Nellis objections sink high-rise condo project near speedway

Nellis Air Force Base summoned big guns Wednesday to shoot down a proposed high-rise condominium project at the Las Vegas Speedway, just 1.3 miles off a military base runway.

Gov. Jim Gibbons warned Clark County commissioners that such a project could compromise the base, which generates billions of dollars for the state. The former fighter pilot said a condominium adjacent to the air base would not only endanger the lives of residents, but also airmen.

"The interests of developers are clearly important to the state and clearly important to this community ... but they should not take precedence over national security," Gibbons told commissioners. "We are putting at risk the national security of this country and the economic security of Nevada."

Commissioners voted unanimously to reject the 10-story, 133-foot-high condominium and also directed the district attorney's office to author an ordinance restricting residential development in areas near the base that are impacted by aircraft.

The condominium proposal dates back more than a year. Although the Sunrise Manor Town Board rejected the idea in November, the Clark County Planning Commission approved the proposal that same month.

Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid read a letter from representatives of the applicant, Nevada Speedway LLC, who said they believed the Planning Commission's ruling was final and they had no plans to appear at Wednesday's zoning board meeting.

But Deputy District Attorney Rob Warhola ruled that was not the case and allowed what turned into a one-sided public hearing to move forward.

Col. Michael Bartley, Nellis Air Force Base commander, said the project would have a devastating effect on the base's future. He said aircraft taking off from Nellis would reach the complex in eight seconds and 150 aircraft take off from Nellis every hour.

"Despite our impressive safety record, accidents do happen," Bartley said. "It's not a matter of if; it's a matter of when."

Bartley said the noise impact would be unbearable for condominium owners. They might embrace 21/2 hours of roaring car engines on race day, but aircraft fly training missions out of Nellis 22 hours out of the day.

He said if commissioners approved the condominium tower, other developers would seek to build near Nellis.

"It gets the camel's nose under the tent for other developers to come to me and say, 'You allowed this development one mile away. Let me build this five miles away.' This is a no-go for the Air Force."

Gen. John Corley, commander of Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va., said a residential complex so close to the base would have a "horribly, critically adverse effect" on the Air Force's ability to train fighter pilots.

"This is a sacred place, if you will, for airmen in the High Desert," Corley said. "Protecting America is a critical mission."

Jason Kepple, a consultant who was listed on the zoning application as the contact for the speedway, did not return a phone message Wednesday.