MARK WAITE / PVT Motorists travel north on Highway 160 into Pahrump, past the junction of Wheeler Pass Road where a hotel and casino project is planned. In the background are the garages for Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch. Advertisement

A conditional use permit for two three-story hotels and a 45,000-square-foot casino planned by the Wulfenstein family next to the Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch was approved by the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission.

One RPC member, however, Norma Jean Opatik, was a little skeptical, given the fact the Wulfensteins built a shell building next to Wulfy's Restaurant for a casino that remains unoccupied. The restaurant opened in 2004.

The planned hotels would have 100 and 120 rooms. The project would sit on 29.42 acres on the northeast side of the junction of Highway 160 and Wheeler Pass Road.

County planners said the latter road, leading to the Wulfenstein's gravel pit, would have to be developed to county standards.

The two hotels would be put up on each side of the restaurant and casino, facing Highway 160. A recreational vehicle dealership is drawn in the plans on 10.6 acres acres along Wheeler Pass road.

The permit was approved without much discussion. Even county planner Beth Lee seemed to think it was a good plan.

"The location seems ideal. It's right adjacent to the Spring Mountain race track, the driving school that's down on the south end," Lee said.

RPC member Nevada Tolladay said there weren't any buffer issues, the rest of the site is bordered by U.S. Bureau of Land Management property, a gravel pit and vacant land.

RPC member Dan Schinhofen remarked it's across from the 426-acre fairgrounds site as well.

Spring Mountain Motor Springs had 94 members as of last November, General Manager Dave Petrie said. The goal is to increase that to 300 members. During that interview Petrie said there's a need for a lot more hotel rooms for the drivers, particularly during spring events.

Spring Mountain Motor Sports owners John Morris of Anaheim Hills, Calif., and Brad Rambo of San Clemente, Calif., who bought the 193-acre property from Rupert Bragg Smith in 2004, built a separate Corvette building and another one for radical race cars and Lotus automobiles to meet the growing membership.

They also built 54 garages where members can leave their cars at the track. A new clubhouse is nearing completion, making it similar to a motor sports country club.

Pahrump currently has 330 hotel rooms, Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Kari Frilot said. They're often fully booked on weekends.

Opatik asked consultant Curt Moen, of M3 Planning and Consulting Group, if the owners, Jim and Terri Wulfenstein, had a commitment from a casino operator.

"Yes, ma'am," Moen replied.

"They already put one up that nothing happened with,' Opatik said, referring to the empty casino building next to Wulfy's.

RPC member Carrick "Bat" Masterson added, "The last two projects we approved for Ray (Wulfenstein) were never done."

Moen replied simply, "That's a different group."

Pahrump town board representative Laurayne Murray advocated lighting and signage restrictions. Lee said the developers will be required to abide by those requirements when they submit site development plans to planning and public works.

"They also have to commence construction within three years," Nye County Planning Director Jack Lohman said.