Sky condo owners decry rooms without a view
By Brian Wargo / Staff Writer
The Sky Las Vegas condominiums on Las Vegas Boulevard near Circus Circus Drive are nearing completion.
Photo by R. Marsh Starks
For residents of the $350 million, 45-story Sky Las Vegas condo tower set to open this spring, a dark shadow is looming on the horizon
To the disbelief of many owners of the 409-unit luxury high rise on the Las Vegas Strip, the Clark County Planning Commission has given its blessing for the Maxim 300-room hotel and casino and 1,860 condominium units just south of Sky Las Vegas. Residents called the project too dense for the 8-acre site on the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard, just north of Circus Circus Drive.
Sky condo owners are now urging Clark County commissioners, which will has the final say on Feb. 7, to reject the request of Concord Wilshire Acquisitions, which based on their analysis of the drawings, would leave the residents in the dark and without the mountain and Strip views they expect.
"It looks like a wall of towers," said Bruce Hiatt, a broker and co-owner of Luxury Realty Group who along with more than 34 clients bought a condo at Sky. "My clients are outraged, and they are sending letters left and right (to commissioners) protesting this and demanding a public hearing and sitting down and talking because it's almost like putting a wall in your face."
The Sky Las Vegas condos are priced between $700,000 to in excess of $4 million. More than 50 units remain for sale.
Hiatt said owners who paid $1 million or more for a condo in the corner that has a southern view of the Strip will apparently have those Times Square-like views blocked. It also appears the Maxim project will take away sunlight from the tower and pool, residents said.
Maxim's attorneys, Kummer Kaempfer Bonner & Renshaw, are expected to argue that the project has the approval of county staff, the town board and planning commission. "We are not asking for any deviation of use permits that have not been granted to similarly-situated properties," said Chris Kaempfer, whose firm seeks entitlements for Las Vegas Valley projects, including Sky Las Vegas.
Residents said they realize they aren't entitled to views but it's wrong for developer to deviate from codes and blocks views, block sunlight, and cast shadows. That's not very neighborly, they said.
Kaempfer said views. shadows and sunlight aren't protected and said that it's considered an inescapable consequence of growth.
"Clark County commissioners have taken the position that views, especially on the Las Vegas Strip, are not a protectable interest," Kaempfer said.
The Maxim project is designed with three towers of 43, 42 and 35 stories with the highest point measuring 732 feet.
Maxim isn't entitled to that height, and instead it's left to the discretion of commissioners, said Clark County Planning Manager Chuck Pulsipher. Maxim has requested the county deviate from codes by allowing a high rise 122 feet from Las Vegas Boulevard where 200 feet is currently required.
Sky Las Vegas received a similar variance with its distance from Las Vegas Boulevard at 49 feet where 150 feet was required.
David Pourbaba, Sky's president, urged commissioners to delay any consideration of the project until Sky has a chance to conduct its own study gauging Maxim's impact. The review will take three to four months, he said.
Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, who represents the area, said she will urge her colleagues to delay the vote to give boths sides a chance to talk. She said she hasn't taken a position at this time.
Sky officials acknowledged a property owner's right to develop its site but said any project should take into consideration the environmental and community impacts it has on the neighborhood, existing developments and city resources.
Sky Chief Executive M. Aaron Yashouafar said he's optimistic commissioners will approve a project only if it's compatible with the surroundings.
Sky residents have expressed their outrage in letters to the commission. Gregory and Barbara Abbott of Las Vegas said it's not workable to have such a high-density project next to Sky. In addition to the lost views of the mountains and Strip and loss of sunlight and moonlight, it will be more difficult for emergency vehicles to service the community given the traffic.
Avis and Elliot Titcher of Philadelphia, who plan to use their condo as a second home, said they chose their unit for its views of the Strip and mountains.
"Since our unit would be overlooking Maxim, it is a real possibility we would have to keep our shades drawn as people could look into our apartment," the Titchers wrote. "That is totally unacceptable."
There will be 175,000 square feet of casino, restaurants, retail and bars and 465,000 square feet of convention space and back-of the-house areas.
Brian Wargo covers real estate and development for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. He can be reached at (702) 443-3604 or by e-mail at
wargo@lasvegassun.com.
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Could the mentioned B. Hiatt be the same person that was so critical of the homeowners on the other side of the strip who didnt want the tall developments by them. NIMBY. When the shoe is on the other foot, it may pinch a little. As a real estate expert as he is so quick to point out, he should know that views are not protected. I think he may have even said that himself.
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That is a dead project. The folks a Voyager do want to build a wheel in vegas, and there has been 5 failed locations. 
Sky Las Vegas
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