Proposal would let Rhodes swap land near Red Rock

Developer Jim Rhodes' plan to build a 2,000-acre neighborhood overlooking the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area could soon be no more.

Clark County Commissioner Susan Brager is spearheading an effort to encourage the federal government to allow Rhodes to swap his land with a different, less controversial, piece of federal property.

Brager said Rhodes is on board with the idea, but it hasn't been brought up with the federal government and the Bureau of Land Management, which would have to approve the idea before it could go forward.

On Tuesday, commissioners will have the chance to vote on a resolution encouraging the effort.

Brager, whose district encompasses Blue Diamond Hill and the gypsum mine that would be included in the land exchange, said she would like to see the deal done within a year.

"I could see how sometimes things would take a few years," she said. "My intent is to get it done as quickly as possible."

Rhodes' proposal to build a hilltop development across from one of Southern Nevada's natural wonders has been met with stiff resistance since its introduction more than a decade ago. The project includes building 4,700 homes, a business park and retail areas, among other amenities.

Blue Diamond residents and Red Rock supporters fear the development would ruin the pristine high-desert valley.

Many details of the land swap have yet to be decided. Brager doesn't know where the other land would be located. She would like it to be an equitable property in her district, in the southwest valley, she said.

The board's resolution supports turning over Blue Diamond Hill to the conservation area, which would help protect the Blue Diamond cholla, a stubby, big-needled cactus that is one of 24 plants that Nevada deems "critically endangered."

The resolution could be moot depending on the result of a case before the Nevada Supreme Court.

In 2003, the Legislature and the county passed restrictions on the land to head off Rhodes' development in the area. The county has dropped the restrictions, but the state is still fighting Rhodes' lawsuit alleging the restrictions were unconstitutional.

"If the court says he can't use the land, then obviously there wouldn't be a swap," Brager said.

She believes the land swap idea will have support from fellow commissioners next week.

"I can't imagine anyone voting against it," she said.

Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-405-9781.