Public comment period opens on potential Pahrump racetrack expansion

The Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club is getting closer to housing the longest racetrack in the world in Pahrump. But before that occurs, area residents will get a chance to voice their opinion.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management opened a public comment and public scoping period on the potential sale of 621 acres adjacent to Spring Mountain Raceway LLC, the BLM stated in a news release.

“The BLM strives to be a good neighbor in the communities we serve, and we look forward to receiving input from the public on this important proposal,” said Deborah MacNeill, BLM Pahrump Field Office Manager, in a news release from the BLM.

The owner of the race facility is looking to use the land to expand the current racetrack to more than 15 miles in length—making it the longest track on the globe.

The expansion would create a track longer than the famed 13.1-mile long Nurburgring Grand Prix in Nurburg, Germany, which is currently the longest track.

The 30-day public scoping period and a 45-day public comment period opened on July 30, 2018, the BLM stated. Those periods are set to close on Aug. 28 and Sept. 12, respectively.

“The BLM invites the public to comment on issues to be evaluated in its Environmental Assessment,” the agency stated in a news release.

During public meetings for the Nye County Board of County Commissioners, the public had spoken out against the Spring Mountain facility expanding its current track.

Some of those comments included concerns over the potential for increased noise and pollution from high-performance vehicles, which were expressed during a meeting on a zone change in May on the BLM land that could be sold to the race facility.

Resource management

In order for the BLM to sell the more than 600 acres, the agency has to amend its 1998 Las Vegas Resource Management Plan that covers over three million acres of public lands in southern Nye County and Clark County.

If the RMP amendment was approved, the BLM would expand its land disposal boundary by approximately 621 acres in Pahrump. The federal agency has proposed to dispose of the land “through two modified competitive sales events,” a news release from the BLM stated.

Under an approved amendment, the BLM would dispose of 553 acres of the land for a phase-one sale, which would occur in the fall of 2018, according to a statement from the BLM. Spring Mountain Raceway LLC has been identified as the designated bidder for the parcel.

A second sale (phase two) would occur in the summer of 2019 of 68 acres. The BLM stated that those 68 acres require a cadastral survey, which must be done before the land can be sold.

The BLM is not accepting any other land-use applications on the two parcels that are under consideration for sale, though applications will be considered if the two parcels are not sold.

“There are currently no mining claims in the area proposed for identification as suitable for sale,” the BLM stated in a news release. “The United States will retain all mineral rights.”

Written comments can be sent by U.S. mail to the BLM Pahrump Field Office at 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130-2301. Address letters to the attention of Shevawn Sapp.

Comments can also be emailed to Shevawn Sapp at ssapp@blm.gov or faxed to 702-515-5010.

Once an environmental assessment is completed, it will be available for viewing at the BLM Pahrump field office. The environmental assessment also be available online.

Contact reporter Jeffrey Meehan at jmeehan@pvtimes.com