Dear FRIENDS of ASCENTÉ, Thank you for your support so far to date. I have spoken to many of you who have already signed our petition and many, many more who plan to over the coming weeks. I have also been asked, “What else can I do?” There are lots of things you can do. This week I am asking everyone to email the link to this petition out to 5 friends or colleagues. There are many more ways to get involved and I encourage you to email me at christi@YIMBYnation.org for more ideas and suggestions. WE NEED EVERYONE’S SUPPORT NOW MORE THAN EVER! While we are pleased to report that the Ascenté went before the Washoe County Planning Commission last week and was approved 5 to 1, we have a ways to go before we declare a victory. At the meeting, it became clear that there is considerable opposition by a well-organized neighborhood group. The meeting went on for over 5 hours (1 hour is normal). We talked to the Symbio Development partners afterward. They said after working with the County’s numerous departments of professional planners, engineers, and many other County and State officials for almost 2 years, the Ascenté development team, with some of the best experts in Northern Nevada, earned the County Staff’s recommendation for approval and the Planning Commission recognized all party’s extensive and high-quality work and granted that approval. The Symbio partners were also respectful of the presenters who spoke in opposition of Ascenté and said that they are an important part of the process that allows everyone with an opinion to present them to the County. They said that is why they began voluntary meetings to obtain public feedback on Ascenté over a year ago. Unfortunately, they said there is still a lot of misinformation, some just from lack of understanding and some generated from a handful of organizers trying to incite fear-based emotion to oppose the Ascenté project. Over the last few weeks, they have provided me with all kinds of fact-based information and said they will add to that to respond to the Planning Commission opposition presentations shortly. WHAT’S NEXT? One of the neighbors who supports Ascenté told me that the opposition group is planning to appeal the decision. This will mean that Ascenté will go before the County Commissioners in July for a final hearing. I will keep you posted. Please continue to get the word out to our silent majority friends and let them know that Northern Nevada YIMBY’s needs them now more than ever and to please sign up here and/or email me to find out what else can be done! Thank you fellow supporters of smart growth and quality housing!