SPECIAL TO THE PVT The preliminary master plan for the Pahrump Arts and Recreation Complex designed by Leisure and Recreation Concepts, Inc. Above is only a rough draft, however, and several changes are expected to be made prior to LARC submitting a master plan for PARC. Advertisement

When it comes to government projects, there's a lot of "hurry up and wait" before the tangible work gets started.

Forms need to be filled out, grants applied for, studies conducted, and reams of paperwork accumulated long before the first shovel strikes the desert dirt.

That's certainly been the case for the Pahrump Arts Recreation Complex, formerly known as the fairgrounds, the seed of which was first planted in Pahrump's collective head over a decade ago.

The 426-acre PARC will be located on the southeast side of town, west of Highway 160 near Gamebird Road and Ironside Avenue.

According to a preliminary plan to be submitted to the Pahrump Town Board at its next meeting May 13, the first phase of construction could start as early as this fall.

Provided, of course, the bureaucratic wheels keep turning.

The town recently received a draft master plan of PARC that promises a Field of Dreams sports complex, two theme parks, arenas for the town's many equestrian events, a theater, and even convention centers.

PARC was designed by Leisure and Recreation Concepts Inc. the company which last summer was assigned the task of making the 'fairgrounds' plan a tangible reality.

But fairgrounds, especially those that encompass 426 acres, don't happen overnight, and there is still a lot of work that needs to get done.

Al Balloqui, chairman of PAVED, has been discussing the plans with various town advisory boards to garner input from them on possible improvements.

While waiting for final master plan, however, the town can still work on ensuring the project keeps moving forward.

First on the "to do" list will be the town board approving the basic concept of the plan. From that point on, as with most major development, it's all about the cash flow.

The good news is that a number of grants and payments in lieu of taxes funds have already been acquired, so there's a substantial amount in the piggy bank.

In order for $700,000 in grant funds to be released, a consultant will need to conduct an environmental assessment.

In addition, the town has to see what the county says to a request for $400,000 in payment in lieu of taxes money.

The money would be used install a pipeline which will carry "gray water" donated by Mountain Falls via Fox Street to keep PARC's green areas, lush.

Then there's the drilling of a pre-approved well to provide dust control while the property is graded.

On the bright side, the major fairways within PARC have already been approved by Nye County Public Works and funding has been established.

And last but certainly not least, there's the desert tortoise, protected not only by its shell but by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well.

Balloqui expressed concern that grading and road construction, those first small baby steps towards PARC's completion, cannot be completed until or unless a tortoise habitat conservation plan is approved by the county.

Environmental compliance specialist Mary Ellen Giampaoli, however, told PVT reporter Mark Waite that PARC would have to have its own plan negotiated with Fish and Wildlife Service because the county plan (which is still being considered) was never meant to cover such developments.