Advisory board approves rezoning and design review for 87‑lot Nellis Boulevard subdivision; tentative map removed

The Sunrise Manor Town Advisory Board on Thursday voted to approve a plan amendment, a zone change and a right‑of‑way vacation that clear the way for a proposed 87‑lot single‑family subdivision east of Nellis Boulevard and north of Owens Avenue in Sunrise Manor, but the board removed the tentative map from the agenda after discussion about development waivers.

The approvals change the site’s land‑use designation to Compact Neighborhood and reclassify portions of the property to RS‑2 (residential single‑family), clearing earlier split zoning and allowing the developer to move forward with a single‑family subdivision plan. Board members voted in favor on the plan amendment and zone change by voice vote.

The vote followed a presentation by Susan Gordon, an applicant representative from TNA Engineering, who described the project as a 10.71‑acre development to be rezoned to RS‑2 with a tentative map proposing 87 lots at roughly 8.12 dwelling units per acre. Gordon said lot sizes would range from about 2,718 square feet to 5,209 square feet with an average lot size near 3,037 square feet, and that the project would use Ridge Lane for internal access and retain existing sidewalks on Nellis Boulevard and Owens Avenue.

Board members and residents raised questions about density, sidewalks and common open space. Al Rojas, a nearby resident who spoke during public comment, said neighbors opposed higher density and asked whether the development would include recreation space and a homeowners association. Gordon said the project will form an HOA for common elements and identified pathways and small common areas on the tentative plan as shared open space for residents.

The developer requested multiple waivers of development standards, including detached sidewalks along Ridge Avenue, a reduced back‑of‑curb radius for a four‑lot segment (requesting 15 feet instead of 20 feet), a reduced wall height for drainage (proposing 5.5 feet instead of 7 feet), and an alternative turnaround in lieu of a standard cul‑de‑sac for a short segment of Humayas Street. Gordon told the board the 5.5‑foot wall height is needed to achieve the required drainage grading, and staff materials noted that recently adopted county code (preference for detached sidewalks, effective 02/2020) informed review of sidewalk requests.

Planning staff recommended approval of the plan amendment, zone change and the vacation of Ridge Lane, and recommended denial of some waiver requests that conflicted with the detached‑sidewalk policy along Nellis and Owens because attached sidewalks already exist there. After discussion, the board approved the waivers and design review item by motion. The board then removed the tentative map from the agenda (motion to remove passed), so the map review and final lot approvals were not considered at Thursday’s meeting.

What happens next: with the plan amendment, zone change and vacation approved, the developer can return to the county with a revised tentative map or address outstanding staff concerns before resubmitting the map item for a future hearing. The applicant indicated they held a neighborhood meeting that drew one attendee and that they will continue to work with staff on sidewalk and drainage details.

Speakers quoted in this article are limited to those who spoke on the record at the hearing.