Wednesday, April 30, 2003 | 8:48 a.m.
The 2,400-acre gypsum mine overlooking the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area has always been compatible with its scenic surroundings. Its operations are barely noticeable to Red Rock's visitors and from any distance the land is not even discernible as a mine. The decades of mining, though, are coming to a close. The land's continued compatibility with Red Rock depends on decisions now being debated by Southern Nevada citizens and officials at the county, state and federal levels.
Jim Rhodes, a Las Vegas home developer who specializes in large tracts with high density, now owns the mine. He says he paid $54 million for it last month. His intense lobbying against a proposed county ordinance signals that he intends to profit from his investment. The ordinance would continue the mine's current zoning, which allows homes to be built -- but with a two-acre separation between each. Although Rhodes has not announced specific plans, the fear among officials and residents is that he envisions a massive development. Obviously, this would be incompatible with Red Rock Canyon, a natural wonder made all the more pleasant by its lack of urban congestion.
We oppose a much-discussed land-swap, which would allow Rhodes to capitalize on his investment by trading it for valuable public land elsewhere. We have faith that state and county proposals to preserve the current low-density zoning will pass. These laws would save the public from having to lose money in a land-swap to counter a highly objectionable development threat.
A plan now being offered by Nevada Sens. Harry Reid, a Democrat, and John Ensign, a Republican, has more merit. The plan would use funds from the sale of public lands -- funds that are dedicated for local land preservation -- to buy the gypsum mine and eventually add it to the conservation area. This would protect against aggressive development that would be the ruination of Red Rock. The plan calls for paying Rhodes (providing he's willing to sell) the "fair market value" of the mine. We like this plan, as long as the fair market value is calculated using the current low-density zoning. The potential for Rhodes to overcome current zoning and build a mega-community should not enter the equation. The fund for this potential purchase belongs to the taxpayers and must never become easy prey for land speculators using an objectionable development plan as a cud gel.
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