Some Lake Las Vegas residents celebrate after plans for 24/7 market withdrawn

Some Lake Las Vegas residents are celebrating after the parent company of Green Valley Grocery said last week it was withdrawing plans for a 24-hour upscale marketplace and gas station in their community.

Developers for the Emerald Marketplace notified the city of Henderson on Wednesday of their decision to withdraw a zoning change application required to proceed with a planned 8,762-square-foot market and gas station at the intersection of Lake Las Vegas Parkway and East Galleria Drive, according to city spokesperson Madeleine Skains. The item was set to be considered at the Dec. 2 Henderson City Council meeting.

Although the site featured plans that also included a cafe and deli restaurant, it was the proposed 24/7 on-site access to up to seven gaming machines that was a deal breaker for many residents. Kim Sherman, whose backyard is in direct eyeshot of the planned development, said around the clock gaming runs antithetical to the quiet lifestyle she signed up for when she moved to Lake Las Vegas from California in 2021.

“One of the things that we really like about being out here is that there’s a lot to do here, but you don’t need to do it all night long,” Sherman said of her Lake Las Vegas community, about 20 miles east of the Strip. “A lot of people don’t like it out here because it takes so long to get out here. But that’s what really drew us to this area.”

Local consultant Michael Tassi wrote to city planning officials in July that the primary tenant of Emerald Marketplace would be Green Valley Grocery, which was acquired in October by California-based fuel wholesaler and convenience store operator Anabi Oil. The project was expected to be completed in late 2026, according to supporting materials attached to the Nov. 4 council agenda.

Anabi Oil did not respond to a request for comment.

A ‘tipping point’

Developers met Monday with about a hundred Lake Las Vegas residents who are largely opposed to the project, according to Sherman and others who attended. That includes Hana Winer, who said the turnout may have ultimately been the factor that led to the zoning application being withdrawn.

In addition to the concerns over 24/7 gaming, Winer voiced concerns over whether the marketplace and gas station would decrease neighboring property values and worried about the developer’s plans to house a fuel reservoir less than 100 yards from the Las Vegas Wash.

“Having just moved here two and a half years ago, we took special consideration of paying extra to live in this community compared to other like communities in the Las Vegas Valley area and was worried about my property value decreasing due to increased traffic, increased crime,” Winer said.

Both Sherman and Winer said the energy in the room from their neighbors Monday was palpable.

“A lot of people who had never been to an information session showed up, and their voices were heard,” Winer said in a phone interview Friday. “You could feel the emotion, and just the dissent.”

“When they weren’t able to address any of them, it was really the tipping point,” Sherman added.

Now that Emerald Marketplace has withdrawn its application, Sherman said she and her neighbors feel proud to have banded together toward a common goal.

“We’re very well aware of what goes on in our community,” Sherman said. “So this just really reinforces the reason why we all moved out here, that there is such a great community spirit. We’re really feeling that right now.”

Future of the site

Councilman Jim Seebock, whose ward includes the master-planned community, said after hearing of last Monday’s turnout, he and Mayor Michelle Romero could not support advancing the project.

Although Seebock heard from some constituents who were in support, a majority of the Lake Las Vegas residents he heard from were opposed, Seebock said after Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

“If they are to reapply down the road I hope they take the time to engage with the neighbors and address my concerns should they want to move forward,” Seebock added in a text message Thursday to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Plans for Emerald Marketplace may be dead for now, but Sherman said they believe other businesses could be planned for the site in the future.

“We don’t want an empty lot there,” Sherman said. “But hopefully it’s someone that is willing to work with us that can still bring revenue to the business, but still bring something that enhances the value of our properties and of the residents.”

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.