County finally adopts master plan update

It’s been almost four years since the steering committee drafting revisions of the 2003 Pahrump master plan began a series of monthly meetings, but the revised 2014 master plan finally will become official after Nye County Commissioners gave their approval Tuesday.

The plan is a useful outline of information about Pahrump. There is a list of community goals, like protecting lower density rural neighborhoods, promoting water efficient development, storm water management, promoting the development of a safe transportation system and encouraging the image of Pahrump as a place to live.

The new land use plan shows land for the proposed Last Chance Park, an east side beltway, the proposed Great Basin College site, a future site for a Pahrump landfill north of the Last Chance Range and a proposed desert tortoise habitat zone.

County Commissioner Frank Carbone made a last minute change, to master plan a property commercial for Eric Vessella on North Highway 160. Instead of quietly accepting the change, Vessella requested county commissioners reject the master plan entirely. He said it would impose a $750 tax on job creators and require them to appear before political appointees — a reference to requirements some developers will have in the future to request master plan amendments before the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission.

County Commissioner Donna Cox asked about master planning areas along Blagg Road commercial. Nye County Community Planner Cheryl Beeman said Blagg Road is an interesting area, where water and sewer lines were extended up to Mesquite Avenue then out to the federal detention center, while other areas lack infrastructure. The revised master plan favors commercial development in areas with infrastructure. It also pays attention to water issues in Pahrump Valley.

The RPC approved the master plan last June. But when it went to county commissioners the first time Sept. 16, they sent it back to the RPC for revisions. County Commissioner Butch Borasky suggested even scrapping the revised plan entirely.

Pahrump builder Ron Murphy complained before the RPC he wanted some of his 400 acres master planned commercial, which include gravel pits. He received part of his request during a followup meeting. Attorneys for the Focus Property Group successfully lobbied to change master planning to higher density for the former Pahrump Dairy. There were also complaints about not enough commercial master planning for North Highway 160, like Vessella’s property.

The first Pahrump master plan was adopted in 2003 after a $1.4 million study by Tri-Core Engineering. It was followed by the first zoning map in June 2007, following a $715,188 study by Hogle Ireland consultants. County Commissioner Frank Carbone remarked this time, the master plan was revised with volunteers and county planning staff, not the pricy consultant fees.

The master plan includes nine land use designations ranging from rural density residential to business industrial area. Various zoning districts are included in each master plan land use designation. County officials emphasize strongly the master plan is not zoning. It is defined under state law as a comprehensive, long-range general plan for the physical development of the Pahrump Regional Planning District for the next five to 10 years. But developers who rezone property often also have to request a master plan amendment.