Pahrump Regional Planning Commissioners Wednesday endorsed plans that could lead to more commercial and industrial development in Pahrump.

* George Harris won approval for a rezoning of 7.4 acres on Bell Vista Avenue just west of Leslie Street to commercial manufacturing for a regional office and warehouse complex to be known as the Bell Vista Business Center.

Harris hopes to cash in on freight warehousing from California. He noted the inventory tax is increasing across the state line.

Harris said he also has the potential to link up to the planned Ivanpah airport.

While the application was called spot zoning, planner Beth Lee said a commercial manufacturing zone was more palatable than general commercial, Harris' original rezoning request.

RPC member Norma Jean Opatik had concerns over Harris suggesting truck traffic coming down Leslie Street.

* On another application, Harris was unsuccessful at getting a rezoning to general commercial for 9.04 acres on South Dandelion Road between Ironwood and Malibou streets. The RPC voted 4-2 for a master plan amendment for the property, but a super majority of five members was needed.

The request brought out old complaints by residents of Autumnwood Estates about neighboring Lewis Equipment Co. Harris said the crane company would use his parcel for an additional storage area after the company was denied permission to expand themselves.

Harris said his plan would include a 40-foot landscaping buffer and a limit of eight feet to stack equipment.

"I was asked to help mitigate this problem," Harris said. "Then we can create a real sound buffer. I know Lewis Crane has that plan once they move all of this stuff over. Everything is going to go as far away from Autumnwood as we can."

But neighbor Barbara Pringle said the parcel will be directly abutting her property on Cedarwood Street. She also complained about the grading for the new Sunstate Components truss factory taking place nearby.

Opatik said Lewis Crane hasn't shown a desire to comply with past ordinances, while Jacob Skinner thought the rezoning would only add to the problem at Autumnwood Estates. But RPC members Dan Schinhofen and Carrick "Bat" Masterson didn't think the neighborhood was conducive to more residential construction.

* A conditional use permit was granted for an assisted living facility consisting of three 4,500-square-foot buildings on 3.4 acres at 1560 S. Java Ave. The plan is to house 30 to 45 residents.

Consultant Curt Moen said he broke ground on a child care academy this week on a 1.18-acre part of the parcel.

* Ronald and Christine Murphy received a zone change to convert 30.8 acres from light industrial and neighborhood commercial to heavy industrial for land east of Higley Road and south of Commerce Street.

Murphy said it's been used as industrial property for 20 years.

Masterson had a concern over creating a non-conforming use by rezoning the parcels which include a residence, recalling a similar, previous request that was turned down involving a muffler shop with a house on the property.

Tony Celeste, representing a property owner in a VR-20 zone south of Industrial Road, objected to having heavy industrial property nearby. His client may want to construct more intense residential development as a result, Celeste said.

Nye County Commission liaison Butch Borasky chimed in: "This is one of those things where what came first, the chicken, the egg or the Murphy clan?"

* Jim Chiles, of the C.W. Group, received approval for a zone change for 80 acres from light industrial to general commercial just southwest of Highway 160 and Thousandaire Boulevard. Property to the north is zoned general commercial.

Plans call for various commercial and retail malls totaling 694,118 square feet, targeting speculation.

Planner David Stallworth noted there's no access to utilities, inadequate street frontage, and it lies in a flood zone.

He added it remains to be seen how Thousandaire Boulevard will be aligned from Highway 160 west in the master plan by neighboring landowner, the Focus Property Group.

* John Mathiasen, from Tropical RV Centers, won't be required to dig up a foot of asphalt to put in landscaping, he was granted a waiver from a six-foot side landscaping buffer at 3400 and 3430 S. Highway 160.

Mathiasen said he put $10 million worth of inventory on the property since he opened in late 2006 and spent $400,000 in improvements.

"We went through every possible hoop everyone has thrown toward us," Mathiasen said. But he added, "We're losing money month to month now. To take another foot of asphalt would be another blow financially and moving around those vehicles would be a difficult process."

Mathiasen said he did $18 million worth of business his first year and collected $480,000 in sales tax for Nye County.

* Armscor was denied permission for a waiver from a requirement to submit a site development plan for four storage buildings at Basin Avenue and Smart Way, in a code compliance case.

Armscor is a company that imports weapons from out of the country, ships them to Las Vegas to be assembled, then ships them back to Pahrump to be shipped around the U.S. There are six employees.

Janet Brown, from Redco Construction, and representative for Armscor, said she was told it would cost $15,000 to $20,000 for a site development plan. But she admitted the owner also employed the sheds for his personal use.

Planning Director Jack Lohman said the owner could find residential property and move his sheds there.