Friday, April 17, 1998 | 10:55 a.m.
The Henderson Planning Commission Thursday night denied a Station Casinos Inc. plan to build a 12,000-square-feet casino that would have stood completely apart from its existing Sunset Station casino. Station will appeal to the City Council.
The denied casino, which is not related to an ambitious expansion Sunset Station casino announced earlier this month, would have been given a different name to distinguish it from the larger casino, said Scott Nielson, Station Casino's executive vice president and general counsel.
"There's no relationship between the two," Nielson said.
Early this month, Station Casinos announced plans for a $45 million expansion to Sunset Station, including a 20,000 square-foot casino expansion, a 2,000 square-foot parking garage, an 11-screen movie theatre, roller hockey and ice skating complexes, new conference facilities, and a restaurant and food court.
That expansion has been mostly approved by Henderson planning regulators, Nielson said, and construction should begin soon.
The Sunset Station expansion is taking place near Stephanie Street and Warm Springs Road, while the project that was denied Thursday would have occupied a pad nearby at Sunset Road and Mark St.
Thursday night, the planning commission upheld the city planning staff's recommendation to deny the free-standing expansion project, which would have cost $7 million to $8 million, Nielson said. In its denial, the city cited conflicts with both the city's comprehensive plan for development and the original plans approved for Sunset Station in 1994.
"We had concerns that this was not an appropriate use," said planner David Norris. "This is a free-standing slot operation, and it is not associated with the hotel."
In addition, Santa Fe Gaming recently received the go ahead to build next to the Galleria mall, which is across the street from Sunset Station.
Station proposed 12,100-square-feet building that would contain 7,400 square feet of gaming, including a sports book. The rest of the space would be left for a bar, a kitchen and office space.
The proposed expansion would take place on 3.4 acres fronting Sunset Road, and directly west of the Gold Rush Casino, which sits next to Sunset Station. The 3.4 acres is part of approximately 98 acres planned for development by Station Casinos.
Controversy arose at Thursday's Planning Commission meeting when Station attorney John Marchiano sharply questioned the motives behind the planning staff's recommendation for denial of the project.
"I am really disappointed with the staff's report. It is a best inaccurate, and at worst, misleading," he said. "I really believe that there is something else at work here (with the planning staff) other than land use issues."
Station had applied with the state for a limited gaming license for the expansion in 1992, years before the approval by the city of Henderson for the original Sunset Station project. The city said it was never made aware of the application with the state.
Station's early state application is causing some of the opposition, Marchiano said.
"I really believe that we are being penalized for being smarter than the other applicants and their lawyers," he said.
But city planners said Station's proposed plans lacked the necessary landscaping, parking and access.
Added Commissioner George Bochanis, "I really think that this application brings to light issues about what we are going to allow on that part of Sunset Road. At what point are we going to have too many free-standing casinos along Sunset?"
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