The Truckee River is a wildlife, pedestrian and bike freeway. It is an ideal place to locate community facilities and hold special events/activities; a place people seek to live, work and recreate. This proposed public/private mixed-use development will bring increased regional use to Mayberry Park, and initiate planning for an arboretum whose focus is on urban food production and enhancing urban wildlife.

Preliminary Site Plans A and B:

Plan A (1224 x 792 pixels)

Plan B (1224 x 792 pixels)

Project Goals:

1. To blur the line between Mayberry Park and this mixed-use development (concept plan, 900x589 JPEG) by investigating redesigning the park road to increase open space and access to the river, share parking and restroom facilities and reduce nighttime activities in the park. The existing road could be rerouted through the development (see alternative RP-1) or allow fire and maintenance access using the pedestrian plaza (RP-2).
   
   
2. Create a sustainable mixed-use community of passive solar dwelling units, and offices, artists studios, small outdoor storage areas, small restaurant without alcohol (juice bar/coffee shop), commercial day care center, dance company studio, performing stage, government offices, arboretum headquarters and classroom, all surrounded with bike paths, minimal vehicle parking and sustainable landscape.'
   
   
3. Sustainable landscape features to include vegetable gardens, fruiting shrubs and trees, herb spirals, restaurant garden, vineyard, community recycling and composting center. A new Truckee River Arboretum could be located here and the arboretum staff would manage the food forests and wildlife corridor plantings.

The 3.44 acre site (existing plan, 899x654 JPEG) is zoned IC and located along the river across White Fir Street from Interpretive Gardens. Neighbors include Cantex, Truckee Precision, High Sierra Gymnastics, and Patagonia. All of the above uses except housing are permitted in this zone. The day care center will require two variances. To include housing, there are several approaches possible including a re-zone to Specific Plan District or to request an amendment to text from the city council.

Mayberry Park is located within the city of Reno and has the potential to receive Performance Art grants from the city. There is one small stage now under construction in Mayberry Gardens and potential for two larger stage areas. Mayberry Park has the capacity to host large multipurpose events without the problems associated with nearby housing neighborhoods.

Mayberry Park is within 9 minutes from downtown Reno and just off 4th Street. Fourth Street is identified in the draft Regional Plan as a transit corridor. Here is a map and directions on how to get to Interpretive Gardens/Pinyon Design from different parts of the Reno area.

Is this a good idea? Would you support further investigation of this plan? Please call Tom Stille at 747-2222 or email at tom@pinyondesign.com. Click here to meet the developer.

THANK YOU! Tom Stille 2.5.2002

Looking east showing the other edge of Mayberry Park. The Steamboat Ditch runs the length of the photo from top to bottom on the right side. The large building on the left top is Truckee Precision.	Closeup taken in August 1998 at same angle as above left photo.
Photo 1 below shows the NW corner of the property. Truckee Precision can be seen on the left and Cantex on the right under Peavine Mountain.
Photo 2 below is taken from the west side facing east showing the park on the right, Interpretive Gardens with the blue roof and Cantex storage on the left.
Photo 3 below is taken from the SW of the property facing south. The hills across the river are Forest Service land. The manhole in the foreground is the sanitation sewer.

Copyright 2002 by Interpretive Gardens, Incorporated
7777 White Fir Street
Reno, Nevada 89523-8930
Voice: (775) 747-2222 -- Fax: (775) 747-1227