Former Nye County Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos wanted a committee made up of local businessmen to recommend rezoning 1,241 remaining problem parcels after the Pahrump Valley comprehensive rezoning map was approved in June 2007.

The comprehensive zoning task force met for a series of meetings in late 2007 into early 2008. It included three real estate agents, a consultant representing developers and Liakopoulos himself.

During the approval of the zoning map, when it came to the remaining 1,241 parcels, Liakopoulos said, "I would also hope current businesses are given a look at and given some leeway."

Letters were sent by the task force to property owners asking for their own advice. In most of the problem areas, the master plan adopted in 2004 suggested mixed use, a catch-all type of zone planners wanted to eliminate.

But when it came to giving final approval to rezoning those remaining parcels, Nye County commissioners last month sided often with the recommendations of the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission, which recommended less intensive residential zones than the task force, which often suggested commercial.

County commissioners considered the area north of Highway 372 April 21. They adopted task force recommendations in rezoning 25 groups of parcels. But they rejected the recommendation and took the suggestion of the RPC on another 10 groups of parcels.

Six more groups of parcels -- including a large area at the Calvada Meadows Air Park -- were recommended for further study.

In six cases, the task force wanted general commercial zones. They were zoned instead as residential or neighborhood commercial. A few areas where the task force advocated neighborhood commercial were rezoned residential.

Most cases where the RPC agreed with the task force were instances in which the task force also suggested residential zoning.

Neighbor John Pinkerton showed up to protest the storage and repair of carnival equipment at 2781 W. Bell Vista Ave. The task force suggested rezoning the property general commercial; county commissioners adopted the RPC recommendation to make it a residential zone.

RPC Chairman Mark Kimball told county commissioners, "There was some confusion with the task force as to how far they can go. We understand they acted in good faith when they made these general commercial recommendations, which technically they weren't directed to do."

The task force wasn't allowed to recommend general commercial zoning because in many cases it would require a master plan amendment, which requires going through the whole planning process, Kimball said.

But the task force's tendency toward commercial rezoning was shot down throughout the day.

John Koenig succeeded in persuading county commissioners to rezone property at 350 E. Desert Trails Blvd. to residential. The task force had wanted it neighborhood commercial.

But around the corner, a property where Evergreen at Pahrump Rehabilitation Center is located was rezoned a medical zone in line with task force suggestions.

Hector Velarde persuaded commissioners to go along with the RPC and rezone property at 1870 E. Blosser Ranch Road, near the proposed detention center site, rural homestead instead of the general commercial sought by the task force.

Residents in the area near the dairy, along Blagg Road between Basin Avenue and Irene Street, who wanted a residential zoning, won a victory. The task force suggested a neighborhood commercial zone but the county commission went with the RPC which suggested a rural homestead zone.

"Property owners didn't have a strong presentation as did the people who live around them. So there seemed to be no need to rush to judgment and zone it the way people who live near it didn't want," Kimball told commissioners.

In a few instances, Commissioner Gary Hollis inquired about the location of a property and made a motion to rezone a property commercial after the task force recommended residential, like property just east of Highway 160 on Bell Vista Avenue.

Some of the trickiest areas -- the Calvada Meadows Air Park and a proposed industrial zone in the northwestern part of the valley -- were tabled for further study.

The RPC reviewed the task force's recommendations for the southeast quadrant last month and will consider the southwest quadrant this month. Those recommendations will be forwarded soon to the county commission to complete the valleywide rezoning.

But Kimball indicated those property owners who wanted commercial but were rezoned residential may get some relief soon and not have to hire consultants to present rezoning requests.

It's been five years since a master plan was prepared, suggesting a general outline for Pahrump Valley. Kimball said in most communities zoning immediately follows the master plan, locking in more details with specific zones. But in Pahrump it was delayed for three years after the master plan was approved.

"It's also a general rule after five years you automatically review the master plan," Kimball said. "As soon as we finish this process we are initiating a master plan review which will give (planners) an automatic opportunity to look at it again."