Two towns, two systems. The Historic Reno Preservation Society is the independent group that runs talks and walks; the City of Reno and the Town of Truckee run the official programs that decide what may be altered. A visitor wants the first, a property owner the second.
Both jurisdictions use the same 50-year threshold for what counts as a historic resource.
Reno
The city has run a historic preservation program since 1993, covering buildings, sites, landscapes and objects of about 50 years or older. It is administered by the Historical Resources Commission — 5 to 7 commissioners appointed by the City Council — under Chapter 18 of the Reno Municipal Code.
Three things are worth having before you walk:
- Reno Historical App — the city's own guide, locates sites as you move
- Historic Property Map — every property evaluated for significance, plus the boundaries of past survey projects
- Register of Historic Places — how to nominate a resource locally, at state level or nationally
The Historic Preservation office takes questions about designated buildings and code requirements on 775-334-2253. The city also points homeowners to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service for restoration guidance.
Cameras on routes connecting Reno to the historic mountain districts.
Truckee
Truckee's Historic Preservation Advisory Commission is a citizens' body that meets at 8 a.m. on the second Wednesday of every month in the Council Chambers — early, and worth knowing if you intend to attend.
Its inventory, completed in 2003, grades every downtown structure over 50 years old:
- Category A, Essential — the town's best, individually eligible for the National Register
- Category B, Contributory — significant to downtown's character, eligible if a district is established
- Category C, Supporting — below National Register criteria, but they hold the streetscape together
- Category D, Non-essential — over 50 years old but altered or deteriorated past conveying their history
The Historic Resources Inventory Summary Table gives the status of a specific address. The Planning Division answers on 530-582-7700.
Exterior changes inside the Historic Preservation Overlay District normally need a Historic Design Review application. Some minor work — certain painting, certain signage — is exempt under the streamlining guidelines, so ask before assuming either way.
Walking them
Downtown Truckee is laid out to be walked, and the Railyard District is the usual start. Reno's older neighbourhoods are more scattered, which is what the Historical App is for.
The two are 33 miles apart on I-80, and that drive is the part that fails in winter. SR-267 is the alternate into Truckee from the lake side, and SR-28 reaches the north-shore sites. Reno's own streets clear on a different schedule from the highways, so check the Reno road conditions during active snow even when I-80 is running.