WILL HOUSING KILL THE CHARM OF BONNIE SPRINGS?

‘We want it to feel like a rural area,’ developer says

The renderings are beautifully hand-drawn and colored. They depict a mountainous storybook village that could be vaguely Spanish or Italian. Visitors enter through an elegant circular driveway, pass under a charming stone archway, and then the new world of Bonnie Springs Ranch opens up. Gone are the equestrian stables, Wild West-themed town, petting zoo and train ride. In its place are picturesque buildings and a pond hugged by meadows and underlined by a natural spring. To the left: an “event barn” and outdoor amphitheater, which will be dug out against the natural slope so that the audience enjoys a mountain view. To the right: a farm-to-table restaurant, which will source produce from its surrounding gardens. Beyond that, the inn, swimming pool and more meadows.

And beyond that: the 20 residential lots that may or may not be visible, depending on the final number of trees. The developers have sufficient water

rights for grounds teeming with trees, but details aren’t yet finalized. (Since the plan remains in flux, the developers didn’t disseminate the renderings, but they did allow the Las Vegas Sun to view them.)

Beloved community gem

Located about 20 miles west of Las Vegas in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area, Bonnie Springs Ranch was first developed in 1843 as a wagon train pit stop. It opened as a tourist attraction in 1958, named after co-owner Bonnie Levinson, an animal lover who died at age 94 in 2016.

In its six decades of operation, Bonnie Springs became a popular, if quirky, tradition for multiple generations of Las Vegans, complete with tales of paranormal activity. But in the latter years, there were whispers that the Levinson heirs might sell.

Earlier this month, as news of a change at Bonnie Springs became public, rumors swirled around the internet. Other than some Clark County planning documents, details were scant, adding to the speculation. Spokespeople for the ranch itself declined to