Originally published by Kelsey Thomas, News 3 Las Vegas
Wednesday, April 17th 2019
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A controversial plan to build thousands of homes overlooking Red Rock Canyon is on hold, for now.
At a Clark County Commission meeting Wednesday morning, it all came down to building a new road into the development.
The area in question is about five miles west of the Red Rock Visitors Center, not far from the small community of Blue Diamond.
It’s a battle that’s been going on for 16 years.
It’s developer versus neighbor.
The decision from Clark County commissions will delay the development once again.
Before that happened, Heather Fisher stood before commissioners in a red t-shirt, with her daughter next to her side.
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“When she was four days old, I was here at this hearing, with her, because this is so important to the people who love Red Rock,” said Heather Fisher.
Fisher has made it her mission to save one of Southern Nevada’s special gems.
“Come up with a development somewhere else that’s not going to impact the canyon,” noted Fisher.
As president of the non-profit organization, Save Red Rock, Fisher is against building a new development in the conservation area.
At issue is a proposal that would put thousands of hilltop homes above the community of Blue Diamond on the site of an old gypsum mine.
The housing project got a green light from the county back in 2017. Now the developer, Jim Rhodes, needs some help from the Bureau of Land Management.
Rhodes needs permission from the BLM to build a new road which would give necessary access to the new development.
Ron Krater works with Rhodes.
“We are moving forward with a right of way access application with the BLM,” said Krater.
The BLM has not said “yes,” yet, but Krater asked to move forward with the project anyway.
County commissioners said no.
“Go to the BLM and get the right of way in order to build the project and then come back to the county and we’ll consider all the other issues with the project, from environmental concerns to drainage to concerns, to getting utilities up there,” said Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones.
The development is now back on hold, but the battle isn’t over yet.
The developer has a year to come back to the county with permission from the BLM to build that road.
For now, Fisher said it’s a small victory in a lengthy battle to stop a powerful developer and keep Red Rock exactly like it is.
“We will not stop fighting for the ones we love, for the canyon, for Red Rock,” noted Fisher.
