Liberace House given extension for parties

Thursday, May 9, 2002 | 10:12 a.m.

The former home of the late entertainer Liberace will still be home to corporate conventions and parties for the well-heeled.

The Clark County Commission extended permission to operate a convention pavilion and party facility at the home of the flamboyant singer and pianist over the objections of some neighbors.

The commission, which originally granted a use permit to use the property a mile northeast of McCarran International Airport for such events in 1999, gave a three-year extension.

The home, which reportedly includes a reproduction of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, has been used for years for such events. But some neighbors are not happy with the traffic the events bring.

Terri Nee, who lives by the home known as the Liberace House or Las Vegas Villa, said cars often crowd her street and others nearby.

Without a variance from the county, events at the property would require at least 180 parking spaces.

Matthew Callister, an attorney representing owners Vance and Jan Turner, said the event staff tries to have all visitors use valets, with the cars parked nearby at the Thomas & Mack Center. Not everybody uses the valets, he said.

"We try to catch each and every one of them. It's a constant effort," Callister said.

But Nee and her neighbor Pearl Ciko said the effort is not enough.

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