Developers continue to submit rezoning requests to the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission for ambitious development plans in undeveloped parts of the Pahrump Valley, drawing opposition from nearby residents.

Joey DeBlanco, an engineer from Las Vegas Civil Engineering, presented plans on behalf of three property owners to subdivide 199 acres for a single-family residential subdivision on Fort Churchill Road and Becky Lane, in the far northeastern part of the valley.

RPC members voted 6-1 to recommend rezoning to a rural homestead zone requiring a minimum of 9.5-acre lots. Nye County Commissioners will consider the application Oct. 18.

Nye County Planner Nellie Grossell said the proposed VR-8 zone, providing medium density residential, would be out of character with the existing lot sizes. Existing roads are also inadequate to meet the added traffic, she said.

"At this time I'm not proposing a development, I'm just proposing a zone change," DeBlanco said.

He said the Calvada project touches on the southwest corner of the site. But RPC member Garrick "Bat" Masterson said that's a sore subject, that Calvada unit was never developed with infrastructure, then the company, Preferred Equities Corporation, went bankrupt.

"I think you're ahead of yourself in trying to change the zoning up there," Masterson told DeBlanco.

DeBlanco said his clients could bring infrastructure to the site when the project is ready. RPC member Andrew "Butch" Borasky had concerns over the availability of water.

"We've had kind of a constant battle in our community. We do allow zone changes to be submitted without a plan of development. That has been a matter of discussion for some time now as to whether or not we want to change that current way we do business here in Nye County," Nye County Interim Planning Director Cheryl Beeman said.

Rosemary O'Brien, 841 E. Fort Churchill Dr., said she had concerns about runoff from the alluvial fan on that street. A 41-acre development is being planned across the street, she said.

"Who's going to put in the roads? They're very poor roads, dirt, not kept up by the county. We also have concern that this is just a zone change for resale," O'Brien said. "That's a beautiful area up there with absolutely fantastic views of the city and to put a whole bunch of homes on there would certainly lower the value of the property down below it."

Karen Naberhaus said the request is very premature for the area. She said there's only four or five homes on five-acre parcels in the area. Naberhaus said the proposal would parcel up 1,400 homes on 200 acres, which would account for 4,200 vehicle trips per day.

Sharon Quinn, who lives on the alluvial fan on Fort Churchill Road, noted the high costs of infrastructure in the area, including a deeper water table. Quinn said when she built her home in 2000 she had to sink a well 500 feet before it hit water at a cost of $14,000. A neighbor had to drill a well to 1,000 feet, she said. It cost $15,000 to extend phone service.

"If they put houses up there where is the runoff going to go, not to mention the water problem? We had a heavy rain three years ago, it came down Fort Churchill it was like driving through a ravine," Quinin said. "It's not maintained by the county at all."

But she said, "I would love to see Fort Churchill (Road) paved. It would really hurt the tire companies from all the tires I bought."

Also in the northern part of Pahrump Valley, the pastor of First Baptist Church on Fehrs Way and Highway 160 had more concrete plans to expand. A zone change was recommended for approval for the 3.7-acre site from the old open use district to a mixed use district, in an area master plan for mixed use.

Plans call for a proposed fellowship center, Sunday school, playground and education building.

Pastor Ron Trummell said a civil engineer designed berms to protect surrounding properties from storm water runoff.

In another case on the northwest side, William Shaw will receive a positive recommendation on his request to rezone 4.7 acres from highway frontage to a mixed use zone on Murphy Street and Bell Vista Avenue, to open a carpentry shop building storage sheds. Shaw will work out of an existing 2,400 square-foot warehouse.

Shaw was told to show proof of a well and an engineered, commercial septic system.

In the extreme northwest part of the valley, the RPC tabled an application until the Oct. 11 meeting by Oscar Porter Gonzalez to continue operating a salvage yard at 1961 W. Garnet Road in the Mountainview Estates subdivision. Gonzalez wanted to rezone 2.5 acres from open use to heavy industrial and requested a conditional use permit.

Planner Steve Osborne said Gonzalez lost his grandfathered status since he abandoned the business for six months.

Borasky asked if Gonzalez had a business license. But interpreter Rene Morales said Gonzalez has to have the property properly zoned to have a business license, a Catch 22.

"All he's been trying to do is comply and crush cars up there," Morales said.

Beeman said the property still could qualify as a grandfathered use. Osborne said there aren't county-maintained roads to that property.

This time the opposition came from property owners who may live on their land in the future.

"I don't understand how he got to put that junk on that property when it's a low density residential area," said Eva Castillo of 1900 Garnet Road. "As of last month I was here and he has got more junk than he had before."

Henry Smith, a property owner on Amethyst Road, said he was worried more about the environmental impact of leaking oil than the sight of junked cars.

But RPC member Jacob Skinner had concerns over someone losing his sole source of income.

"That's an important point to consider, this is their means of livelihood and it's pretty rural out there," he said.