Roos-n-More is getting another chance.
The Clark County Zoning Commission voted unanimously at its Wednesday meeting to reconsider the Moapa zoo’s application for special use permits, which it had denied at its meeting last month.
That means, at least for now, the zoo’s monkeys, otters, armadillos, kangaroos, wallabies, porcupines — and more — can remain on the nine-acre rural property, owned by husband and wife veterinarians Valerie and Jay Holt, until the commission re-hears the matter in five weeks.
Last month, the commission told the zoo to cease operations and develop a plan to move all of the zoo’s more than 200 animals off the property within the next six months.
However, Commissioner Mary Beth Scow, who initially voted to deny the permits, requested the board consider rehearing the matter.
“This reconsideration came after our feelings toward Tom,” said Commissioner Lawrence Weekly of former Commissioner Tom Collins, who resigned from his post last month. “He was very concerned about us denying the application. We talked about it and Commissioner Scow said, ‘Let’s reconsider.’”
Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick, who was sworn in yesterday to take Collins’ seat, said that she plans to go to Moapa on Tuesday with her staff to evaluate how the zoo can address concerns that commissioners and neighbors — primarily adjacent property owner Linda Dey and her husband — raised last month about the zoo.
“I hope the board would indulge me in the opportunity to get things moving in the right direction,” Kirkpatrick said at the meeting. “I want things to be resolved sooner rather than later.”
Though the Holts were not present at Wednesday’s meeting, their lawyer Christopher Kaempfer spoke to the commissioners on their behalf. In an interview after the meeting, he said he expected things to be “unquestionably” different when they return to the commission in five weeks.
The Deys were also present at the meeting but declined to comment.
The beleaguered zoo has struggled to stay afloat financially since inspectors from Clark County and the Southern Nevada Health District closed the it to the public in January 2014.
Inspectors determined the facility lacked a commercial septic system and that it was not ADA compliant, among other issues.
Though the Holts have made a number of improvements to their property, commissioners raised concerns last month about what appeared to be an ever-expanding zoo in a residential area.
Commissioners also expressed concern over an April report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which revealed that some of the animal enclosures had protruding wires, were dirty or had flies.
Though the commission previously allowed the zoo to host small, private tours on-site, while the permits went through the commission, the Holts will not be permitted to host anyone on site during the next five weeks.
They will, however, be allowed to continue to take their animals out for events for school groups, churches or local organizations.
The Holts moved to Moapa in 2006 with a small collection of animals — 15 kangaroos and wallabies. Over time, they acquired the other animals through purchases and rescues.
The commission also approved on Wednesday use permits for the Wayne Newton museum at Casa de Shenandoah to keep almost 100 animals on the property, including wallabies, peacocks and a capuchin monkey.
However, the museum will not be allowed to replace any animals as they die off or acquire any additional animals.
Similar to the situation with Roos-n-More, neighbors raised concerns at the meeting about how the museum’s animals impinge on the surrounding community, testifying that the museum’s peacocks sometimes wander into neighboring backyards or into the street.
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