Editorial: Hope lives for alpine treasure

The Clark County Commission did the right thing one year ago when it denied Allen Nel's zoning change request to permit the development of 30 acres of prime land on environmentally sensitive Mount Charleston. Nel's plans to build a 60,000-square-foot commercial center on the north side of Kyle Canyon Road was incompatible with the tranquility of Mount Charleston, an alpine getaway in Southern Nevada.

While the county rejected plans for his development, there have been concerns that Nel might sue the local government and overturn its refusal to change the zoning from residential-countryside to residential. Now comes word, however, that Nel is willing to sell the land back to the county, because he believes it is improbable that his commercial venture would be accepted by Mount Charleston residents in light of their fierce opposition to the zoning change.

As the Sun's Adrienne Packer reported Tuesday, Commissioner Lance Malone has been talking with Nel and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., to determine if the federal government could purchase the Mount Charleston property Nel owns and turn it over to the county for its use. Not only is Nel willing to sell the 30-acre parcel of land that the county denied rezoning, he also apparently is ready to sell another 127 acres of land he owns at Mount Charleston for a total of $12 million, which is about $92,000 an acre. What originally started as a situation that could deteriorate into a protracted legal battle, which the developer might win and wind up reversing the commission's decision, instead now might result in the county taking control of the land and having it run by the parks and recreation division, potentially turning much of the land into parks.

Malone likens Southern Nevada's preservation efforts of Mount Charleston to those of Northern Nevada's attempts to protect Lake Tahoe. Nevada and California made a wise decision three decades ago when they created the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to oversee development at Lake Tahoe, hoping to save this natural wonder. While Lake Tahoe still faces some environmental problems, including deterioration of the lake's clarity, Nevada's commitment to maintain the lake's environment has been a success.

Clark County officials should try to preserve as much of the unspoiled environment at Mount Charleston as possible. A positive step for the government would be to buy Nel's property. Some development on Mount Charleston is inevitable. At the same time, though, the county needs to do what it can to make sure that what growth is permitted is reasonable and doesn't irreversibly harm Mount Charleston's beauty.

archive