Owners of NLV pig farm moving operation, selling property

By Jackie Valley

Published Monday, March 7, 2016 | 10 a.m.

Updated Monday, March 7, 2016 | 1:57 p.m.

The site of a North Las Vegas pig farm reviled by some neighbors because of its stench is going up for sale.

Robert and Janet Combs, owners of R.C. Farms, have decided to move their business to a site near the Apex Landfill, pending the purchase of their 153-acre property.

Today marks the beginning of a 60-day due diligence period, during which the owners will be accepting offers, city officials said. Bidders are vying for “option rights” to buy the farm in 36 months. The asking price is $30.77 million.

The unusual desert farm — home to 2,500 pigs and chickens, rabbits and ducks — has occupied land at the corner of North 5th Street and El Campo Grande Avenue since 1963. It predates the surrounding neighborhoods, whose residents have complained about the pig farm’s stench wafting through their streets.

Complaints aside, the farm has been recognized for its recycling efforts: The pigs eat food scraps from Las Vegas Strip casinos.

“I’m doing the Lord’s work,” Robert Combs told the Sun in 2014. “I’m doing the job not everyone wants or likes, but they appreciate it.”

He declined interview requests today, instead referring questions to his attorney, Mark Peplowski.

The decision to sell was not the result of pressure from city or county leaders, Peplowski said. The longtime pig farmer — now in his late 70s — and his wife simply felt like the time was right.

“He’s not at 100 percent of where he was 20 years ago,” said Peplowski, referring to Combs’ health.

The Combs’ sons intend to take over the family business in some capacity, while the couple continues their recycling education efforts on a smaller scale, Peplowski said. It’s unclear if the family already has purchased acreage near the landfill.

North Las Vegas officials praised the move, saying it will boost property values near the current farm and complement the city’s redevelopment efforts.

In two months, the North 5th Street bridge over Interstate 15 will open to traffic, creating a transit corridor linking downtown North Las Vegas to the Villages at Tule Springs, a large-scale residential development planned in the northern valley.

City officials announced the pig farm’s eventual relocation at a news conference atop the North 5th Street bridge, about five miles south of the Combs' property.

“North Las Vegas is undergoing a remarkable transformation, and relocating the historic pig farm is another step,” said Mayor John Lee, who thanked the Combs family. “As I’ve said many times before, increasing property values is one of my primary goals, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to help move the pig farm from the interior of our neighborhoods.”

The Combs' property technically sits on an island of county land, which city officials expect to be annexed into North Las Vegas when redevelopment begins after the sale.

The property will be sold to the highest bidder in 60 days, with contract terms giving the Combs three years to vacate the land, said former North Las Vegas Mayor and listing broker Michael Montandon of Providence Commercial.

An offer will be accepted by 5 p.m. on May 6, and the option contract will be recorded on June 7, he said.

Robert Combs reached out in December and expressed interest in selling the farm, Montandon said. The property is zoned for mixed-use development, meaning it eventually could contain commercial properties, multifamily residences and single-family homes.

“The possibilities are endless,” Montandon said.

That’s good news for neighbor James Brown who lives on Buckwood Mote Street, just north of the pig farm. His first reaction upon hearing that Combs and his wife intended to sell their property: “That’s a good thing.”

Brown said he purchased his home unaware that the pig farm, surrounded by shrubbery, was across the street. He’s ready for some fresh air.

“We can open our windows and leave the doors open,” Brown said, smiling. “You can’t do that now.”