Global InformationBlue Diamond Hill housing proposals information
Since 2002, there have been various housing proposals for Blue Diamond Hill, located in rural Clark County, Nevada. The proposed site is located west of Las Vegas, near the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The Blue Diamond Mine has operated on the land since the 1920s, but the property otherwise remains vacant. Each of the proposed housing projects have received some opposition from environmentalists, citing concerns about the impact that such a project would have on the surrounding area.
In 2002, John Laing Homes proposed a community known as Cielo Encantado, with more than 8,400 homes on nearly 3,000 acres. Some residents of nearby Blue Diamond, Nevada were opposed to the project, which would bring 21,000 new residents to the area. By comparison, the town of Blue Diamond had 300 residents. Opponents also argued that a residential development would have a negative impact on the nearby Red Rock Canyon. After much opposition, John Laing withdrew its proposal in 2002.
Within a few months, developer Jim Rhodes purchased 2,400 acres on Blue Diamond Hill and announced plans for Hidden Hills, a proposed community with up to 5,500 homes. This property is located near Red Rock Canyon, but not inside it. State senator Dina Titus introduced a bill to freeze the rural residential zoning that had already been in place at allowed one house for every two acres. Titus' bill was signed into law in May 2003, and the Clark County Commission passed a similar ordinance two days later. Rhodes filed a lawsuit in 2005, to overturn the law and ordinance. In 2009, a federal judge ruled in Rhodes' favor. The Clark County Commission subsequently approved a settlement deal with Rhodes that would allow development on the land, under certain conditions.
In 2011, Rhodes proposed an unnamed community that would have 7,000 homes. The proposal received some opposition, and Rhodes later agreed to swap his land for other acreage, allowing for the preservation of Blue Diamond Hill. However, discussions with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ended in 2014, without a swap deal. The BLM did not swap for Rhodes' property because it felt it had been disrupted by the mining operation. In 2016, Rhodes proposed another unnamed community that would have 5,025 homes. This proposal also received some opposition, leading to several lawsuits. The number of homes was later reduced to 3,500. The project remains unbuilt, although Rhodes still intends to proceed with development. His company, Gypsum Resources, was approved in October 2022 to build 429 homes across 671 acres.