Sunday, November 23, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

IN DEPTH: COMMISSION DEBATE

The Clark County Commission is scheduled Dec. 3 to consider Station Casinos' request to build a 300-foot Summerlin hotel tower and two additional 200-foot towers on a parcel of land zoned for no more than 100 feet of building height.

Red Rock Station would have 1,000 hotel rooms and 500 time-share units. Plans call for a 90,000-square-foot casino that would be similar in size to the one at the company's Palace Station, an 82,000-square-foot meeting center, retail shops, restaurants, movie theaters and an amphitheater.

The project would be in Commissioner Mark James' district, who said Thursday that he will oppose Station's request to build the towers. It would be a part of Howard Hughes Corp.'s planned Summerlin Centre urban core, which could include 250-foot office towers on land across from the casino site.

"I just think a 300-foot tower is going to be too tall," James said. "It's not consistent with the expectations of the people who moved in there."

Four commissioners reached for comment -- Rory Reid, Bruce Woodbury, Myrna Williams and Mary Kincaid-Chauncey -- said they had not reached decisions on the Station Casinos' proposal, although James' no-vote could play a key role in their decisions. Commissioners traditionally give more weight to the views of colleagues whose districts are directly affected by a proposal.

Two -- Yvonne Atkinson Gates, and Chip Maxfield -- failed to return phone messages.

The following are segments of comments from undecided commission members:

• "I think that Red Rock has always been something people in government in this community have gone out of their way to protect, and if this impacts Red Rock in a negative way it may require mitigation. I don't know what that would mean at this point. Like anybody in this community I have a soft spot for Red Rock." -- Rory Reid

• "I haven't thoroughly made up my mind yet. Three-hundred feet doesn't sound unreasonable to me considering almost everyone around there has 250. I don't think it's going to make any difference as far as the view." -- Mary Kincaid-Chauncey

• "To tell you the truth I haven't focused on it enough to have a decision. I guess it's just a question of the height. I just have to have an open mind and hear from both sides. I've not formed an opinion." -- Bruce Woodbury

• "I have not, and I never make any decisions until I hear everything. I need to look at everything and see what the proposal really is."-- Myrna Williams

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