The slumping housing market isn't going to keep Nevada super-lobbyist Harvey Whittemore from his dream of building tens of thousands of homes in Coyote Springs Valley, one of the driest spots in the state.
The story of how Whittemore was able to move forward with his plan is a lesson in how things sometimes work in Nevada for those who have connections. Whittemore's plan might not be an impossible dream, but it sure looks like an improbable one.
Whittemore is widely regarded as smart, hard-working, and likeable. He can smooth talk or twist arms, whatever it takes to get things done. When it comes to his plans for Coyote Springs, also known as Harveyville, he gets by with a little help from his friends.
"I didn't create the community. I didn't sell the land to the developer. It happened. Our problem is we have to deal with it," said General Manager Pat Mulroy, Southern Nevada Water Authority.
When water authority boss Pat Mulroy says she had little to do with the plans for a boomtown in Coyote Springs, she's being a bit too modest. Without her help -- and that of many other public officials -- Harvey Whittemore's grandiose vision could never have moved forward.
Whittemore is widely regarded as the most effective lobbyists in Nevada history, a man who gets what he wants. Coyote Springs could be exhibit A. In 1996, Whittemore's company bought 42,000 acres in Coyote Springs. His vision was to build up to 150,000 homes, along with 10 golf courses and a casino or two, even though the valley is 60 miles from Las Vegas and is home to endangered species and sensitive lands and has scarce water resources.
"There was a vision that a large piece of public, I mean private property, would make a phenomenal development," Mike Hillerby, Coyote Springs Development. The slip of the tongue by Coyote Springs executive Mike Hillerby is understandable since the land in question once belonged to the public.
