Commission denies request to rezone two Pahrump parcels to heavy industrial amid neighborhood opposition

The Nye County Board of Commissioners on July 15 denied an application to amend the master plan and rezone two parcels on East Pinkway from Light Industrial to Heavy Industrial.

Bryce Dahlin, representing the applicant, told the Board the owner is considering storage and distribution of wind-turbine components, batteries, or warehousing and servicing heavy industrial machinery parts. "There's not going to be any manufacturing here; it's purely going to be for storage and distribution," he said, adding the applicant would work with neighbors to mitigate traffic and noise.

Numerous residents opposed the change. Karen Waldman said, "The way the zoning is done here needs to be tightened down a great deal," and others warned that long-lived components such as windmill parts can become an enduring disposal problem.

Planning staff noted the Regional Planning Commission had recommended denial because the applicant hadn’t specified a concrete use at earlier hearings. Several commissioners said the record lacked binding commitments (such as enforceable conditions limiting uses) and expressed concern that heavy industrial zoning would allow unspecified future uses that could harm nearby residential and retail areas.

After discussion, a motion to deny the master-plan amendment and zone change carried on the board floor. Commissioners instructed planning staff to maintain public engagement and to ensure any future applications include specific, enforceable use restrictions or mitigation plans before a zoning change would be considered.