Maxfield offers deal to rural homeowners

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001 | 11:23 a.m.

Lone Mountain residents pleading to be left out of a rural neighborhood preservation zone that was proposed for hundreds of acres in the northwest were prepared to go to war against Clark County commissioners Wednesday.

But Commissioner Chip Maxfield headed them off at the pass.

Maxfield, who residents said for months had ignored their phone calls and requests to meet, surprised homeowners lined up at the podium to address the commission by announcing he had a proposed compromise.

The board agreed to leave residents who live within 330 feet of arterials, or roads designated to be arterials, out of the special zone, giving them the freedom to someday convert their homes into businesses.

Rural neighborhood preservation areas are designated to the Las Vegas Valley's more rural areas to keep businesses out and maintain a quiet environment.

The vote was accompanied by a list of conditions that would be placed on homeowners granted permission to change the zoning of their property, limiting the type of business and signage and controlling the amount of landscaping.

Residents who planned to convert their homes into offices or low-density businesses like a cafe would also have to apply for a nonconforming zone change because their land is still residential in the land use guide.

Homeowners argued that they didn't want their houses on busy streets dotted with businesses. They said the value of their land would decrease unless they had the option of also going commercial.

"We didn't make that choice when they put all those gas stations up and down the street," said Phil Watson, who lives on Ann Road, a once-rural street that is being widened to six lanes. "It worked out very well for us."

The commission directed planning staff members to hold workshops to determine exactly which roads are expected to be arterials and to meet with residents.

"Not everyone is going to win," Watson said. "But at least they're listening to people who have concerns."