Developers decide to trim Badlands Golf Course project — for now

By JAMIE MUNKS LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

8 years ago

Developer Yohan Lowie with EHB Cos. discusses land zoning on his proposed large-scale and controversial development for the Badlands Golf Course on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow @jeffscheid

Developer Yohan Lowie with EHB Cos. discusses his proposed large-scale and controversial development for the Badlands Golf Course in his office on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow @jeffscheid

Developer David Mason gestures while viewing a map of the proposed Badlands Golf Course development in his condo at Queeenridge Towers on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow @jeffscheid

Traffic streams along Rampart Boulevard and Alta Drive Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016, near the proposed EHB Companies housing development on the Badlands Golf Course. The developer this week withdrew the portion of its application that a majority of the Las Vegas Planning Commission voted down in OctoberJeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @jlscheid

Traffic streams along Rampart Boulevard near Charleston Boulevard Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016, near the proposed EHB Companies housing development on the Badlands Golf Course. The developer this week withdrew the portion of its application that a majority of the Las Vegas Planning Commission voted down in OctoberJeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @jlscheid

The developers proposing a housing development for Badlands Golf Course are requesting to withdraw a significant portion of their application to the city in advance of a possible City Council action on the project this month.

EHB Cos. this week withdrew the portion of its application that a majority of the Las Vegas Planning Commission voted down in October, leaving on the table a proposal for 720 units near the corner of Rampart Boulevard and Alta Drive.

Yohan Lowie, CEO and founder of EHB, said Thursday the companies decided to pull that part of the plan and look at “all options” for the property.

The Planning Commission considered a proposal for a total of 2,400 units on the Badlands course, 75 single-family estate lots and the possibility of 200 assisted-living units. The Planning Commission, which was split on the proposal at a marathon special meeting Oct. 18, recommended only the 720 units at the far east end of the property.

That portion of the proposal will proceed to the City Council’s Nov. 16 agenda, while there’s now “a lot of study and work to do” to determine the future of the rest of the property, Lowie said.

City staff had recommended approval of the project. The Planning Commission acts as an advisory body, and the City Council has the final say.

The application was withdrawn “without prejudice,” which means the developer can return to the city with an application to develop the rest of the property without restrictions or penalties.

Numerous residents of the nearby Queensridge neighborhood spoke against the development proposal at the Planning Commission meeting last month that lasted late into the night. The more than five-hour special meeting drew at least 200 people. Proponents of the development who spoke said they’ve had good experiences with the developer, the golf course is an eyesore and they think the plan would make the community more vibrant.

The Clark County School District sent the city a letter just before the Planning Commission meeting that forecast the larger development proposal would bring an additional 350 elementary school students for the district, based on the district’s “student yield” formula.

Awaiting the City Council at its afternoon meeting Nov. 16 will be the developer’s withdrawal request as well as the proposal for the corner of Alta and Rampart the Planning Commission did approve, Councilman Bob Beers said.

Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @JamieMunksRJ on Twitter.