by: Madison Kimbro, David Denk
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)– The Clark County Commission unanimously voted, on Tuesday, to continue with phase one of a proposed housing development to be built on top of Blue Diamond Hill in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Developer Jim Rhodes with Gypsum Resources wants to build 429 homes in the area. However, opponents of the bill said it violates county code and previous legal agreements.
The other concern is that it will congest an already congested roadway, putting cyclists’ and other people’s lives at risk.
“There’s only one road that goes through it and it’s the scenic byway, Highway 159,” said Heather Fischer, a resident of Red Rock. “There have been lots of accidents out there and mining trucks that go up and down and if we add to that mix it’s going to be even more dangerous.”
Fischer belongs to the Save Red Rock group. She and several other members showed up to the meeting, in an attempt to dissuade commissioners from allowing the development to happen.
Materials on the agenda showed previous attempts to win approval for the project dating back to 2011.
Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones said in Tuesday’s meeting that “because this is a conforming request, because it’s been recommended by staff, and because it’s been recommended by the Red Rock Citizen Advisory Council, I am going to reluctantly vote in favor of agenda items 7 and 8 with all of the staff conditions.”
Gypsum Resources has 4 years to obtain paved legal right-of-way access from the Bureau of Land Management for residential development.
