At the intersection of Basin Avenue and Blagg Road not far from the center of town, what was once vacant, bare land is steadily giving way to new development.
Tractors and construction crews have cleared the lot and expelled the weeds that had taken up residence, and the skeleton of a building has begun to take shape, heralding the arrival of the what will be the newest gas station in the Pahrump Valley, a Circle K.
Located at 40 E. Basin Avenue, the new Circle K is being built on a 2.2 acre parcel by contractors MO Construction LLC, a Las Vegas-based company that has been in business since 1990 and focuses primarily on commercial development projects.
Mehdi Owliaie, CEO of MO Construction, told the Pahrump Valley Times that construction started just over a month ago and crews are working hard toward a late-December completion date. If no snags are encountered over the next few months, the gas station is expected to open its doors and begin serving the public by Christmas.
As the station is planned today, there will be a total of eight regular fuel pumps, which can dispense gasoline to 16 vehicles at a time. In addition, Owliaie said that the owners of the new Circle K are also entertaining the idea of including two more fuel dispensers specifically for RVs, though that is not yet set in stone.
For those who want an easy, hands-free method for washing their dusty, dirty vehicles, the Circle K will provide the valley’s first and only 80-foot automated car wash tunnel, complete with vacuum lines, giving drivers traveling through and around Pahrump another option for sprucing up their cars and trucks.
Of course, the gas station will also double as a convenience store, offering patrons all the drinks, snacks and other products and items that one could desire from their local corner store.
“We carry beverages fit for energizing, satisfying, warming up, cooling down or just plain quenching your thirst,” Circle K’s website details. “We’ve got your food solutions too, whether it’s for on-the-go, at work or anywhere in between… treat time, lunch time, anytime! We’ll supply the everyday necessities for your fridge, your family, your first aid kit or your traveling tool box. Fuel up, oil up and tidy up your car. One stop at Circle K and you’re ready to take on your day.”
Owliaie said the total cost for construction of the new Circle K is $3.8 million, some of which is staying right here in the valley as MO Construction utilizes local companies as subcontractors for portions of the work being undertaken.
Future road improvements
As part of the development process, the Nye County Commission recently addressed an agenda item pertaining to the future improvement of Basin Avenue, which is a highly-trafficked street in much need of repair. That item called for a 1,708-square-foot dedication of right of way and a 4,447-square-foot dedication of drainage easement from the owners of the parcel, Pahrump Investment LLC, to the county, land that will someday be used by the county as part of its future road improvements.
“Both offers of dedication are fronting the parcel at 40 E. Basin Avenue, APN 035-561-26, which is currently owned by Pahrump Investment LLC on the northeast corner of E. Basin Avenue and N. Blagg Road,” the commission agenda item read. “Accepting these offers of dedication will help Nye County move forward with the #1 road project (Basin-Blagg to 160) on the approved Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Public Works Evaluation Matrix and #2 intersection project (Basin/Blagg) on the CIP. This project includes roadway widening and a roundabout at Basin/Blagg.”
It was the mention of “roundabout” that caught the attention of commissioners during the board’s Sept. 1 meeting, with commissioner Leo Blundo asking straight out why the county was considering the addition of another roundabout in the valley.
Nye County Public Works Director Tim Dahl explained that particular intersection was once slated for a signalized traffic light but in the years since the installation of the roundabouts on highways 160 and 372, the county has learned quite a bit about the functionality of roundabouts, which are considered to be much safer than traditional traffic lights and require less maintenance.
“Keep in mind that at a signalized intersection, there are about 32 different conflict points. There are eight different conflicts in a roundabout, so in my eyes, it’s a significant decrease in conflicts, so why wouldn’t we want to consider something much safer for the public to travel on?” Dahl told commissioners.
Nye County Commission Chairman John Koenig jumped in to ask whether the county would require the offers of dedication for a signalized intersection as well as a roundabout, which Dahl confirmed. Koenig then clarified whether the agenda item before them was authorizing a roundabout and Dahl explained that was not the case. The offers of dedication would pave the way for such a project but before any roundabout could be constructed, the county commission would have to first formally approve the project.
Nye County Commissioner Debra Strickland then interjected to inquire whether the intersection would be changed in any way at this time. “We’re going to remain a stop sign, is that correct?”
Dahl said yes, the intersection will not see any immediate changes but there will come a time in the next couple of years in which the county will want to move forward with its CIP and thus, with the planned improvements for the area.
Dahl also stated that if the county did not move on the offers of dedication soon, it could end up paying for the very same right of way and easements that were being offered at no charge that morning. Blundo took exception to that statement, remarking that the dedications weren’t exactly free, as the owners of the Circle K would wind up paying less in property taxes because of the dedications.
Strickland made the motion to accept both offers of dedication, noting that her motion did not include any stipulation on how those dedications would be used in the future, which passed 4-1 with Blundo the sole voice against.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com