by Mingson Lau
Land for the Gypsum Resources, LLC, housing development was approved to be redesignated from rural open land to residential and urban at today’s county zoning commission meeting.
“Today’s, ruling was extremely discouraging,” said Heather Fisher, president of nonprofit Save Red Rock. “But we don’t think it’s over, and we’re going to keep fighting. We feel like what’s appropriate for Red Rock is rural only.”
Fisher said that the group was not entirely against residential development in the area so long as it followed the rural designations the land was originally bought for — not the more urban zoning it has been reclassified into.
With the zoning change, the approximately 2,010 acre area just off State Route 159 would transition from its current state as a gypsum mine to residential use. 53,000 people had signed Save Red Rock’s active petition to keep Red Rock rural.
Nick McGarry, owner of Harmony Home Loans LLC, said the need for new jobs and housing make development.
“Obviously, there’s a huge housing shortage,” said McGarry. “3,500 homes will kind of help that.”
But for conservationist Marija Mini, the impact of the development could have worrying consequences on local wildlife.
“I’m very much opposed to this 3,500-home master plan community, obviously, because it’s encroaching on the very precious Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area,” said Mini. “And to do that on Red Rock Canyon seems absolutely sacrilegious.”
