Council denies rezoning and variances for proposed 44‑unit project at Owens and Henry

The Las Vegas City Council on July 2 denied a suite of land use entitlements for a proposed multifamily development at the southwest corner of Owens Avenue and Henry Drive after staff recommended denial and a council member said the site was too small for the requested density.

The applicant, identified in the record as ASD Group LLC and represented by architect Nazca Balakjeev, sought a general plan amendment (medium to high density), a rezoning (R‑3 to R‑4), variances for reduced parking and residential adjacency setback, and waivers for perimeter landscape buffer widths for a proposed three‑story multifamily project. The planning commission had recommended approval; city staff recommended denial.

Peter Lowenstein, speaking for city planning staff, told the council the proposed variances — including reduced parking and reduced perimeter landscaping — reinforced staff’s view that the project was unsuitable for the surrounding area even though the development would provide multifamily housing aligned with the city’s 2050 master plan goals.

Architect Nazca Balakjeev said the applicant had revised the project since the planning commission hearing: the applicant reduced unit count from 50 to 44 (a 12 percent reduction) and increased parking by about 30 percent from the commission‑approved 32 spaces to 42 spaces. The record shows the standard parking requirement for the site is 72 spaces.

Councilwoman (first reference) Diaz said she remained concerned about fitting higher density on a 0.71‑acre lot and about reducing landscaping in an area that faces heat‑island problems. “I do kind of I do feel still strongly that point 71 acres is tiny, for 44 units,” Diaz said during council discussion, and moved to deny items 63A through 63E. The council voted to deny the items.

The denials covered: the general plan amendment request; the rezoning; a variance to allow the reduced parking count (the application originally requested allowance for 32 parking spaces where 72 are required, then revised to 42); a variance to allow a 70‑foot residential adjacency setback where 102 feet is required; and special development review waivers for perimeter landscape buffers for a proposed 44‑unit multifamily development.

The mayor closed the public hearings after the staff and applicant presentations; no members of the public offered testimony on the item. Council invited the applicant to continue working with staff on a revised proposal that might better fit the site and neighborhood context.