Letters to the Editor

Is our Planning Commission trying to pull a fast one?

As a Pahrump resident, this is my first time dealing with the Planning Commission and their staff. My first impression isn’t good.

I was sent a formal notice of a zoning change hearing for the property right behind me. It will go from “VR-20 (Residential) to SP (Specific Plan)”. So I looked up “SP” in the Nye County Codes (NCC 17.04.120 Zoning Districts). I was surprised to learn there is no such zoning district called SP in Nye County. You don’t have to believe me. Look up the list yourself. An internet search showed that zone exists in other places like California. I know we’re close to that state’s border, but did they annex us already and nobody bothered to tell me? Can the appointed planning commissioners make up new county code without it being formally passed by the elected county commissioners?

So I went down to the planning office and asked for the documents associated with the owner’s application for a zone change. I wanted to know what the “specific plan” was they were talking about since no details were given in the notice. The staff there said I couldn’t have the documents. They said they’d be made available three days prior to the hearing so I’d have to wait. When queried later, a county official said they are just “following the statute”. I looked up Nevada meeting law. NRS 241.020 says supporting documents for public meeting agenda items must be made available “at least 3 working days before the meeting.” Notice it says “at least”. There are no restrictions on making the materials available earlier! So the planning staff denying me copies of documents they had in their possession is not because they are “following the statute”. It’s purely a management policy to keep information from the public as long as possible. For what purpose?

Citizens have a right to timely government information and a right to expect bureaucrats to follow the law. Bureaucrats who make up new laws which haven’t been passed and withhold information for as long as possible make citizens suspicious, cynical, and frankly, a little angry. Fellow residents of Pahrump: Do you accept this, or will you speak up? Contact your elected county commissioner and let them know what you think. “Transparency” in words but not in deeds is meaningless.

Michael Burgan

Well owners oppose water transfers for solar farms

This letter was forwarded to the Nye County Commission.

The Private Well Owners Association, representing the interests of over 11,000 well owners in the Pahrump Valley, opposes change applications 94784, 94785, and 94786 filed by Front Sight LLC (PrairieFire) Oct 22, 2025 to change well water place and manner of use from Nye County to Clark County to supply water for solar farm construction. Here’s why:

■ Hydrographic Basin 162 is notoriously over allocated per the State Engineer’s own admission, is in overdraft (more use than can be replenished), and borders on crisis management conditions.

■ Domestic wells are threatened as is Basin 162 and the residents who depend on it. This one solar farm can waste over 398.7 million gallons of water over the three-year construction period – the equivalent of water for 3,658 homes.

■ The proposals are not in the local public interest, but for private enterprise and have not one benefit to the residents whose sole source of water is Basin 162.

■ The proposals are for projects that are speculative in nature and may not even be viable due to the rapidly changing technology of solar farms.

■ Nye County has traditionally opposed export of Basin 162 water across county lines.

■ Nye County Groundwater Management Plan emphasizes the need to reduce pumping, not use more water.

■ Nevada’s State Engineer has routinely denied change applications when the transfer benefits a different company or region at the expense of the stressed source basin.

■ Pahrump residents have fought long and hard against solar farm developments that use Basin 162 water in Nye County and Clark County. Approval would be offensive to those efforts and sets a dangerous precedent to encourage further development above Basin 162 toward Las Vegas, including the potential for eight square miles of solar fields along our county line.

We urge you, Nye County commissioners, to protect our only water source for the Pahrump Valley, as you were elected to do. Vote no to prevent depletion of Basin 162 and preserve our rural lifestyle.

Respectfully submitted,

Budd Watkins

Chair, Private Well Owners Association