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News Story
Bonnie Springs Ranch developer: No zoo, smaller motel, natural look
A real estate listing photo showing the 63-acre Bonnie Springs Ranch property.
Additional details have emerged about the future of Bonnie Springs Ranch.
The developers, Joel Laub & Associates, are hoping the new details will reassure the public that their intentions are to preserve the natural beauty of Red Rock Canyon while adding residential housing that falls well within the county’s rural zoning requirements. The Current reported Monday that the 63-acre property is set to be divided into a smaller commercial property and new residential neighborhood.
“We want to minimize impact,” says Randall Jones, a local attorney and partner on the Joel Laub & Associates project. “Make it feel like it blends in with the surrounding area.”
Clark County’s rural zoning regulations restrict residential development to one home for every two acres of land, meaning the Bonnie Springs Ranch property could legally have 31. The developers are currently planning for 21 homes and a commercial space that is open to the public.
As previously reported, the commercial part of the development will include a restaurant, rentable event barn and lodging. The ranch’s existing motel has 50 rooms. The current proposal from the developers calls for a 25-room bed and breakfast.
The developers confirmed that their plans call for no gaming and no petting zoo.
Also axed is the old-western feel, replaced by an updated aesthetic that uses materials matching the surrounding area. The current plans also call for the reopening of a natural spring that was previously closed by the family.
Renderings of key areas on the proposed property were shown to the Current, however the developers say they aren’t ready to release any images publicly because they haven’t been finalized.
Jones says they took some inspiration from nearby Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. Bonnie Springs Ranch has been a family-friendly destination for decades. The developers said they anticipate the revamped commercial property being used for public events like farmers markets or small concerts.
Meanwhile, the homes will be accessible via a private road with a guarded gate. However, Jones says the development as a whole won’t have a surrounding wall and instead have a natural barrier created by a company that specializes in revegetation. The properties range from 1.84 to 3.39 acres each and will have vegetation and walkways between them.
“It’s not McMansions,” says Jones, “not huge boxy homes.”
The developers are considering a maximum home size of 5,000 square feet. What the eventual homes would look like hasn’t been determined but the developers suggested — “Italian style, Southern France style, maybe Spanish colonial.” They declined to give a range on what property and home costs might be for the residential neighborhood.
Jones noted Laub has been involved with The Nature Conservatory for six years. He says both men come from families with deep roots in Las Vegas and understand the importance of preserving Red Rock Canyon.
“Joel (Laub) and I have been hiking there since we were little kids,” says Jones. “We still hike there all the time. We know every canyon out there. Joel contacted me because he thought we could do something good for Red Rock and Bonnie Springs. We can preserve it in a way that reflects the whole Spring Mountain area.”
He sees the decision to “downzone” — meaning asking for less than the county requirements allow — as a reflection of that desire not to overdevelop. He understands people’s emotional attachment to the existing Bonnie Springs Ranch but feels strongly the end result of their development will have plenty to offer the community.
“We anticipated it would be an emotional thing for people,” he says. “We hope to put people’s minds at ease. We want to be respectful. Of Red Rock Canyon. Of the family. Of the legacy of Bonnie Springs Ranch.”
Jones added that he didn’t want to speak for the Levinson family, who owns the property, but that from his perspective they were “sensitive about who they sold the property to.” He said discussions are still ongoing about whether the development will retain the Bonnie Springs Ranch name.
Though the ranch and the developers, the Current has requested comment from the Levinson family but has not yet heard back.
The developers are scheduled to go before the Clark County Planning Commission on Feb. 22.
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