to the Mount Rose Highway for public use, including bringing into public hands for permanent enjoyment of all citizens of the Truckee Meadows the 1,400 dedicated parcel off the Redfield/Arrow Creek Development and the 1,000-1,200 acre Ballardini Ranch;

WHEREAS, the Advisory Board has steadfastly monitored the progress of the process to protect the historic value, wildlife refuge value, and public enjoyment value of this exceptionally beautiful and extraordinary area, and in the process been able to obtain through negotiation a dedication of approximately 1,400 acres from the Redfield/Arrow Creek Development from along the foothills in a southerly direction from the Ballardini Ranch to the Mount Rose Highway, with federal Forest Service land lying immediately adjacent to such property on the west;

WHEREAS, the Ballardini Ranch remains the last critical link for the protection of this long-term plan, backed by the Washoe County Commission, pursued by the Advisory Board and the citizenry of the City of Reno, City of Sparks, and Washoe County; and

WHEREAS, the draft comprehensive regional plan suggests that the Ballardini Ranch should be entirely included within the sphere of influence of the City of Reno and the compromise proposed by the County of Washoe suggests that the Ballardini Ranch zoning and sphere of influence should remain outside the sphere of influence of the City of Reno;

WHEREAS, the County of Washoe has taken the exceptional step of requesting the removal of the Truckee Meadows Service Area from the Ballardini Ranch to alleviate any concern or issue with respect to any long-term possibility of the Washoe County Commission developing the Ballardini Ranch other than with current zoning or to do anything other than to retain the same for open space for public use, the Advisory Board commends the Washoe County Commission for its steadfast adherence to the long-term planning principal and strongly requests that the Regional Planning Commission and Regional Planning Governing Board respect the efforts of the County;

WHEREAS, the Washoe County citizens voted to provide federal funding for the acquisition of the entire Ballardini Ranch and inclusion of the Ballardini Ranch in the sphere of influence of the City of Reno increases the perceived value of the Ballardini Ranch and therefore has a negative impact on those who would seek acquisition of the Ballardini Ranch with public funds; it is

RESOLVED, the Advisory Board strongly urges, in strongest terms, that the Regional Planning Commission and the Regional Planning Governing Board (a) exclude the sphere of influence of the City of Reno from the entire Ballardini Ranch and (b) exclude the Truckee Meadows Service Area from the entire Ballardini Ranch and (c) reaffirm their collective support for the principal of placing the Ballardini Ranch in public hands partially utilizing the funds which have been generated through vote of the citizens of Reno, citizens of Sparks, and Washoe County, in the amount of Four Million Dollars ($4,000,000) as a result of a recent bond issue, to apply toward the acquisition of the Ballardini Ranch;

RESOLVED FURTHER, the Advisory Board stands ready to take whatever further steps may be necessary in connection with the planning process to assist in the long-term preservation of the Ballardini Ranch.

DATED this 19th day of April, 2002.

SOUTHWEST TRUCKEE MEADOWS
CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD

Robert Cameron
for the Southwest Truckee Meadows CAB