Grace MacKinnon, senior management analyst, told the Reno City Planning Commission on Dec. 4 that the city moved to consolidate a patchwork of neighborhood plans into broader area policies under the Reimagine Reno master plan to simplify administration and reduce duplication. "The city does not intend to develop additional neighborhood plans," MacKinnon said, adding that the intent was to focus limited resources on strategies and improvements in the master plan rather than maintain many separate neighborhood documents.

MacKinnon traced the city’s planning history, saying the Great Reno master plan (2007–2017) once included about 24 area and neighborhood plans and that overlay boundaries currently left in the zoning code (for example, Country Club Acres, Greenfield, Mortenson Garson, Northeast, Wells Avenue and West University) now provide more targeted standards such as setbacks and heights. She explained that while neighborhood policies were retained, they were moved into broader area-specific policies to make application and enforcement simpler for staff and the Planning Commission.

Commissioners asked whether overlays will be updated to balance preserving neighborhood character with housing, sustainability, and the city’s long-term vision. MacKinnon said updates would require explicit City Council direction and would follow the city’s text-amendment process, including outreach to neighborhood advisory boards, stakeholder meetings, Planning Commission review and ultimately council action. When pressed about currency, she said some overlays—such as Wells Avenue and West University—have "grown with the times," while other specific plan districts remain outdated and would require separate work.

The training clarified roles: City Council sets policy on which neighborhood plans remain or retire, and staff and the Planning Commission apply and enforce those policies in project reviews. MacKinnon concluded by offering staff support for future questions and potential text-amendment work should council direct updates.