By MARK WAITE

PVT

A text amendment for Park Model recreational vehicle parks was approved by Nye County Commissioners Thursday but not the RV park for which it was drafted.

Commissioner Joni Eastley made a motion to deny a master plan amendment, zoning change and conditional use permit for a Park Model RV park on 60 acres at the southwest corner of Barney Street and Betty Avenue based on unanimous opposition from the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission.

Commissioners Butch Borasky and Lorinda Wichman joined her in opposition, Commissioners Gary Hollis and Fely Quitevis supported the project.

RPC member Mark Kimball said his board doesn’t automatically go along with neighborhood sentiment. In this case there was public opposition, but it was also a question of too much density in that rural area.

Kimball added the RPC wanted to see if the 953-unit Beverly Park senior condominium project would be developed. It was proposed by the same developers at the northwest corner of Barney Street and Basin Avenue and approved by the county in 2008.

The planning department had recommended approval of the Park Model RV park at the June 9 RPC meeting, subject to the drafting of development standards for Park Model RV parks. The RPC had continued the matter for 60 days while developers held a neighborhood meeting.

Neighbor Lois Mills said the only change developers made to the conceptual plans during the neighborhood meeting was to color the green spaces on the plans so they stood out more.

“It is still far too dense to be placed next to a low-density housing area. Six hundred twenty Park Models jammed onto 48 acres makes the density greater than most city neighborhoods,” Mills said.

She questioned whether 12 acres of commercial development in the plans would comply with the new Park Model RV park ordinance.

While the plan for the Park Model RV park was to share facilities with the Beverly Park development, like the proposed senior center, Lou Supinski noted Beverly Park doesn’t exist; the three-year zoning change is due to expire in nine months.

“I moved five miles out of town to make sure I could have a horse, and now I’m looking at the most congested piece of property in Pahrump,” Marlene Poage said. “It’s too big — 620 trailers is a lot of people coming and going all through the night and day, thousands of dogs and 620 air-conditioners.”

Rockingham Realty did pick up an endorsement from Brent Haslem, who said he has seen nice Park Model RV parks for people over 55 years old during his business travels around the southwestern U.S.

Consultant Dave Richards of CivilWise Services, said the intent was to create a livable, lower-cost community with recreational opportunities for senior citizens and retirees. It would provide close access to convenience stores, a laundromat, and include a swimming pool, tennis courts, walking trails and other amenities, he said.

While neighbor Shirley Jewell commented the new Park Model RV park ordinance limits RVs to 13 per acre, Richards said this project would have 10.5 per acre.

It could be two years before the project is built because developers have to extend water and sewer lines to the park, Richards said.

Richards tried to rebuff concerns about water usage, pointing out the Park Model RVs will use less than single-family homes.

Richards also offered the prospect of creating 75 jobs.

“We feel we’ve got a very good, well thought-out plan,” he said.