Commission OKs buffer zones near Indian Springs

Thursday, March 18, 2004 | 9:43 a.m.

The Clark County Commission moved Wednesday to take out more than 2,400 acres in and around Indian Springs from potential development -- but in the same move settled some long-standing zoning issues that could allow homes nearby.

The commission created a buffer zone extending from the Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Air Field's runways that will keep out homes, a move the Air Force said was needed to prevent aircraft from landing too near to houses. The move follows similar land-use policies in place for McCarran International Airport and Nellis Air Force Base.

Indian Springs is an unincorporated town of about 1,700 people about 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas along U.S. 95.

Air Force Col. Mike Scott said the land-use changes will help accommodate the growing number of unmanned Predator aircraft that fly out of Indian Springs.

"We've got 40 Predators up there, and that's going to double within the next year," Scott said. "We've got to make sure we've got the right plan in place."

But developer PMD Associates' effort to win county approval for manufactured homes on 31 acres was at least temporarily frustrated. Attorney Garry Hayes withdrew the request from the county's regular zoning agenda to give his clients time to study the new zoning boundaries that would be set in the new maps approved Wednesday.

That still leaves about 60 acres that PMD Associates can develop in Indian Springs, Hayes said. The zoning that Hayes hopes to ultimately receive from the County Commission in a future application would allow up to 18 homes per acre in the area.

Mike Bingham, chairman of the Indian Springs Town Advisory Board, which advises the commission on land-use issues affecting the town, said the town board has endorsed the airfield overlay.

He said Indian Springs wants development, but continues to be concerned about the quality of the development.

"There's still quite a bit of land there," Bingham said.

Hayes said his clients want to put higher-quality manufactured housing on the now-vacant land.