Tuesday, June 4, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
Homeowners in the southwest Las Vegas Valley are mobilizing against a master-planned community proposed by developer Jim Rhodes.
More than 100 people -- some who showed up on horseback -- rallied on a dusty patch of vacant federal land Monday night, vowing to oppose the Rhodes Ranch project in full force at Wednesday's county zoning meeting.
Organizers began by talking about a number of concessions they hoped to get out of Rhodes, but the crowd cheered when one man building his home near the project said homeowners should fight the project.
"Within 30 days of acquiring this land, Jim Rhodes is jamming this zoning down our throat," said Jim Bayer, who's building a house near Windmill Lane and Durango Drive, at the edge of the proposed Rhodes Ranch. "We need to say no to the whole thing. ... This is not the time for concessions."
When neighborhood organizer Kent Olson asked the group for a show of hands, everyone voted to say no to the project.
When Olson asked, "Are we fighting for concessions or saying no," the crowd shouted, "No!"
Rhodes is seeking zoning changes on 1,603 acres stretching from Russell Road almost to State Route 160. The variances would let him build up to 15,000 homes and apartments in the largely rural southwest valley.
Rhodes also wants zoning for commercial and retail property, including a casino.
The project poses major concerns for county officials, who point out the land, most of which Rhodes got through a land exchange with the Bureau of Land Management, is miles from the nearest water and sewer lines.
Homeowners are against the proposed zoning change, and are petitioning the county to create a rural preservation area from Windmill to State Route 160 between Rainbow Boulevard and El Capitan Way.
So far, 137 people have signed petitions supporting the rural preservation area, which would restrict development to custom homes on half-acre lots, as currently exists.
But Rhodes also wants four sections of his property annexed by the Spring Valley Township that currently lies in the Enterprise Township, to make planning more convenient.
"If he does that, we can't get rural preservation," said Robin Olson, Kent Olson's wife.
About 145 people have also signed a petition opposing a use permit granted by the Clark County Planning Commission to allow Rhodes to conduct gravel mining operations on the site.
Residents have appealed the permit, which also will be heard Wednesday by the County Commission.
"He said he wants this gravel pit to prepare the golf course so he can plant grass in the fall, but he also wants a 10-year permit," Hal Long said. "He can't have it both ways, so which is it?"
Some homeowners hope a recent Nevada Supreme Court decision revoking a variance for a gravel pit to Union Pacific Railroad will strengthen their fight against Rhodes' gravel pit.
The company had asked for a zoning change from rural estate to rural open land to allow gravel operations. But the court said Union Pacific and Inland Properties Inc. never proved a legal hardship to justify the zoning change or variance for the gravel operations.
About 100 residents also signed petitions requesting Congress to halt all future land exchanges, "at least until we have the same opportunity," Olson said.
The BLM's policy is to exchange its land holdings for more environmentally sensitive lands elsewhere in Nevada, and not sell off piecemeal to individuals.
The homeowners' group plans to call commissioners today and send them faxes expressing their views on the Rhodes development.
Several residents, including Bayer, met Monday morning with Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, who represents most of the Enterprise Township. Woodbury agreed the project had the appearance of being a done deal.
"The project is coming awfully fast and a lot of things need to be worked out before I'm willing to support any hard zoning," Woodbury said.
However, Woodbury also met with Rhodes and his consultant, former Commissioner Thalia Dondero, and said the developer seemed aware of the homeowners' concerns about having high-density housing next to rural estates.
Woodbury said Rhodes had talked about creating buffers between the existing homes and his project, and would address problems that could be created by construction traffic.
"They committed to me they'd work toward achieving those goals, and I told them to have my support they'd have to do that," Woodbury said.
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