Residents lose fight over car lot

Thursday, July 20, 2000 | 10:20 a.m.

Over the objections of Spring Valley residents, Clark County commissioners approved a zone change Wednesday to allow a 10-acre car sales operation on West Sahara Avenue.

About two dozen residents who live nearby the proposed lot, on the south side of Sahara Avenue near Rainbow Boulevard, attended the regular zoning meeting to oppose the project. They also brought nearly 200 signatures on petitions and recommendations from the Spring Valley Town Board and county planning staff to deny the application.

Debbie Sisseck, who lives a few doors down from the new-car lot -- which will specialize in Hondas -- said she fears the approval will open the flood gates to car lots moving farther west along Sahara.

Residents said they already are plagued by car sales-and-repair employees test-driving vehicles in their upscale neighborhood. A new car-sales operation would bring hundreds more cars speeding, braking and taking hard turns through the neighborhood, they said.

The opposition carried black, red and white signs urging, "No more car lots in our neighborhood!"

Residents argued that the area was master-planned for office-professional, which would provide a buffer between the residential area and commercial uses on Sahara.

Sahara, a major east-west artery, already is packed with new- and used-car sales operations both east and west of the Strip.

Advocates of the application pointed out that half of the 10-acre property already was zoned C-1, which would allow car sales and other intensive commercial uses.

Mark Fiorentino, a land-use attorney representing applicant Sonic Automotive, said another use on the property could be more intense than the proposed car-sales operation.

"You're not going to get offices on this particular piece of property," Fiorentino said.

Commissioner Dario Herrera, who made the motion to approve the zoning change, said his concerns about the impact on the neighborhood were mitigated by numerous conditions included in the July 6 recommendation for approval by the Clark County Planning Commission.

Herrera included a condition that there be a 50-foot landscaped buffer between the block wall on the south side of the car lot and Laredo Street. Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates said she would support the application with the buffer area.

Commissioner Mary Kincaid also supported the zone change. Commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury voted against it.

Commissioner Lance Malone abstained from the issue, citing an unspecified conflict of interest.

Woodbury said Commissioner Erin Kenny, who represents the area with the proposed lot and opposing residents, was seriously ill and could not attend the meeting.

Residents had expected Kenny to support the zone change.

Jac Lindell, who lives close by the proposed car dealership, was the lone resident who spoke for the zone change.

He argued that a car lot was a less intense commercial use than other possible tenants of the property.

Stuart Niems, one of the residents who spoke against the zone change, said the group would go to court to block the action.