Originally published by Cassandra Mlynarek, Fox 5 Las Vegas
Posted Apr 17, 2019
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) – In a unanimous vote, Clark County Commissioners voted against changing requirements for a proposed housing development bordering Red Rock Canyon.
Gypsum Resources has tried to pass the proposal for several years. Clark County told the company it had to get right-of-way approval from the Bureau of Land Management before it could move forward with its plans.
The company’s principal planner, Ron Krater, asked the County Commissioners on Wednesday to waive that condition. If the waiver had been approved, Gypsum Resources would have proceeded with plans for development but would not have been able to build until BLM gave approval.
Instead the County Commissioners voted to approve Gypsum Resources’ access to Red Rock Canyon’s Highway 159 for construction should the plans move forward.
The existing property is on Blue Diamond Hill and borders three sides of Red Rock Canyon. Gypsum Resources uses the area as an active mine. The proposal would convert the mine into a sustainable and rural village of about 3,000 homes.
“It will be very low density and very rural,” said Krater. “It will take into context that we are adjacent to the Red Rock National Conservation area. So it has significant components of preservation [and] trails.”
Krater said this isn’t the end to the proposal and it will continue to seek BLM approval.
“We’re going to secure the right of way and work on a consensus plan with the county and hopefully we’ll find a plan that will acceptable to everybody,” he said.
Members of environmental nonprofit Save Red Rock were happy with the outcome.
The group issued the following statement from its president, Heather Fisher:
Today Save Red Rock is thrilled for the people. For all the people who have fought so long and hard for Red Rock Canyon. Today was not just a minor victory or delay. Today was HUGE! 7 years ago, Commissioner Susan Brager attached some requirements to the development plan. Today, led by a motion by Commissioner Justin Jones, all the commissioners voted to deny the developer’s request to hear his plan without having to meet all the requirements. The developer cannot come back without meeting those requirements first. He has been unable to meet them in the past 7 years and we don’t think he can anytime soon. We are now looking to a brighter future for Red Rock Canyon. We will be working on new ways to give Red Rock more room to breathe instead of more crowding. It’s a big dream but Red Rockers are proven fighters and winners and we never give up!
