Pahrump Regional Planning Commissioners Wednesday recently recommended against rezoning as commercial the west side of Pahrump Valley Boulevard between Casey and Dollar streets after they found there was only one other business in that section.

The RPC had been asked to declare a scrivener's error after the 2004 master plan was drawn up, in which the property was zoned low-density residential. Commissioners were under the impression there were numerous commercial properties on the 22 acres cited.

At the start of the discussion, RPC member Mark Kimball said he expected the whole strip of Pahrump Valley Boulevard to go commercial.

"It incorporates that property in a generic way," Kimball said. But he asked, "How many more convenience stores do you need along that road?"

Nye County Interim Planning Director Cheryl Beeman said planners went with the most intense commercial activity in zoning the strip, "to pick up the commercial businesses that are already down there."

Beeman said Pahrump Valley Boulevard is a section line road: "It's called out in the future for full development."

However, RPC member Garry Warner said Pahrump Valley Boulevard isn't a major thoroughfare going someplace that far south. "As far as I know, it goes to Thousandaire and hangs a left."

"Common sense says if there's more commercial businesses than residential, then maybe it wasn't a scrivener's error," Commissioner Patricia Cox said. But Cox said Thousandaire Boulevard will become a major thoroughfare when the Focus Property Group develops 5,800 homes around Thousandaire and Highway 160.

The actual count of land uses on that stretch of road came down to seven vacant lots, 11 single-family residences, one business, one unknown use, a minor improvement and a multi-family dwelling unit.

The mistake snared the local residents, who complained about the usual infringement on their residential lifestyle from a commercial operation in the neighborhood.

John Kiley, of 5150 S. Pahrump Valley Blvd., said he's lived on his property for 25 years. He remembers when landowner Hollis Harris developed Plantation Estates.

"I thoroughly planned on it being my retirement," Kiley said. "This has been something that struck me by surprise, all of these years being residential, then, because of one business, all of a sudden we're being considered general commercial."

Carol Hunn said the area was residential when she moved there nine years ago. She talked about cherishing the peace and quiet after work.

"We're not attorneys. We don't have attorneys represent us, we're homeowners," she said. "If this goes in, those stars will be gone. I might as well live in Vegas."

Robert Pritchett, of 831 E. Dixieland St., said he could guarantee commissioners that there are only two, maybe three, commercial businesses in that area.

"To take half a mile of Pahrump Valley Boulevard and make it commercial is insane," Pritchett said.

Residents complained about the business in the area, ASC Trucking, run out of a residence at Pahrump Valley Boulevard and Brian Road. Dave and Carla Yoder, 580 S. Flag Road, said the trucks are ruining back streets.

"They're tearing up our roads. The fumes from the diesel, you can smell it," Carla Yoder said.

Company owner Alicide S. Carney said his trucks leave at 6:30 a.m. or 7 a.m., return at 3:30 p.m. and don't tear up the roads. Carney said he's been doing business out of his residence since 1990.

Kimball urged residents of the area to file a nuisance complaint with the Nye County Code Enforcement Officer if necessary.

But the numbers, with perhaps four commercial properties out of 22, didn't add up to rezoning the area commercial, RPC Chairman Charles Dupre said.

"That certainly is an under-whelming number in light of the approach we're taking to this, that there is a scrivener's error," Dupre said. "In this case, even at the time of the master plan there were very few commercial activities."