Yeah, let's not let this deteriorate just because the efforts of hundreds got their dicks knocked in the dirt by corrupt politicians as per usual. Let's band together and fight the true enemy...

Fighters for truth, justice, and lack of clutter on internet pages.. Submitted By: Killing In The Name Of on Aug 22, 2011

Apparently Commissioner Giunchigliani decided that an email from concerned citizens should be considered permission to add that person to her monthly spam news letter. Great

YOU.....SHOULD'VE.....BOUGHT.....A......SQUIRREL!!!!!!!

Thanks Kirra. The Overlords Of Seriousness aren't getting it, but I thought it was worth sharing.

Here is a recent well informed article that is critical of Clark County Deputy District Attorney Rob Warhola's claims that the commissioners had no choice but to approve the Concept Plan.

thenevadaview.com/?p=2307

Access Fund? Climbing, pro-bono lawyers? Are you guys out there? What can we do?!

Just remember any BLM action will have NEPA oversight. The important point will be to find a issue/resource that will be significantly impacted by the "action" (land swap). This will force the BLM to find the appropriate mitigation for this issue (is there really any appropriate mitigation). Unfortunately, it won't be loss of recreation. Based on the Visual assessment, this may be an issue, but it will require us to know BLM Management Plan for the RRNCA and see how this this action might be against the plan.

I can't believe the no community members looked at the Clark County Comprehensive Plan and hit the Sups over the heads with the fact that this approval violates ESL objectives/guidelines 1 and 2 and a whole bunch of newly adopted design guidelines for restraining leap frog development and using existing infrastructure. I emailed the Supervisors to point this out.....not an email back from any any of the Supervisors. I guess they don't want to be reminded that they are second hand losers to AZ in the world of sprawl and desecration of desert.
If its like here in Maricopa, staff and planners know the real outcome but atty's yell private rights/takings and everyone losses their backbone to stand up to a project like this better.

It is more likely that this project gets hung up by Mr. Rhodes not being able to fund/work the numbers and/or the BLM dragging its heals.

The latest run at development of Blue Diamond Mesa seem to be an application by a Jim Rhodes entity to re-commence mining on the property. Unless there is sufficient demand for a public hearing, the permit will be issued without one. See ndep.nv.gov/docs_12/0328_pfy13.pdf

NB- The public comment period on this application for a reclamation Permit end o/a 17 November.

I don't know what's up with that BLM action,

but here's some news on Jim Rhodes & Harmony Homes
www.vegasinc.com/news/2012/may/14/rhodes-homes-creditors-goi>>>

Regardless of who owns the land the mining remediation costs will still be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. That's before they spend another hundred million getting the infrastructure in place. No one will ever build houses on that hill. The purpose behind the building permit is to try and convince the BLM to do a land swap for something cheaper to build upon in the valley. Eventually the BLM will own the land and then we the tax payers will get to pay for all of the remediation.

Jim Rhodes et al has gone under on a number of projects in Phx. He talks a good story to the city/county, alternatively wooing them with dreams of revenues and threatening them with lawsuits if they don't give him what he believes is his "right".
It is all about the entitlements that he can get to increase the "value" of the parcel in hopes he can flip it to some other party that wants to try and hold the public and the BLM hostage to their development dreams.
WAtch closely and warily iS what we do here with him.

I didn't see an updated thread on this, so I thought I'd bump this one. The county commission is exploring the possibility of a land swap for Rhodes' property. Below are links to the newspaper article and resolution.

Las Vegas Review Journal Article


Land Swap Proposal

I went to the commission meeting this morning, where they voted on it. This wasn't a meeting for the public's comments, so only a few people got to speak on the issues. The Nature Conservancy and Save Red Rock were there supporting the swap.

Several issues were brought up during the comment period. No one has been on the property since Rhodes has been working on it, therefore the current condition of the property is unknown. They were worried about the cost burden to the public for the land to be remediated. Commissioner Tom Collins brought up whether the costs of the mineral rights would be included within the appraisal of the land. It seemed like this could be a ploy for Rhodes to get more land in the swap.

The proposal went through with a vote of 6-1, so the first step of the process is complete. Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani was the only one to vote against it. She pretty much lambasted Rhodes during the presentation, stating that this was Rhodes' plan all along to use his leverage to force a land swap. She stated that she couldn't vote for proposal in good conscious, therefore rewarding Rhodes' bad behavior.