Officials look to change multi-pet code

Following recent discussions about the number of dogs and lot sizes in Pahrump, officials are considering changes to the comprehensive land use planning and zoning code.

Nye County commissioners will discuss a bill that is proposing to amend the current Nye County Code Title 17 Comprehensive Land Use Planning and Zoning relating to multi-pet permits tier I and II. It's not known yet when the item is going to hit the agenda, but officials said they will discuss it sometime in December.

Nye County Planning Director Darrell Lacy said the proposed changes reflect comments that had been made to the Regional Planning Commission.

"The proposed change would allow up to five animals anywhere without a permit, a multi-pet tier I with a permit from animal control and in SE /RE-1 / RE-2 (suburban estates and rural estates residential zones with 1 and 2-acre minimum parcel sizes) with a conditional use permit. A multi-pet tier II would only be allowed in a RE-4.5 and RH-9.5 (rural homestead residential) with a CUP (conditional use permit)," Lacy said in an email.

"The public is very interested in animals and barking dogs. Odors and flies can have an adverse impact on the neighbors," he added.

The current code allows up to five dogs and cats anywhere with no permit required, while six to 10 animals require a multi-pet permit tier I from Nye County Animal Control and are allowed as a permissive use in suburban estates and rural estates residential with a 1-acre minimum parcel size and larger. Ten or more animals require a multi-pet permit tier II and are allowed with a conditional use permit in 1 acre and larger zones.

"We used to have a residential kennel defined in Title 17, when we added multi-pet permits to Title 6 we changed Title 17 to match with multi-pet tier I and II," Lacy said.

Nye County Animal Advisory Committee Chairman Scott Shoemaker said the Nye County Code Title 17 addition was based on a recommendation from the animal advisory committee.

The animal advisory committee however had not been requested to provide any input for the past and current proposed changes in regards to proposed zoning changes and conditional use permits for Title 17 multi-pet permits, he said.

"Speaking for myself only, I have not been made aware that there was a problem in regards to permit holders (from animal control) for tier I on properties of two and one acres necessitating the proposed changes," he said.

The proposed changes will apply only to Pahrump, the only town in Nye County that has a Regional Planning Commission and zoning regulations, officials said.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77