Who is watching out for us? A Call for Transparency, Accountability, and Safety in the North Valleys
- Rob Pierce
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
This was written by a concerned citizen who deeply cares for the North Valleys, we received a copy and thought it represets us pretty accurately so we are publishing it.
A Call for Transparency, Accountability, and Safety in the North Valleys
As a long-time resident and deeply invested member of the Washoe County community, I am compelled to speak out regarding the persistent lack of consideration given to the residents of the North Valleys—particularly those who rely on Red Rock Road. While other areas of the county appear to receive responsive planning and meaningful engagement, the North Valleys continue
to experience inconsistent development decisions, shifting timelines, and inadequate regional coordination that together create serious long-term safety concerns.
Inadequate Regional Coordination and Outdated Traffic Analysis
A recent public information meeting held via Zoom on November 18, 2025 regarding proposed zoning changes for the Silver Hills subdivision (SP Handbook) raised major red flags. During that meeting, the developer openly stated that he would not be contributing any funding toward Red Rock Road improvements despite the expected increase in traffic. The statement that
“traffic will get worse before it gets better” is deeply concerning, as thousands of North Valleys residents rely on Red Rock Road as their only route in and out of the area. Currently, many traffic studies being used for approvals date back as far as 2017—a time when population counts, vehicle volumes, emergency access needs, and development proposals were drastically different.
Traffic analyses should be:
• Updated and current (not 8+ years old)
• Conducted during normal conditions, not holiday or nighttime only periods
• Area-wide, not project-isolated
• Inclusive of all approved and proposed developments
• Focused on emergency vehicle access, congestion impacts, and overall safety
When combined projects may add thousands of new vehicle trips, analyzing them one at a time is insufficient, misleading, and unsafe.
Population Stress on Red Rock Road
Approximately 6,871 residents currently rely on Red Rock Road—including Rancho Haven (~1,982 residents) Rancho Haven, Silver Knolls(~1,595 residents) (Census) and numerous individual homes (~3,294 residents). Many properties in this region are valued at over $1 million, yet residents live with a single access route for daily travel and emergency evacuation. On top of the existing population, there are 9,771 additional homes already approved, (~19,542 residents). Although some of the properties include multifamily complexes and high- density units, they are not taken into account at this time:
• Evans Ranch — 7,279 homes Evans Ranch
• Silver Hills — 1,872 homes (before proposed density increases) Silver hills,
• Osage & White Owl developments — 620+ units currently zoned MDS
Future density increases are likely, as indicated in recent developer statements and trends within other zoning requests. If we take an average of two people per home based upon today’s numbers, we can easily come up with over (~26,413 residents) using the single access road.
Conflicting and Shifting Red Rock Road Widening Timelines
One of the most troubling issues involves the frequent and unexplained changes to the Red Rock Road widening schedule. Prior to December 2024, the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) listed the widening of Red Rock Road from US-395 to Placerville Drive as a 2030– 2050 project. Yet staff reports for the White Owl and Red Rock Road RZA (WRZA24-0003) and Osage RZA (WRZA24-0004) projects suddenly shifted the timeline to 2026–2030, influencing Planning Commission decisions and the County Commissioner’s decisions making these rezoning efforts appear more feasible. Look at the last pages of the staff reports for proof. Draft Minute
After approvals and appeal periods passed, the timeline quietly reverted back to 2050, as shown on page 214 of the current RTP
One comment from Osage RZA project engineer stated to get support, ““the map would not be approved if the widening had not occurred”. This practice raises serious questions:
• Why did the timeline change “just in time” for approval?
• Who authorized or reviewed these conflicting updates?
• How can residents trust the process when foundational data is inconsistent?
In the August 5, 2025 request for the Counties interest to be abandoned in a certain area adjacent to the Silver Hills subdivision of Red Rock Rd, WAB-250003 Red Rock Rd abandonment application was approved with the thought that construction was going to start soon. Such discrepancies directly affect safety, flooding impacts, and emergency access—and they
undermine confidence in county oversight.
Flooding Concerns and Abandoned Drainage Maintenance
In addition to traffic and safety, many residents are also concerned about drainage infrastructure. Several homeowners in the Silver Knolls area around the Osage Rd., Bodie, Crocket and Calle Maria areas report that Washoe County has stopped maintaining local ditches, even though these ditches are critical to preventing flooding in Silver Lake and surrounding neighborhoods. This is currently where all the water drains for the entire area in question, and for all the existing homes in the Silver Knolls subdivision on the East side of the road.
As development increases impervious surfaces, the risk of significant flooding rises unless addressed proactively.
Residents should not be left responsible for maintaining public drainage systems when large developments are simultaneously being approved upstream. The road repair issues appear to be very low on the priority list also for the area.
Safety Hazards at the Red Rock / US-395 Interchange
The Red Rock interchange poses well-known dangers:
• A 6% + grade one lane access point road, is used leading into US-395
• No acceleration lanes for northbound or southbound entries
• Heavy industrial traffic from the Moya/Stead industrial zone, including fully loaded 80,000-lb + trucks
• Vehicles entering the freeway at extremely low speeds while merging with fast-moving downhill traffic
• Most all of the truck traffic is using this area for access to US-395 and NOT the Stead entree points although the Stead area is already designed for truck traffic with acceleration lanes existing Southbound and no major grade to deal with.
Accidents are common, and at least one fatality has occurred. With thousands of additional homes planned, this interchange becomes increasingly unsafe unless upgraded. With the RTS new master plan calling out for large Industrial areas, it’s going to get unbearably unsafe.
A Request for Comprehensive, Region-Wide Review
Given the scale of the development pipeline, the North Valleys deserve decisions made from the ground level, not from a distant, project-by-project vantage point. Before any new zoning requests, change orders, or density increases are approved, the following must occur at the very least:
1. A full regional analysis of all projects simultaneously Not one at a time, but collectively—reflecting real population and real traffic conditions.
2. Updated traffic, infrastructure, and emergency access studies
Accurate, current, and inclusive of all approved developments.
3. Consistent, transparent timelines for infrastructure improvements
No more sudden changes in meeting packets that contradict long-standing RTP documents.
4. Clear accountability for discrepancies
Residents deserve confidence that data is accurate, stable, and not selectively adjusted.
5. Stronger regional coordination
Between Washoe County, RTC, NDOT, the City of Reno, developers, and emergency service providers.
The North Valleys Deserves Better
District 5 (County) and District 4 (City) are strong, vibrant, and growing communities. We ask our leaders and planners to recognize the seriousness of our concerns and prioritize safety, transparency, and long-term sustainability. We are not anti-development—we are pro-safety, pro-planning, and pro-community. Let’s work together to ensure that the North Valleys and Red Rock Road receive the attention, coordination, and infrastructure investment they urgently need. We need someone who cares about us and is willing to go to bat to save our valleys and the entire district before we get dumped on anymore. Please hear our plea, who is this person going to be?
Let’s get involved. Let’s demand transparency. And let’s protect the place we call home.