The Main Station Farm Community Forum is scheduled in the Joe Crowley Student Union, and there is event parking in proximity to that building. Free parking will be available on the third and fourth floors of the Whalen Parking Garage and directional signage will be posted on North Virginia Street.
Remarks will begin at 5:30 p.m. Doors will be open at 5 p.m. and university representatives will be on hand at that time to visit, review maps, etc. The meeting will extend to 7:30 p.m.
At the request of the Reno City Council, UNR will hold a public forum regarding the Main Station Farm zoning proposal. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday February 21st, 5:30 -7:30 pm at Joe Crowley Student Union.
Free parking will be available on the third and fourth floors of the Whalen Parking Garage and directional signage will be posted on North Virginia Street.
The immediate issue on the table is UNR’s request to zone 104 acres of the most fertile land left in Reno to light industrial. UNR’s stated intent is to protect the property’s monetary value for possible future sale to developers or for a proposed flood plain project.
Community stakeholders are floating a different idea. That is, use this invaluable property to enhance Nevada’s future and rebuild an agricultural program to meet the needs of sophisticated students and 21st century challenges.
This meeting is our opportunity to convey to UNR the level of community support for a new future and our collective opposition to the zoning proposal.
Our basic message is this:
We expect UNR to withdraw the zoning proposal.
We expect UNR to use this valuable asset to provide higher education that supports Nevada’s economy and the future of its students.
We know many are opposed to this proposal for many reasons and we need all of us to be at this meeting. We’ve heard from a broad spectrum of stakeholders. From those who live near the site to flood plain experts. From those dedicated to Nevada’s long-term economic health to those who recognize Wolf Pack Meats as a key component of a healthy food production system. From students who want to obtain their degree at UNR and put it to use in Nevada, and their parents who want to keep their educational dollars in Nevada. From established and emerging businesses that are creating food-system jobs and incomes to the customers who buy from them. The list goes on.
UNR will likely return to the Reno City Council in March to continue the rezoning discussion. We hope to convince them to present a totally different proposal than the one on the table now. Join us and be at the meeting on Tuesday, February 21, 5:30 -7:30pm in the Joe Crowley Student Union.
On December 14th concerned citizens from all over
Northern Nevada packed the Reno City Council chambers in opposition to the proposal to rezone the Main Station Farm for future development. The end result was the approval of a 90 day continuance.
More than 200 hundred of us filled the room to standing-room only: local food lovers, farmers, former and current students, restaurant owners, urban and farm support agencies, landscape architects, professors, magazine editors and photographers, flooding experts, artists, musicians, people who live near and value the Main Station Farm, and even Occupy Reno.
From our mail box to yours:
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on the possible rezoning of property currently owned by the University of Nevada Reno and used for farming purposes. I share some of your concerns and filed an official appeal to ensure a Reno City Council meeting could be scheduled so that all interested persons have the opportunity to attend and be heard. This meeting will be on Wednesday, December 14, 6pm in the Reno City Council Chambers, 1 East First Street. An agenda will be posted on Friday, December 9 and staff reports will be available at that time. This is an appeal of the decision made November 2, 2011 by the Reno Planning Commission. The staff report from that meeting is available here: http://reno.gov/Agendas/pc/2012/1102/LDC12-00015%20 (PUD-MSFL%20McCarran%20Center).pdf
Jessica Sferrazza, Councilwoman, Ward 3
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 22, 2011
RENO, Nev. – Last week, University of Nevada, Reno President Marc Johnson sent a message to the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents and others about Wolf Pack Meats, a University operation affected by operating losses and the budget cuts of recent years, to clarify misinformation that has circulated about the facility. The University is evaluating options to provide a continued availability of the service to the community. The following is the message sent last week.
Reno Planning Commission Recommends Plan to Rezone Part of UNR Farmland
A plan to rezone 104 acres of the University of Nevada, Reno’s Mainstay Farm along McCarrenn Boulevard has cleared a hurdle.
The Reno Planning Commission agreed Wednesday night to recommend the zoning change, so the university could possibly sell the land for future development. But the proposal faced opposition from some city councilmembers and local advocates. Many voiced concerns about declining green space in the city, flood control and the future of Wolf Pack Meats,the slaughterhouse that sits next to the site.
Ann Louhela with the local non-profit, Nevada Grown, says homeowners and businesses aren’t going to want a slaughterhouse next door.
“We build subdivision out in the rural farm lands city people move out there–im a city person-and the first thing we say is , ‘it smells bad, get rid of the cows, get rid of that.’ And that’s what’s going to happen.”
University President Mark Johnson says he understand people’s concern for shrinking green space in the area. But he says in these tough economic times, it’s the landowners responsibility to protect the land value too.
Fate of farm left in council’s hands
By: Riley Snyder
This portion of the Agricultural Experiment Station could be rezoned into a potential business park if the Reno City Council approves the measure sometime in the near future. Garrett Valenzuela /Nevada Sagebrush
The future of two University of Nevada, Reno agricultural facilities could be decided at an upcoming Reno City Council meeting.
The Reno City Planning Commission voted 3-2 Nov. 1 to recommend the rezoning of a 104-acre plot of land from a residential plot to a business park. If approved by the City Council, the area, located on McCarran Boulevard, will remain in use by the Agricultural Experiment Station until a proposal is made to build the park.
The station is used for several research projects and for educating students about livestock, College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources Dean Ron Pardini said.
Councilwoman, activists oppose plan to rezone UNR-owned farm land in Reno for development
Reno, Nev. — A plan to rezone a portion of University of Nevada, Reno-owned farm land in Reno to allow its sale for commercial development is drawing opposition.
Councilwoman Jessica Sferrazza and citizen activists Erik Holland and Heidi Littenberg are appealing the Reno Planning Commission’s Nov. 2 recommendation to rezone the 104-acre portion of University Farms along McCarran Boulevard.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reports opponents have voiced concerns about allowing more development in a flood plain and the rezoning’s effect on the university-owned slaughterhouse Wolf Pack Meats.
Holland says the university should be funded through tax increases and not by land sales. The state’s financial crisis has prompted major cuts in university funding.
The Reno City Council is scheduled to consider the appeals Dec. 14.
Reno, NV (Mynews4.com & KRNV)- Dean of Agriculture Ron Pardini says Wolf Pack Meats Processing Plant is more than just a meat plant. “This is exactly what we are about at the University. We want students to have a chance to do hands on activities and that’s what you get at Wolf Pack Meats.”
Wolf Pack Meats has been in the community for decades. Over the years the plant has faced numerous challenges. The land is prone to flooding, and in the last decade budget cuts have led to drastic changes.
Appeals filed on University Farms rezoning
Three people, including Reno City Councilwoman Jessica Sferrazza, filed appeals Thursday against a Nov. 2 Planning Commission recommendation to rezone a 104-acre portion of University Farms along McCarran Boulevard.
University of Nevada, Reno, officials say the rezoning is meant to eventually allow them to sell it for commercial development, though opponents say that could put pressure on the nearby university-owned slaughterhouse Wolf Pack Meats, among other issues. There are also concerns about allowing more development on a flood plain.
