Raceway debate turns into costly debacle

In the end it was Lorinda Wichman, the sole Nye County Commissioner from the north a member of the audience said under public comment she shouldnt even be voting on Pahrump matters who cast the pivotal vote on whether the county should take possession of a $4.5 million water and sewer plant to serve Spring Mountain Motor Sports and use the effluent to water the Pahrump fairgrounds project.

Wichman joined commissioners Frank Carbone and Donna Cox in voting no. That means raceway owners will construct a water and sewer plant to serve a massive expansion project an 80-home subdivision, recreational vehicle park, commercial strip with sit-down and fast food restaurants, a 231-room hotel, multiplex cinema and an artificial lake and donate it to for-profit Utilities Inc. of Central Nevada. Carbone made the motion to let the privately-owned utility take ownership of the water and sewer plant.

That leaves the kid up here making a decision for your community, Wichman said. The only part I have a problem with is this is the county taking on another utility without any idea of a budget.

Russ Meads, owner of Double M Construction, the builder of the project, told commissioners giving it to UICN would be more time consuming, requiring the company to obtain a Utility Environmental Protection Agency (UEPA) permit, a six- to nine-month process, plus another six months for an annexation agreement, annexing the old part of the racetrack property into the UICN service territory. But afterwards, Meads said the Public Utilities Commission may be able to process both those applications at once.

This really sets forever what our utility structure will be in the future, Meads told a group of residents gathered outside commission chambers.

Pahrump Town Manager Susan Holecheck, appearing visibly upset, said the rejection will doom the Pahrump Fairgrounds project, her top priority since taking the position. Nye County will take over town government functions in a little over seven months.

Commissioner Dan Schinhofen was visibly shaken by the vote against accepting what amounted to a $4.5 million gift.

Its going to save us $4 million in the future. Why we wouldnt approve this I dont know, he said. The next time you ask me to help a developer I dont know what to do for you. This is a great project for us.

Mike Meacher, vice-president and chief operating officer of Front Sight Firearms Training Institute, said he watched with great interest what the other major recreational provider was doing.

Its a wonderful project and I would implore you to figure out the most efficient way for this to occur, Meacher said. Theres some territorial issues involving the utility, but the issue for the county and the town should be pretty straightforward. You have a developer willing to spend tens, maybe millions of dollars in a community, theyre going to take very little out.

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Raceway debate turns into costly debacle