On Wednesday 21st of April 2010 developer Jim Rhodes was granted permission to apply for higher-density housing that is permitted by zoning for his proposed development on the former James Hardy Gypsum mine. The Clark County Commissioners voted 4-3 in favor of allowing Rhodes Red Rock company to apply for major projects that are at least 700 acres in size.
The original plan filed in 2003 was to build 5,500 houses on 2,400 acres. It was in this same year that the state introduced restrictions on the land that Rhode’s had bought, and he went on to sue the state and the county for making the changes. In 2009 a federal judge struck down the restrictions made by the county. The Clark County Commissioners feared that if they did not allow Rhodes to apply for housing then he may win a court battle and then be free to build or sell the land in smaller parcels.
At the heart of Rhode’s argument is that the state specifically singled out is land in their 2003 changes and thus violated equal protection rights. Wednesday’s ruling was a step forward for Jim Rhodes, but it won’t be seen as a positive move by most of the residents of Blue Diamond.
