Following six years of work, the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Master Plan was officially adopted by the Reno City Council on Wednesday.
The groundwork for the master plan began in 2017 with the “ReImagine Reno” Master Plan, which identified the community’s top priority as establishing the city as a hub for outdoor recreation. In 2021, the Parks and Recreation Department actively began crafting the plan, which included gathering public input through community surveys and stakeholder outreach, town hall meetings, and multiple advisory committee reviews.
In 2022, city staff developed a draft plan. Council members then approved a consulting agreement with urban engineering companies Stantec and Citygate to finalize the plan.
The master plan tackles the ambitious project of improving existing parks, trails and recreational facilities and acquiring land for new parks and recreational spaces.
The master plan also includes the “activation” of the Reno Truckee River corridor and downtown public spaces, and the expansion of recreational programming, special events and educational opportunities.
“This plan represents a significant milestone in our efforts to make Reno a vibrant and active community,” said Nathan Ullyot, director of Parks and Recreation. “This PROS plan is our guide to shape Reno’s recreational landscape for the next decade.”
Based on national benchmarks reviewed during the planning process, several gaps in the current operations of Parks and Recreation were discovered. To reach national norms, the city would need to add 997 acres of parks and trails, nearly $9 million to the parks and recreation budget, and about 30 full-time employees. 
Other community priorities include adding pools, improving maintenance of current parks and trails, enhancing existing and future recreational facilities for multi-generational uses, and acquiring more land for future parks and trails.
The community also chose farmers markets, outdoor movies and concerts, and performing arts as their top three favorite recreational events.
The master plan presentation can be viewed here.
Council member Naomi Duerr said the plan is “incredibly well done” and said she would like to see developers required to dedicate a certain amount of open space with every proposed development.
Council member Meghan Ebert supported Duerr’s idea, stating that several developments are being built in her ward, but there are no neighborhood parks to complement them.
“Once these areas are filled in, we’re not going to be able to put a park in,” Ebert said. “It should be a part of the approval process. There are some glaring deficiencies [of parks], especially when you compare ward by ward. There should be no areas that have zero acres of parks.”
Ebert has been outspoken about the lack of parks and community centers in her ward, especially following the city’s redistricting process, which left just five of the city’s 83 parks in her ward.
Council member Duerr said that now it will just come down to funding and that for funding to be sufficient, it must come from a citizen-driven ballot initiative allocating more funding toward parks and recreation.
“[Our residents] all say this is their number-one priority, and we need to be responsive, but it needs to be a citizen-driven effort,” Duerr said.
Council pledges $50,000 to Virginia Range Trail Corridor
Council members agreed to pledge $50,000 toward the Virginia Range Trail Corridor plan to preserve wildlife habitat and support recreation within the area.
The Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation is crafting the plan that will establish the Virginia Range Open Space Corridor, including trail systems for non-motorized users such as hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians.
Council member Duerr is a proponent of the project and said the plan is a “crucial step” to enhancing the quality of life for Reno residents. She said it also promotes additional outdoor recreation opportunities in south Reno.
Funding was allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and will be used for surveying and project management.
Once completed, the plan’s design will include a multi-purpose trailway connecting several communities and neighborhoods from the Hidden Valley Regional Park trail system south to Geiger Grade.
To learn more about the project, click here.
