Columnist Ken McCall: Daily development disturbing desert’s ‘dust’

Ken McCall

Friday, April 11, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

WE LIVE IN THE DESERT and, let's face it, the desert is a dusty place.

At least it is when humans get a hold of it.

So while the city and county scramble to deal with concerns of Sun City residents -- a meeting is set next week to talk about how to cut down on beltway construction dust -- some longtime Las Vegans are wearily shaking their heads.

Susan Sobel, for example, is sympathetic to the health problems reported by some Sun City residents, but says she's "sick and tired" of hearing newcomers complain about dust.

Sobel, who's lived here all but two of her 36 years, says locals had to put up with dust from construction of all the new subdivisions ringing the city -- including Sun City.

"Even before all this growth was here," she says, "we used to have incredible dust storms.

"We live in the desert!"

Actually, says John Kennedy, chief air planner in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's San Francisco office, undisturbed desert isn't dusty at all.

"It's a clean environment," Kennedy says. "We get some of our lowest PM (dust) readings in the desert. The desert creates a hard film on top. It's when you break it with construction and roads and human activity that you get dust."

The desert isn't dusty, in other words, unless people are there to complain about it.

And newcomers have been complaining for a long, long time.

In the preface of his history of the valley: "Las Vegas: As it Began -- As it Grew," Stanley W. Paher describes the city scene at its founding in May 1905. The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad had just held an auction on lots in what is now downtown, drawing hundreds of people hoping to get a cheap piece of desert prosperity.

Paher writes:

"A day or so after the auction, one newcomer had only criticism for the burgeoning town. 'Las Vegas is unquestionably one of the dustiest places in all of creation,' he said while gazing at the countless mules and horses in long-line teams continually moving in and out of town. Mingling with these were dozens of two-horse teams drawing local delivery wagons with merchandise and supplies.

"As the heavy wheels of each rig cut deeply into the ungraded streets, puffs of powdery dirt arose to form an umbrella of dust over the town. Some of it settled into the wagon ruts to be churned by other wagons and teams, but most of it drifted onto tents and wooden houses and filtered through the cracks of walls.

"... Las Vegas also seemed to be in the path of every wandering dust devil madly twisting across the valley. Annoyed by hours of dust-laden fitful gusts, a Los Angeles Times reporter wiped his notebook and scribbled, 'To be happy in Las Vegas, one should not try to stay clean.'"

The desert, in short, can be a nasty place, yet we insist on trying to turn it into paradise. And our version of paradise includes building new homes -- and the accompanying new roads -- way out past the edge of town. Way out in the desert.

That's not to say residents way out in western Sun City don't have some valid concerns, particularly a sand and gravel processing plant just a stone's throw over their backyard wall.

Members of the Sun City Beltway Committee point to limitations on such plants in the county's development agreement with Howard Hughes Properties on Summerlin South. The 15 restrictions include a requirement to wash off gravel trucks and prohibit plants within a half-mile of any occupied residence, neither of which is being met by the plant just west of Sun City.

Though the restrictions may only apply to county territory south of Charleston Boulevard, nobody with the city of Las Vegas is saying the limits don't make sense for their bailiwick.

So the city is organizing a meeting with representatives of the county, Howard Hughes Development, Del Webb and the Sun City group to iron things out.

Deputy City Manager Lynn Macy says she's been talking to Howard Hughes officials about measures to keep down the dust.

One of the best pieces of news for local residents, however, is that the temporary plant's time is about up.

"Summerlin told us, if all goes well, it will be closed by September," Macy says.

Still, Macy wants to come up with ways "to make things more acceptable in the next few months."

But don't expect miracles, she cautions.

"Dust is inevitable when you live in an area with so much development."

So maybe things will get better when Las Vegas stops growing.

Don't hold your breath.

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