The Nye County Commission reversed the Regional Planning Commission enough times at the January planning session that Commissioner Butch Borasky, the liaison to the RPC, expressed some concern.

Commissioner Joni Eastley cast the sole vote against a few items, as commissioners sounded determined to advance development in Pahrump.

Cameron and Sheila Malek won a conforming zone change for two acres from rural estates residential to mixed use, for property at 2150 E. Kyle Way between Panorama Road and Smart Way. The RPC had recommended denial by a 5-2 vote.

Planner Beth Lee said planning staff recommended denial of the application due to spot zoning.

Consultant Dave Richards of CivilWise Services said the owner bought the property because of the commercial uses going up in the neighborhood, located east of Highway 160 north of Basin Avenue where gravel pits and industrial uses are intermingled with homes.

Eastley opposed the vote, saying she was interested in protecting the rural estates zones.

Gennady and Betsy Levit won approval for a non-conforming zone change for 1.72 acres from mixed use to general commercial for an auto body repair center at 3040 S. Highway 160, about 300 feet south of Homestead Road. The RPC had voted unanimously to recommend denial.

County planning staff again found it was spot zoning. RPC Chairman Mark Kimball had concerns over the proximity to the proposed Homestead Road traffic light and whether the Nevada Department of Transportation would allow access onto Highway 160.

Consultant Curt Moen of M3 Planning and Consulting, said, "What we're asking for is what we considered appropriate use for the highway frontage properties."

"I'd hate to overturn the RPC all day long. But I'm very supportive of this project," Borasky said.

Commissioner Gary Hollis concurred with Moen: "If you look at that area, it's commercial all around this piece of property."

Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos said businesses are trying to come into town that will increase the tax base and provide jobs.

"Why is it we do everything we can to throw a roadblock in front of them? We do have commercial in that area," Liakopoulos said.

Curt and Pamela Moen themselves were granted approval for a minor master plan amendment and conditional use permit to build a child care and pre-school facility on 3.4 acres at 1560 S. Java Ave. near J.G. Johnson Elementary School. The 8,700 square-foot child care facility, in a village residential 20 zone, will be built to house up to 175 children.

That project was recommended for approval by the RPC.

A few developers were turned down on their plans by county commissioners:

A.C.E. Development Associates Inc. was denied a request for a non-conforming zone change and master plan amendment to build a shopping center and multi-family apartment project at 6351 S. Hafen Ranch Road, near Bridger Street and the Cottonwood subdivision.

The RPC voted 6-0 to recommend denial. Planners said it would be spot zoning as commercial in a multi-family residential zone.

Richards said there would be drainage mitigation in the flood zone. He said residents in the nearby subdivisions need access to commercial businesses without driving across town.

Che Keav Taing didn't win approval for a plan to rezone 32 acres of a 55-acre parcel at 600 S. Leslie Street, near Happy Lane, from low-density residential to commercial.

The RPC deadlocked 3-3 on recommending approval if the property owner extended Wilson Road west. The owner wants to build a shopping center, after originally being denied a request to build a casino. After the casino proposal was denied, the property had been split into a commercial and residential zone.

A motion to rezone 1.2 acres from residential to commercial for property owned by Rick and Odalis Nogera at 2161 E. Thousandaire Blvd. died for lack of a second. The owner had been cited for code violations for operating a manufactured home setup business.