County sues LV tourism, convention firm

Grace Leong

Wednesday, March 28, 2001 | 11:04 a.m.

A businessman renting luxury homes in the affluent Las Vegas Country Club community and offering meeting space near the nearby Las Vegas Convention Center has been sued by Clark County, which wants to shut him down for operating without required building permits, licenses and zoning approvals.

In a Clark County District Court lawsuit, the county accused Kyle Waugh and his Oracle Real Estate Group and Vacation Homes of Las Vegas of remodeling and operating an office building called the White House at 3260 Joe W. Brown Drive as a private convention operation -- even after his application for a special use permit and other approvals were denied by an advisory council and the Clark County Planning Commission.

"We have knowledge that Waugh is leasing out space at the office building without a special use permit to people who display goods and services for retailers," said Robert Warhola, deputy district attorney. "Our concern is to enforce the Clark County Code."

But Waugh disputed the allegation.

"The White House is located directly across the street from the soon-to-be 3.2-million-square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center. In light of this, I fail to see why anyone would be concerned with the potential impact of my modest 6,000-square-foot building. The only conclusion I can draw is that the same people who have opposed my (home) rental business would oppose any way I make use of the White House."

He said part of the White House serves as a sales office and part of it is leased as a meeting space.

The suit said the Winchester/Paradise Citizens Advisory Council denied his application because it considered the property "an inappropriate location for a convention facility."

Clark County also seeks an injunction to stop the defendants from using their property for transient lodging allegedly without a business license, zoning approval and without paying the taxes and annual license fees.

"Clark County passed an ordinance three years ago that prohibited transient lodging in any residential area within unincorporated Clark County and that includes Las Vegas Country Club, a gated residential community, where Vacation Homes is located," Warhola said.

But Waugh denied the allegation.

"I have been singled out by highly influential members with political affiliations who oppose the use of my homes for rental property inside the Las Vegas Country Club. Our position concerning those individuals' perspectives is that their claims are without merit and are inappropriate."