Commissioners disregard neighbors, approve garage

Name-dropping and images of rich celebrities parking their swanky cars in a proposed west valley garage hardly impressed residents who live near the site.

Several pleaded with Clark County commissioners Wednesday to deny a local entrepreneur's plans to build a garage for storing luxury cars year round, saying it would inject unwanted commercial development into the neighborhood.

But four commissioners voted "yes" to rezoning a 1.6-acre parcel from residential to office use.

Mike Iannuccilli, who paints luxury cars, can now pursue his plans for a two-level garage -- half underground, half above ground -- south of Sahara Avenue and east of Westwind Road, a few miles from the Strip.

The 4-3 vote, which defied strong opposition, left neighbors irked and puzzled.

A few said they were curious why commissioners Chip Maxfield and Susan Brager, whose districts abut within the neighborhood, both ignored their constituents and, instead, backed Iannuccilli.

"This reeks," said Jack Lindell, a resident who served as a planning commissioner from 1990-95. "I don't know who this guy is or what favors someone owes him."

Lindell said he was especially disappointed in Brager, who was elected on a solid record of service on the School Board.

"It's a shame," he said. "We hoped she would be a good representative for us."

Commissioners Bruce Woodbury and Rory Reid also voted in favor of rezoning the land. Commissioners Chris Giunchigliani, Lawrence Weekly and Tom Collins opposed it.

Reid acted as an unofficial tie-breaker in what had been a 3-3 vote on Jan. 16 while he was absent. Reid said he tends to defer to commissioners whose districts encompass a disputed property.

Both Maxfield and Brager said they were doing what they thought was best for the neighborhood.

No one would want to build houses on the land because it sits behind Dan Towbin's row of car lots, they argued. Instead, a developer would put up apartments or condos, which would create more traffic, noise and light glare than a garage, they said.

"I feel very strongly that you don't want multi-family housing," Brager said. "I feel that ... in the long run the neighborhood will like it."

Several residents shook their heads as she spoke.

Neighbors have said they fear that Iannuccilli might sell the property to Towbin, who would then turn it into a car lot. Others say the garage sets a precedent for rezoning other nearby residential sites to commercial use.

Maxfield insisted that no "bait and switch" with a car dealer could happen because the zoning is too limiting.

"No parking or storage outside," he said. "No signage, no sales, no repairs, no service."

Giunchigliani, however, said putting the garage on that spot violates the county's comprehensive plan because it will be south of Laredo Street. Nothing commercial is supposed to go in that far south, she said.

No buffer would exist between the garage and houses, she said, "and that changes the entire character of this neighborhood."

Lindell said it was bogus of Maxfield and Brager to suggest they were sparing the area a worse fate: apartments.

"They can say 'no' to apartments," Lindell said.

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or (702) 455-4519.