Kennel owner faults animal control in permit denial

A commercial kennel owner who said animal control failed to respond to requests to reinspect his property, persuaded county commissioners Tuesday to remand his case back to the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission.

The RPC recommended denying Adan Salcido and Carl Grubb a conditional use permit for a commercial kennel at 2251 W. Blosser Ranch Rd. Salcido appealed to the county commission, where upholding the rejection would’ve meant either appealing further to District Court or waiting one year to resubmit the permit application.

Salcido and Grubb were originally housing dogs in doublewide trailers that neighbors said were unsanitary and used electrical wiring didn’t meet code. Grubb told the RPC in May he had 17 dogs and no puppies, animal control said there were 18 dogs and 20 puppies on the property. The RPC already gave the applicants 90 days to comply with regulations on Feb. 12.

Grubb said he called Animal Control Officer Susan Ryhal seven times trying to get her to reinspect the property without success; two times she offered to visit, he said, but never showed up. Grubb also claimed Ryhal told Planner Beth Lee they were never in touch with her. Ryhal wasn’t present to defend herself.

County Commissioner Frank Carbone pointed out the improvements he mentioned were made after the RPC recommended denial.

“I know she’s short staffed. When you call down you get a message most of the time,” Grubb said. “We went up there and nobody was there. We’ve been there several times.”

He said they’ve installed cement pads on the floor, steel on the inside for sanitation, a minimum 10-foot by 20-foot dog run, insulation to eliminate barking noise and separated the males from the females.

Grubb said Pahrump Building and Safety approved the building.

County Commissioner Donna Cox inquired about whether Grubb was grandfathered into existing regulations. Nye County Planning Director Darrell Lacy said Grubb started adding onto his property in 2006, it’s never been a legal, non-conforming use. District Attorney Brian Kunzi added the county can’t grandfather in standards for animal control.

Kunzi suggested the board could add conditions to the conditional use permit. He hated to see action on the permit postponed again since he already had 90 days to do the work.

“I just have one question, the trailers. Do you still have dogs in the trailers?” Commissioner Dan Schinhofen asked. Grubb said he didn’t.

Commissioner Lorinda Wichman wanted it remanded to the RPC because she was confused whether or not animal control officers showed up.

Commissioners quickly approved a handful of other planning items.

Dean and Katy Sprouls objected to a medical marijuana facility at the late Bill Griffin’s auction warehouse at 3221 E. Thousandaire Blvd., but they got the wrong property. Griffin’s daughter, Dorothy Hayes said there were no such plans. She won a zone change for 1.36 acres from rural estates to commercial manufacturing, stating she wants to sell the property and whether the zone change was approved could mean a huge financial gain or loss.

Another applicant, however, Nye Natural Medicinal Solutions LLC, applied for a special use permit for a medical marijuana and cultivation facility at 2801 E. Thousandaire Blvd. that wasn’t on the Tuesday agenda but was heard Wednesday.

Commissioners voted 4-1 to amend regulations allowing medical marijuana establishments in light or heavy industrial, general commercial, commercial manufacturing and business opportunity overlay zones, eliminating a requirement they not be within 300 feet of existing residences. The businesses must be at least 1,000 feet from a school and 300 feet from any other community facility. Commissioner Dan Schinhofen said the intent was to impose the minimum state standards. Commissioner Butch Borasky, an opponent of medical marijuana, voted against.

Stephen Settlemeyer, 3171 E. Tillman St. and Champ Roach, 9680 S. Oakridge Ave., who applied for special use permits for medical marijuana facilities, were granted zone changes to rural estates zones with a business opportunity overlay zone.

Dan Harris won approval for a zone change and master plan amendment to convert 29.26 acres to a low-density residential master plan designation and a rural estates zone where he plans to lease property to a blueberry farmer.

Four property owners on Pahrump Valley Boulevard just south of Thousandaire Boulevard were granted a zone change from general commercial to low density residential. The parcels were carved out of a larger group of parcels planned to be converted to residential, but property owners like Gerald Schulte, owner of a manufactured home business, wanted them kept commercial.

Schinhofen said, “I don’t want somebody to come back here in two years and complain because somebody opened an auto shop next to them because it’s commercial.”

Realtor Mary Greenspan won approval for a zone change from rural estates to neighborhood commercial on an acre of land at the northwest corner of Basin Avenue and Lola Lane.