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March 15, 2006
Beatty looks to sell BLM property
By RICHARD STEPHENS
The first land to come up for sale will be a 40-acre parcel on the northwest side of Beatty, slated for public auction in October. Other land the BLM will be offering is also northwest of Beatty along Interstate 95 and totals 5,478 acres. Fisher explained that, with all the requirements involved, selling public land is an expensive process, and that a current law provided initial funding and for the proceeds from sales to be used to pay for future sales. That law is scheduled to "sunset" in 2010, however. He said that all he'd heard since coming to Nevada was that people wanted more land made available for sale, and that was what he was trying to do. Fisher further explained that the people in his office had to use their judgment to determine when there was sufficient interest in the purchase of pieces of land before committing the funds necessary to conduct the sales. There has, he said, been sufficient interest shown in the parcels around Beatty. The BLM consulted with the Nye County Board of Commissioners on the proposed sales and is proceeding under resolutions supporting them. Regarding the larger parcel, which is located in Oasis Valley, Fisher said that any development would have to meet with the approval of the Amargosa Toad Working Group to protect the toad habitat. "The last thing we want to do," said Fisher, "is to have this animal listed under the Endangered Species Act." Developers who purchase parcels will also have to comply with a master plan, which is to be developed before the sale by local government with input from citizenry. Fisher conducted the required desert tortoise survey on the 40-acre parcel in Beatty, and said that there was evidence of apparently seasonal tortoise habitation. The purchaser will be required to consult with the Nevada Department of Fish and Wildlife to determine what mitigation, if any, would be required in developing that parcel. Fisher also explained the nature of Recreational and Public Purpose leases, saying that a very specific proposed use has to be part of the application. He also noted that the R&PP lease on the Beatty Town Park is due to expire in three years and that he had spoken with Beatty General Improvement District Chairman Brad Hunt about starting the paperwork to renew it. During the public comment portion of the meeting, Fisher was drawn into a debate over a portion of Vanderbilt Road and access to the pond on the southeast side of Beatty known as Bombo's Pond. Marlene Rogoff, representing Victoria Capital Corporation, which has purchased land on both sides of Highway 95 in that area, contends the road is on private property, and has put up makeshift fencing and "no trespassing" signs. This has angered residents who use the road to access the pond for recreation. Rogoff says she has been unable to get any local government entity to identify that she needs to deal with to resolve the issue. She is adamant that the road is on private property, and that it cannot be taken away. Fisher questioned the accuracy of the company's survey. Rogoff did not specify what sort of project the corporation had in mind. After the meeting some attendees privately offered the opinion that it might be a brothel. Confronted with their suspicions, however, Rogoff flatly denied any intention of developing a brothel. The project, she said, was to develop an inn, complete with a restaurant and bar (her rough sketch also shows a casino) to take advantage of the beauty of the mountain scenery. The rough sketch in the packet she had made up showed a complex with a total of 200 guestrooms in four-story buildings, but she said the exact development plans were still uncertain. In other Beatty Town Board news: • During the public comment section of the meeting, Charlie Cook asked the board for its feelings on the laws governing the use of golf carts on the streets in town. He said the sheriff's office had recently begun enforcing a ban on them. The board had not had any information on the issue, and a deputy who was on hand was not certain exactly what the law entails. Cook said there were some people in town for whom the carts were a needed form of transportation. The board agreed to put the matter on the agenda for members' next meeting. • Commissioner Joni Eastley spoke briefly to the audience to encourage residents to obtain Nye County Drug Discount Cards. She explained that the card entitles any county resident to discounts on prescription drugs in pharmacies in the county. She said that those with prescription insurance would have to determine which would give them the better benefit, the card or their insurance. Cards are available at the Beatty Senior Center and the town library, and the town secretary will also have them at the town office. • Secretary Janet Rogers reported that an issue regarding crosswalks around the middle school had been resolved, and that by the end of March work on them should be completed by Nye County Public Works. • Albert Verrilli told the board that Beatty Water and Sewer Manager Jim Weeks had answered the call for someone local to serve on the Nevada Test Site Citizens Advisory Board. |
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