Leslie Street, a major north-south thoroughfare in the western part of the Pahrump Valley, won't extend through south of Highway 372, Nye County Commissioners decided last week.

Commissioners voted to abandon the street south of the highway after complaints about people illegally driving along the dirt path.

The Nevada Department of Transportation asked Nye County to do something to permanently eliminate access to Highway 372 from the south side until planned developments proceed and the state can control access, Nye County interim Planning Director Cheryl Beeman said.

The illegal use of that section of Leslie Street also has churned up the dust, she said.

Developer Jerry Wang had outlined plans for a subdivision at that site, which showed Leslie Street meandering south of Highway 372, Interim County Manager Ron Williams said. Those plans have been dormant for several years.

Williams said if Wang proceeds with his development, the county can negotiate with him for construction of Leslie Street. Wang has also been asked by NDOT to fence off his property, he said.

"You had complaints about large construction vehicles driving through there to residential neighborhoods in the Calvada subdivision to the south," Williams told commissioners. "Abandonment would remove those access points."

Public Works Director Samson Yao said the county received complaints from residents on Zephyr Street.

Williams said the county wouldn't be cutting off anyone's legal access to their property, which he said was the key issue. But Ray Mielzynski, popularly known as "The Flagman," wrote, "I've been using this for ingress and egress to my property for 28 years. I believe I have a prescribed easement."

Nye County Commission Chairman Gary Hollis said NDOT can't stop people from using Leslie Street, and giving up an easement won't stop people either. But Commissioner Candice Trummell, who made the motion to approve the abandonment, said it would eliminate the county's liability in case of accidents.

Commissioner Joni Eastley said she had to struggle with the decision.

"I am a big believer in prescriptive rights but I am a bigger believer in personal property rights," Eastley said. "The owner of this property does not want that traffic going across their private property."