Dump may become solar plant site

Monday, Feb. 11, 2008 | 2 a.m.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it could wrap up a deal by the end of this month with Clark County and Republic Services regarding how to close the old Sunrise Landfill. The question of who will pay for that work remains unclear.

In the meantime, we thought it might be interesting to know what’s at stake. The county wants to obtain the dump from the federal Bureau of Land Management — right now, the county leases the land — though that’s unlikely to happen until the EPA signs off on the closure.

What would the county do with the old dump?

How about building a solar power plant on it? That’s one possibility listed in the county’s most recent study of the issue, in 2005.

The site appears appropriate for a solar power plant and is relatively close to a major transmission line, according to the study.

There is, however, a concern about the ground settling and the load-bearing capacity of the fill. Still, the study says the value of low-cost land near the electrical grid makes Sunrise Landfill an appealing site. Several energy companies even expressed interest in evaluating the site for a solar project, the study says.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani gave the idea a plug at a recent commission meeting. At that time, the county was still exploring the idea.

Any other ideas?

The study suggests eight other possibilities: an equestrian facility, ball parks and soccer fields, an ampitheater, an archery range, a BMX course, an extreme sports park, a hot-air balloon launch site and an RV park.

The estimated build-out costs range from $200,000 for the BMX park to $30 million for the equestrian facility. It’s estimated that each of the proposed uses would generate some operating income, ranging from $1.36 million a year for the ball parks and soccer fields to $4,000 a year for the BMX park, according to the study.

By comparison, a solar plant would cost an estimated $700,000 to $300 million, depending on its size. The study doesn’t provide information regarding a solar plant’s operating income.

“Development of (a) solar power plant would be a policy decision, not a financial decision,” it says.

Of course, all this is somewhat speculative. Until the county and Republic figure out who is going to pay for the roughly $36 million of remaining work to properly close the dump, it’s likely to stay that way.

What ever happened with Las Vegas National Golf Club?

If you’ll remember, that’s the golf course recently purchased by local real estate broker John Knott and a couple of partners. It’s an older course surrounded by a neighborhood where many of the homes enjoy golf course views. News of the purchase worried those residents, who fear that the new owners plan to develop the site into tract homes.

Knott has made no guarantees to the contrary, but he has consistently said that his current goal is to make the golf course more profitable. Toward that end, the new owners asked the county to approve some changes.

Initially, the owners wanted to have live music at the course’s clubhouse and outdoor music speakers disguised as rocks. Those speakers would have been about 100 feet from surrounding homes and residents spoke out against the request, arguing that the noise level would disrupt the community.

County staff agreed with the neighbors recommended denial of the request prior to Wednesday’s zoning meeting.

At the meeting, however, the golf course owners dropped their request for outdoor speakers and asked only for a live entertainment permit.

Commissioners granted that request, even though some neighbors opposed the live entertainment.

“I can see that morphing into a nightclub and then a casino,” said Christy Massimino, whose home is next to the golf course. “I just think a lot of mayhem will come of this.”

But the owners say they have no intention of turning the clubhouse into a casino. Instead, they plan to have a jazz trio play, probably Thursday through Saturday, Knott said Thursday.

“We’re not Tao,” he said, referring to the nightclub at the Venetian.