Thrill ride finds itself in a sling

Rebecca Malone

Thursday, June 7, 2001 | 10:21 a.m.

A "sling-shot" thrill ride, which operated on the Strip earlier this year, has ended, apparently for good.

Clark County commissioners on Wednesday shut down a proposal to return the ride to the parking lot of the Travelodge motel on Las Vegas Boulevard at Harmon Avenue, where it operated during the New Year's holiday.

Commissioners acted after MGM MIRAGE, which operates the MGM Grand near the Travelodge, filed an appeal to a special use permit, granted by the county Planning Commission, that would have allowed the ride for two years.

Former Nevada Gov. Robert List, who represented ride owner Jocey Runquist at the zoning meeting, said the businesswoman has invested nearly $1 million in equipment for the ride, which carries passengers up to 230 feet into the air.

"It is not right and it is not fair that an entrepreneurial person, like Ms. Runquist, should not have the opportunity to do this," List said. "It will not look like a sleazy carnival operation."

The two-year special use permit would have allowed Runquist to operate the ride in the parking lot adjacent to the Harley-Davidson Cafe.

Although List said the area around the ride would be landscaped, commissioners said that many small businesses already operate in the area and adding another one would negatively affect beautification efforts on the Strip.

"That part of the Strip is extremely cluttered," Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates said. "It is not attractive at all. I don't think having a free-standing amusement ride is the kind of addition that I see as important for the community."

Atkinson Gates' concerns were shared by the Paradise Town Advisory Board, which also denied the request. Town boards advise the commissioners on land-use issues.

Clark County staffers said Runquist can continue to secure temporary permits.