County OKs new casino rules

Thursday, May 4, 2000 | 10:50 a.m.

With no opposition and little posturing, the Clark County Commission passed an ordinance Wednesday that tightens restrictions on neighborhood casinos.

The board passed the ordinance, introduced by Commissioners Yvonne Atkinson Gates and Bruce Woodbury, shortly after a controversial neighborhood casino vote in January.

Spring Valley residents argued that the commission's 3-1 vote approving a casino in January violated state Senate Bill 208, which requires casinos to be at least 500 feet away from existing neighborhoods. A state-appointed Gaming Policy Committee overturned the decision.

The ordinance introduced by Atkinson Gates and Woodbury not only increases distance requirements to 2,500 feet, but also measures the distance from existing homes or undeveloped land zoned for residential.

The measure also requires proposed casino sites to be at least 50 acres. If a developer has a site 2,500 feet from homes, but the land is not zoned for gaming in the master plan, two-thirds of the commission would have to approve the amendment and the zone change.

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