RPC recommends Binion property master-plan change and planned unit development amid public water and traffic concerns

The Pahrump Regional Planning Commission on Sept. 10 recommended approval to the Nye County Board of County Commissioners of a major master plan amendment and a tentative planned unit development (PUD) for the 139-acre “Binion” parcel north of Wilson Road.

The applicant’s proposal calls for a mixed-use master plan community with up to about 830 residential units (single-family and multifamily) and between 25,000 and 150,000 square feet of commercial space, the staff report said. The applicant and staff described the application as the first step in approval of a specific plan of development that would be finalized through a development agreement and subsequent tentative and final maps.

Developer representatives said the parcels are proposed for inclusion in an amended development agreement for Mountain Falls South and that the change will not increase the development agreement’s rooftop cap of 5,160 units; rather, the parcels would be incorporated under that existing cap. The applicant also said it is in the process of annexing into Great Basin Water Company service territory and intends to coordinate drainage and flood-control work with FEMA-approved modeling and public works.

Residents and community groups provided extended public comment and expressed a range of concerns focused on water availability, traffic safety, school capacity and density. Multiple speakers asked the commission to postpone a recommendation until a forthcoming water study is released and until the Great Basin Water Company and the State Engineer’s allocations are clearer.

“It’s all about the water,” said several residents during the public comment period; one resident said the county’s water board has warned of constrained supplies. Other neighbors, including residents of nearby 55-plus communities, said they bought homes with expectations of open space behind their properties and asked whether multi-story housing, playgrounds or higher-density lots would abut their yards.

Staff emphasized that the current action is a land-use recommendation and not final approval of subdivision details. The staff report noted agency comments received to date: the Nye County Sheriff’s Office flagged impacts on calls for service and staffing; Pahrump Valley Fire & Rescue asked that staffing, station size and road improvements be addressed; and the School District requested that the developer provide a school impact analysis and coordinate pedestrian infrastructure and bus stops. Great Basin Water Company confirmed ongoing work on water and sewer service and the applicant reported progress toward annexation.

Commissioners debated the tradeoffs between increased housing supply (including workforce housing) and infrastructure constraints. Some commissioners said the property is centrally located adjacent to existing commercial services, which makes it a logical place for mixed use; others expressed concern about proposed density and asked for clarity on the timing and sufficiency of water rights and flood-control modeling.

When the commission took its recommendation vote, the motion to recommend approval of both the master plan amendment (ZCMP 25-9) and the tentative planned unit development (PU 25-1) carried. Staff noted final action on the master plan amendment and development agreement will be taken by the Board of County Commissioners, currently scheduled for Oct. 21, 2025.

Applicant Mark Mulhall said the owner has invested in annexation and preliminary studies and that project-level drainage, traffic and public-safety standards will be resolved in the development agreement and tentative/final map reviews. “We’ve been diligent,” Mulhall said; he added the developer will work with Great Basin Water Company and public works on drainage, FEMA modeling and water availability.

The commission’s recommendation does not grant building permits; the project still requires a development agreement, water-right allocations or annexation approvals, detailed drainage and traffic studies, school-district coordination, and final maps before any construction may begin.