Concept plan for new Rhodes project criticized

Thursday, Dec. 9, 1999 | 9:57 a.m.

County commissioners Wednesday approved a development "concept plan" for 1,316 acres in the southwest part of the Las Vegas Valley.

The major project in the plan would be Southwest Ranch, a mixed-use development including single and multiple family homes, commercial and public use. The project would be sandwiched between the Rhodes Ranch and Summerlin master-planned communities.

The applicant is Rhodes Development, which also built the 1,400-acre Rhodes Ranch master-planned community.

Although the Southwest Ranch project itself only covers about 330 acres, the concept plan covers 1,316 acres. The county requires applicants to meet with adjacent property owners to mutually sketch out a larger "concept plan."

Approval of the concept plan is only a first step toward constructing a major project, for the Southwest Ranch applicant or other property owners in the plan area. Some of those adjacent property owners were unhappy that the concept plan adopted by the county commissioners tentatively tagged their area for housing.

Commissioner Erin Kenny criticized the concept plan requirement itself. She called the requirement "ludicrous," arguing that all property owners would choose commercial over less profitable zoning areas.

The concept plan requirement for major projects is "a very flawed component of the process," Kenny said.

Staff members said the concept plan would provide the county with a rough idea of the utility needs for the as-yet undeveloped area, but those seeking to build within the planning area would still need to go through a full approval process.

Kenny said the tentative zoning tags were likely to become permanent.

Attorney Christopher Kaempfer, representing Rhodes, said Wednesday's public hearing on the concept plan and earlier meetings with property owners in the planning area were adequate for getting input from property owners.

Kenny also criticized the concept plan adopted Wednesday for including too much commercial development along major thoroughfares.

Although she participated in discussions before the vote on the Southwest Ranch proposal, Kenny did not vote on the issue. The commissioner said she had an interest in a nearby property.

Len Patoske, an owner of a nearby property at Russell Road and Hualapai Way, said he wasn't happy with the commissioners' decision. Patoske, who wanted his property tentatively planned commercial under the concept plan, said the commissioners acted to "protect Summerlin" from encroaching commercial development.

In other issues before the commission:

Randy Black, a co-owner of Blue Diamond Ranches, said his company had reduced the density from eight to 10 units per acre to 6.7 units per acre because of the rural nature of the tract in the Enterprise area.

The commissioners' approval came despite a recommendation to deny the application from the Enterprise Town Board. The board recommended denial because the property didn't provide an adequate buffer to adjacent rural-estate zoned properties.

A family that breeds horses on a property that would be surrounded on three sides by the new subdivision also objected to the zoning approval.

Alvin Wattenbarger and his daughter, Pamela Goerke, breed horses on a 3-acre parcel. Wattenbarger said the zoning change would "turn us upside down."

Wattenbarger said he has owned the property for nearly three decades.

But Black and land-use consultant Greg Borgel argued that the developer had increased set-backs and made other design changes to make a larger buffer between the subdivision and nearby rural homes.

The vote to rezone the tract was 5-1. Commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury voted against the rezoning.

The Southern Highlands Corp., developers of the 2,300-acre property in Enterprise, had received previous go-aheads from the county in November 1998 and earlier this year, but developers needed an amended development agreement, construction waivers, use permits and zoning changes approved because of the purchase and inclusion of about 400 acres.