Alzheimer's facility denied

      The third time proved the charm for Sunrise Manor residents fighting an Alzheimer's facility in their neighborhood.
      After two Planning Commission delays giving Hope International an extra month to convince residents of the northeast Las Vegas township to accept the facility, the commission, by a 5-0 vote, struck down the Houston-based developer's plans.
      Hope International planned a 56,271-square-foot, 85-unit nursing home for Alzheimer's patients on the southwest corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Kell Lane. The 3.9-acre parcel is owned by Ulich Family Revocable Living Trust. The developer sought a special use permit, instead of the zone variance county officials said is needed to put a commercial venture in a residential neighborhood.
      The initial ruling was set for June 18, but the commission delayed action until July 9. A representative from Hope International promised in the interim to talk to residents, but several said they were never contacted.
      Residents feared the facility would be the first in a line of commercial developments on Kell Lane, a residential street.
      On July 9, the commission pushed its ruling on the permit - which skirts the lengthy, sometimes contentious rezoning processes - to Aug. 5 and sided with staff recommendation that the 35-foot facility be approved despite residents' concerns about its safety, who would run it and whether or not Hope International had proper licensing for a nursing home for patients with the degenerative brain disease.
      Bradley Smith, who runs his own advertising firm, filed an appeal July 13 that would have pushed the decision to the County Commission then galvanized support by handing out more than 1,600 fliers and collecting hundreds of signatures on a petition. He said residents were prepared to protest in front of county commissioners.
      The Planning Commission prevented that scenario by unanimously voting against the facility earlier this month.