MARK WAITE / PVT A street scene at Mountains Edge, a master-planned community developed by the Focus Group, on the south side of State Highway 160 at Buffalo Avenue in the southwest side of Las Vegas Valley, which has been described as a more dense subdivision than the Pahrump project. Advertisement

The Focus Property Group, the new kid on the block in the Pahrump Valley, is a major development player in southern Nevada.

The company reported 2,179 new home sales contracts on their major development in the southwestern Pahrump Valley, Mountains Edge, as of last year, reportedly the fastest-selling community in southern Nevada.

That master-planned community is situated among other developments on Highway 160 with names like Highlands Ranch, Sunset Pass and Wine Ridge.

Mark Fiorentino, vice-president of governmental affairs for the Focus Property Group, said previously the Mountains Edge housing development wouldn't be located that far from the master planned community they're proposing at the entrance to Pahrump Valley.

Mountains Edge is being developed on 992 acres purchased in November 2002 at a U.S. Bureau of Land Management auction for $160 million. It's similar in size to the Pahrump plan, though Fiorentino said it's a denser development than the Pahrump Gateway project.

In June 2003, Focus submitted the winning bid of $113.5 million for 485 acres of land in the northwestern part of Las Vegas Valley, twice the appraised value.

The cost of their acquisitions continued to escalate. In June 2004, the company also submitted a bid for twice the appraised value of some property in another part of the valley, turning in a $557 million bid to purchase 1,940 acres in Henderson.

In February 2005, Focus Property Group bid $510 million for 1,711 acres for the planned Kyle Canyon Gateway project, on Highways 95 and 157, the entrance of the road to Mount Charleston.

The announcement of the bid for the Kyle Canyon project mentioned a pending development agreement with the city of Las Vegas over "sustainable community" requirements like power and water conserving amenities, protection of views and retention of natural features like arroyos for recreational use. Mixed uses, open spaces, higher density land uses and varied architectural styles are also being specified.

A printout from the Nye County Assessor's Office listed 1,692 acres of property owned by PV Land Investments and Southwest Desert Equities, both with the same Las Vegas address as Focus Property Group. A Focus Group consultant, during a break in a two-day Nye County Commissioners meeting in Tonopah, said their holdings in Pahrump actually total 2,354 acres; the 900-acre Gateway Project would be over one-third of that.

Fiorentino also touted his company's contributions to the Pahrump community.

"We have today not built a single building, we have not pulled a single permit, and, yet we've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars donating to causes that are important to the community," Fiorentino told Nye County Commissioners in Tonopah this week.

He rattled off donations to the Fifth District Drug Court, Pahrump Fall Festival, youth sports teams, soccer organizations, the Pahrump Valley Boys and Girls Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the school district ballot question initiative.

Fiorentino added, "I guaranteed the financing of the hospital to make sure it got open on time and spent countless hours in the last legislative session helping to promote the county's legislative program. So frankly it is a little unfair to say, I think the word was, 'raping and pillaging the community.' Frankly, it's an unfair statement."

Focus Property Group also donated $977,555 to political candidates statewide through three political action committees. Fiorentino is listed as the registered agent for the Smaxy PAX, the SH Lincoln PAC and the Acme Enterprises PAC, which lists the Focus Property Group's address in Las Vegas.

The committee contributed equally to both sides in many cases, with donations to both gubernatorial candidates Dina Titus and Jim Gibbons.

Democratic Assembly District 36 candidate Laurayne Murray collected $2,000 from the Acme Enterprises PAC, as did her opponent, Republican Ed Goedhart.

Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett's campaign committee received $1,000 from each of the three PACs. Friends for Pete Liakopoulos, a Nye County Commission candidate, received $1,000 apiece from Smaxy PAC and the SH Lincoln PAC.

The Committee to Re-elect Sheriff Tony DeMeo was issued $1,000 campaign donations each from the Acme Enterprises PAC the SH Lincoln PAC and Smaxy PAC.

Two Nye County commissioners sought to dispel rumors pertaining to Focus Property Group. Commissioner Candice Trummell said the company she works for, consultants Robison-Sidler, do not work for Focus Property Group.

Commissioner Gary Hollis said he never accepted rodeo tickets from the company.