Consultant Dave Richards was granted a waiver from parking requirements for two fast food restaurants on the Highway 160 Frontage Road by the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission Wednesday, but Nye County Public Works Director Samson Yao saw problems with the proposed traffic flow.

The RPC marked the final board approval, but Richards will still have to iron out details with public works to get administrative approval for the site development plan.

Richard's client, property owner Charina Lane LLC, was turned down in a previous request two years ago to abandon a portion of the Frontage Road.

Richards said, however, he doesn't known which fast food restaurants may locate at that location, at 630 and 640 S. Frontage Road, just north of Grease Monkey oil change, across the highway from Smith's Food and Drug.

Richards said he's representing a client who wants to put in a Popeye's and a Carl's Jr. restaurant at a separate location.

The RPC allowed the developers to construct one parking space for each 100 square feet of gross floor area, 57 spaces, instead of one space per 30 square feet required under Nye County code, or 191 spaces.

Other existing fast food restaurants built before present codes were enacted have parking spaces that vary from one space per 105 square feet at McDonald's (35 spaces) to one space per 34 square feet at Sonic Burgers (45 spaces).

Communities of similar size to Pahrump, like Lenexa, Kan., and Blue Springs, Mo., require one space per 75 square feet.

RPC member Nevada Tolladay questioned the traffic circulation at the two restaurants, which would be side by side on just over a one-acre lot.

"There's just about enough property here for one good business, but that putting two of them on there creates unnecessary complications," Tolladay said.

County Planning Director Jack Lohman said, "We thought the 191 spaces might have been a little excessive. However if you want to put two buildings on there, it's got to wiggle one way or another to make it all work."

RPC Chairman Mark Kimball said, "We don't need 191 spaces for people to get their hamburgers or their tacos. I have a major problem with the traffic flow."

Richards said the concerns over access to Frontage Road were already addressed. He said the Nevada Department of Transportation endorsed this plan, as opposed to routing all the traffic down to the McDonald's Restaurant access to Highway 160.

Richards said access to the fast food restaurants would be similar to the access points to Frontage Road around Domino's Pizza, across from the Wal-Mart superstore.

RPC member Norma Jean Opatik didn't want to grant the waiver before the planning department does a general overhaul of parking requirements.

"It's going to be bumper cars there. It's going to be exciting," RPC member Carrick "Bat" Masterson said.