A Pahrump town board member told Nye County commissioners last week he fears inmates at a proposed federal detention facility could roam the streets of the town once they're released.

The commissioners, however, decided not to adopt a suggestion by Commissioner Butch Borasky to establish a minimum distance between the facility and residences. But Borasky came away satisfied the county would have enough control over where the detention facility is located by granting the conditional use permit.

Private firms that build correctional facilities are considering Pahrump as a possible location of a 1,000-bed center to house prisoners awaiting trial or illegal immigrants awaiting deportation. The phase one studies on possible locations must be turned in to the U.S. Department of Justice by April 30. The department will then decide which firms will be asked for bids.

Companies looking at Pahrump include the largest and second largest builders of private prisons in the U.S. -- Correction Corporation of America and Geo Group.

Borasky was also worried about traffic generating more dust, suggesting a requirement the facility be built on a paved road, although other commissioners thought that was a public works issue and didn't think that was necessary.

The old zoning code specified a minimum 50,000-foot separation between a correctional facility and residences. That's a distance of almost nine and a half miles.

"I think the board would have some say-so whether it were in a residential neighborhood. I doubt that commissioners would do that," Commission Chairman Gary Hollis said.

The town and county are pushing a 40-acre county-owned site on East Mesquite Avenue, near the landfill. Two other town properties have also been identified as potential sites, both are on the northeastern side of Pahrump Valley.

Nye County Planning Director Jack Lohman said if a site was chosen for a detention facility, if it's general-planned for that type of use, commissioners would have to adopt a general plan amendment to the new "community facilities" zone.

"You would have total control over the new site," Lohman said.

Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos asked, "If we approve this today, would we still have a thumbs up or thumbs down on the site that gets picked?"

"Absolutely," Lohman replied.

The motion to change the zoning code passed by a unanimous vote, before Chairman Hollis remembered to ask for public comment at the public hearing.

Pahrump town board member John McDonald indicated not everyone on the town board is enthused about the project. He spoke against changing the definitions in the zoning code to permit an adult pre-release facility and juvenile detention facility.

"Any definition which has the potential to release convicted felons, even though they've served their time, whether they're juveniles or adults, onto the streets of Pahrump is not acceptable as far as I'm concerned," McDonald said.

"If there are large facilities you could be facing the fact you could be having dozens of these people released on the streets of Pahrump at one time," he said.

Attorney Tony Celeste, representing Geo Group, told commissioners a federal detention center would require contractors to appear again before county commissioners to receive a conditional use permit.

Celeste added, "That gives this board discretion on determining what site, when you go in for zoning, what would be a viable site. By placing what would be at this point an arbitrary distance may preclude this board from evaluating a potentially viable site.

"Geo would most likely not be interested in a residential area. Most of these areas would be outside of residential," he said.

Hollis said Nye County had a 1,500-foot separation requirement for bars and alcoholic establishments that had to be reworked for commercial zoning.

Resident John Koenig argued for putting zoning restrictions in effect now, before the commissioners get pressured by the contractors with the prospect of jobs and money.

"If you cite the parameters up front, if you have to be at least 10 feet, 10 miles from residential, that's what they'll pick. It will make it a lot easier at decision time to say that's a good site," Koenig said, a regular attendee at county commission meetings.

When Hollis asked for Liakopoulos to restate his motion to approve the zoning change after the public hearing, it passed by a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Roberta "Midge" Carver voting against. Carver, participating from Tonopah by video conference, didn't explain her vote against the motion.