You are correct. The mall is in Summerlin. The actual governance of Summerlin is, however, a bit complicated. It’s wholly owned by The Howard Hughes Corp. and overseen by a trio of associations that represent the north, south and west parts of the community. But it’s not a city. Most of Summerlin lies within the city limits of Las Vegas but its southern third is part of unincorporated Clark County. So whether zoning decisions affecting Summerlin are made by the Las Vegas City Council or the Clark County Commission depends on whether the area in question is north or south of Charleston Boulevard, which marks the northernmost point of Clark County’s turf.
For instance, Summerlin Centre and Red Rock Resort are both south of Charleston. When Red Rock was approved, in late 2003, commissioners came under heavy pressure from Summerlin residents to hold Station Casinos to a 100-foot height restriction. Station wanted a 300-foot tower (plus two, 200-foot ones that were never built) and the County Commission – which was granting zoning variances at a 97.5% clip at the time – was inclined to agree. Station eventually agreed to a compromise height of 198 feet but still managed to get twice as much hotel tower as local activists wanted to see. So, as you approach Red Rock Resort and Summerlin Centre from the east, along Charleston, you will see a dramatic difference in height between commercial developments to the south (i.e., in the county’s jurisdiction) and to the north, in Las Vegas proper. It’s kind of schizoid but that’s what happens when you have divided governance of an area with the deceptively catch-all title of "Summerlin."
