Commission denies request for loan company

Members say business would be too close to similar existing facility

The March 27 Henderson City Planning Commission meeting got heated when an applicant's representative began asking questions of commission members and not giving them a chance to answer.

The request by Cashback Title Loans Inc. was for a waiver of the distance separation requirement from an existing facility at 502 S. Boulder Highway.

City staff requested denial of the waiver. The applicant's representative explained that although there is another business with the same license nearby, the two facilities would offer different services.

Commissioner Debra March said the commission and the City Council attended a Boulder Highway Investment Strategy meeting the previous night and that the city is planning to do extensive redevelopment along Boulder Highway. She said if staff is requesting denial, she would have to agree to stay consistent with the investment strategy plans.

The applicant's representative asked if the item had been mentioned at the Boulder Highway meeting, and when he was told it was not, he said he didn't understand how that meeting correlated with his client's request.

When March and Chairman Dan Shaw tried to explain the relevance, the applicant continued to talk over them. Vice Chairman Craig Burr interrupted to make a motion to deny the request.

The item was unanimously denied by Shaw, Burr, March and Commissioners Sam Bateman, Joe Belingheri, George Bochanis and Terry Mannion.

When the applicant continued to talk after the vote, Shaw said, "We are done here," and the applicant verbally agreed and left.

NEIGHBORS LOOKING FOR PRIVACY

A request by John Barlion for an accessory structure in the backyard of his home at 260 Winona Terrace was continued to the April 10 meeting.

Barlion and three neighbors said that when the Pueblo Crossing housing development was built on a hill behind their homes at Warm Springs Road and Pueblo Place, they lost their privacy. The homeowners said windows, which were not supposed to face their yards, look down on their property.

Although Barlion said he just wanted to break the line of sight to his yard, he did not like Burr's suggestion of putting in trees instead of a structure.

"I went out there, and I think you can accomplish what you want with a structure that isn't so opposing," Burr said.

While he viewed the area, Burr said he saw neighboring structures that were not nearly as intrusive to the community.

Mannion said she also toured that area and agreed. "It just takes over the whole neighborhood. It's the only thing you see. It's huge."

Belingheri said he believed that part of the applicant's concern with coming up with other options was that he already had started building the structure.

After two failed motions, the commission voted to approve a two-week continuance to allow the applicant time to come up with design alternatives.

DUNKIN' DONUTS COMING TO WATER STREET?

The commission voted 7-0 to approve a request for two eating and drinking establishments with drive-through windows.

Bochanis asked the Lake Mead Crossing LLC representative and city staff if they were worried about the stacking and traffic flow of two drive-through windows on Lake Mead Parkway and Water Street, but both parties indicated that they didn't think it would be a problem.

The applicant said she believed that one of the restaurants would be a Dunkin' Donuts, but it was not yet confirmed.

FULL AGENDA

For the full agenda, visit the city's Web site at www.cityofhenderson.com. Click on "meetings and agendas" and then "agendas, backup and minutes" and select "planning commission" from a drop-down menu.

ATTEND A MEETING

Don't miss the City Council meeting at 7 p.m. today at Henderson City Hall, 240 Water St. The next Planning Commission meeting will be at 7 p.m. April 10 at City Hall. Meetings are open to the public.

NEXT MEETING

* What: Henderson Planning Commission

* When: 7 p.m. April 10

* Where: City Hall, 240 Water St.

* Information: For an agenda, visit www.cityof henderson.com