County Commission OKs Walters’ project

Thursday, March 20, 2003 | 11:15 a.m.

Without the controversy that characterized the issue over a year of debate, the Clark County Commission on Wednesday approved zoning that allows golf course developer Billy Walters to move forward with a project to develop land near Durango and Cimarron drives.

The commission voted 6-1 to support the county staff's recommendation that zoning on 40 acres once destined to become a golf course be changed to allow a shopping center and medical office complex.

The Clark County Commission on Feb. 5 passed amendments to the land-use guide to permit the project, which included 25 acres for a shopping center, 15 acres for the medical office complex and about 200 acres for a golf course. The move was supposed to resolve the longstanding clash between supporters and opponents.

The decision reduced the amount of commercial development, but still gave Walters the ability to build a shopping center.

The commission last year had approved master-plan amendments for a shopping center and office complex on more than 64 acres, but in the face of community opposition and with two new members elected to the board, this year's commission supported scaling back the project.

The project now goes to the Clark County Aviation Department, which owns the property and can negotiate a lease with Walters.

"The law directs that we get fair market value for the lease," Scott Kichline, aviation department business development manager, said. "I don't think we could move forward with (Walters) unless he agrees to terms that are similar to our other commercial deals."

Spring Valley community activists who opposed the project in the past have promised to carefully monitor the lease negotiations.

The zoning request was passed in the commission's consent agenda Wednesday without discussion. During other zoning meetings debates over the merits of the project have taken hours.

Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates, a former business partner of a nearby developer who opposed the Walters project, was the lone vote against the project.