Developer looking to move forward at Toquop

C & O Holdings, part of Olympia Companies in Las Vegas, are owners and planned future developers of 5,317 acres in parcels A and H in the Lincoln County Land Act, commonly referred to as Toquop, located at the extreme southeast corner of Lincoln County.

C &O is seeking to develop their land called Lincoln Highlands, and Las Vegas attorney Ed Lubbers, and company vice-president of planning Chris Armstrong gave an update on the development project and options to the Lincoln County Board of County Commissioners Sept. 16.

Lubbers said land prices are starting to go up there, ?and the need for us to sell is going to start picking up again. Based on what we see in the current recovery, we could begin to anticipate closings on houses in that property in 2018, and by fall of 2023 have as many as 5,000 units there, with a population of about 9,000 if it were adults-only housing. If not restricted to adults only, the population could be as many as 12,200.?

C & O has created an ordinance to create a township in their development and form interlocal agreements between Lincoln County and the town for recreation and the building department for traffic and drainage.

What remains to be done, Lubbers said, was to have interlocal agreements between the town and the City of Mesquite for sewer services, and with the Lincoln County Water District as the water provider. Other agreements also need to be worked out for fire protective services, garbage, ambulance, telephone and cable.

He hoped there would not be a problem with sewer capacity that would limit the number of units that could be built and wanted to be involved in the discussions.

Talks still need to be held with the County School district for what schools would be needed, and with the Sheriff to find out, ?what, if anything, this development means for him and plans on that.?

The plan would be to have as many utility services as possible provided by Lincoln County, so interlocal agreements would be relatively smooth.

He said fire protection and sewer would probably, at first have to come from the City of Mesquite, because of their close proximity to Toquop.

Armstrong said for the same reason, hospital and medical services would likely have to be worked out also with the City of Mesquite, as well as first responder services.

Commissioner Paul Donohue said it was his understanding the County would create the agreements with the City to provide services to the Lincoln Highlands development.

Lubbers felt C & O Holdings needed to have some input on the memorandum of agreements the County might arrive at with the City of Mesquite.

County Water District Manager Wade Poulsen said he understood that the County and the City would work out ?a united front in providing the services, and who would be responsible for what.?

The developer, Poulsen said, would then be able to contact the right agency for providing the appropriate service.

During the discussions Donohue mentioned the plan of development between the County and? C & O Holdings needs to be revisited, perhaps even perhaps extensively, but did not want to hold up the company from going forward with their development plans.

Planning Director Cory Lytle also cautioned that the County needs to look at many continuing and future questions as well as being aware that in taking on the job of providing a number of the services, including parks and recreation, ?Who is going to maintain these things, without burdening the existing citizenry in Lincoln County? A lot of that is really going to have to be looked at.?

Lytle also brought up the question of if C & O Holding creates a township on their two parcels, what happens if the developers on the other parcels don?t want to have a town around them?

Lubbers said he could dismiss such an idea, because with the plan C & O Holdings has, ?we benefit the others and the other benefit us. This area is going to create a little island within Lincoln County. I don?t see how a nearby owner would be threatened at all by that. It will benefit everybody in the long run.?