: RVParkMeeting-04-28-16: It was standing room only during a neighborhood meeting at the Mesquite United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 21 when potential developers of a 14 acre RV park resort met with residents to review the proposal in what became a very contentious meeting. Photo by Barbara Ellestad.

: RVParkMeeting-04-28-16: It was standing room only during a neighborhood meeting at the Mesquite United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 21 when potential developers of a 14 acre RV park resort met with residents to review the proposal in what became a very contentious meeting. Photo by Barbara Ellestad.

Over a hundred people packed into the Mesquite United Methodist Church sanctuary on Thursday, April 21 not to sing hymns and pray together but to boisterously oppose a proposed Recreational Vehicle resort park located next door.

A vacant 14-acre lot between the church and Town and Country commercial mall on West Pioneer Boulevard is a bank-owned property and two men want to purchase it. The neighborhood meeting with Chris Muir and Kent Sweat, potential developers from Heber City, Utah, and Victor Campbell, an engineering consultant with Bulloch Brothers, was intended to discuss their plans with nearby residents.

From the outset, things didn’t go so well for the proposal or developers.

The lot, currently zoned for multi-family low density housing that allows eight units per acre, must be approved for rezoning by the Mesquite City Council for RV mobile home resort use that also allows eight units per acre. The rezoning hearing is currently scheduled for the May 24 council meeting.

Most of the opposition centered on aesthetics, safety, and effects on property values in nearby neighborhoods, primarily Highland Fairways.

The developers gave very few details of the proposed RV park explaining that they weren’t going to spend a lot of money developing architectural and engineering plans until they were more confident the rezoning issue would be approved. That led to heightened frustration from the audience because they didn’t get answers to their questions.

Several people expressed concerns over the transient nature of an RV park or it turning into a mobile home park. The developers responded that they would only allow a six-month maximum stay and no mobile homes would be allowed. They also said the resort would be geared towards high-end RVs and snowbirds wanting to stay through the winter. Users would not be limited by age restrictions and the resort would be available to the general public.

The RV resort would have up to 116 parking spots with a swimming pool and 2,000 square foot office/manager residence. “Traffic projections are about doubled in peak hours in the mornings and afternoons,” Campbell said. “There will only be a right turn in and a right turn out on Pioneer Boulevard.”

Traffic flows and required U-turns on the busy boulevard riled up many in the audience. Since there would not be a median cut directly in front of the RV park, drivers of units that can be 45 feet or longer would have to use the median cut in front of the church or the busy intersection at West Pioneer Boulevard and Grapevine Road for U-turns.

One man in the audience said “The site distance in these locations is terrible. What you’re proposing is dangerous.”

Campbell also explained that the emergency exit would not be located between the Methodist and Lutheran churches as reported earlier by the Mesquite Local News. Rather, it would be located under the power lines on the far side of the Lutheran day care center. That caused concerns about the safety of the children at the care center.

Because the land is now zoned for multi-family housing, Doug Reath, realtor working with potential developers, told the crowd that if the RV resort is not approved, they can build three-story condominium units without further zoning approval from the city. “That will block your views of the mountains from the homes in Highland Fairways.”

That only angered the audience even more with several saying “don’t come in here and try to scare us into liking this idea.”

“Did you, in your wildest dreams, think we were going to embrace this idea?” one man asked.

An elderly gentleman who lives in Highland Fairways expressed his and others’ concerns when he said “I’ve heard three people today automatically refer to this as a trailer park. I think that’s probably true. Have you considered that this is our neighborhood? We are passionate about Highland Fairways. We want it to remain what it is today. If this is built, we’ll be in line to find a real estate agent to sell our homes so we can go somewhere else.”

The crowd erupted in applause and laughter when one man suggested they try proposing an RV park in the middle of Sun City and see if they could get it approved.

When one audience member asked for a show of hands of those who liked the idea, no one responded. When asked for all those who disapprove of the idea, every hand in the audience went up.

One man implored the audience to go to the city council meetings and voice their concerns and disapproval. “Go to the meeting and this won’t happen,” he said.

Reath said the property purchase is contingent on approval of the rezoning. Sweat added to that saying, “It is possible that we could walk away from this. But something is going in there. What do you want (an RV resort or condos)?”

The audience responded with “nothing.”

Sweat replied that “if we can’t do an RV park, we’ll put 112 condos on the property. Something is going in there.”

Written comments regarding the rezoning proposal can be submitted via email to Richard Secrist, City of Mesquite Development Services Director, at rsecrist@mesquitenv.gov or addressed to him at 10 E. Mesquite Blvd, Mesquite, NV 89027. Comments will be compiled and submitted to city council members and the mayor.