Residents fight plan for development

Lisa Snedeker

Friday, Dec. 4, 1998 | 11:25 a.m.

Residents of the Black Mountain and Highland Hills areas got what they wanted Thursday night -- someone from the city to listen to their concerns.

Mayor James Gibson and Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers along with city planners met with some 40 residents at the Black Mountain Recreation Center to discuss a proposed commercial development on the northwest corner of College and Horizon drives.

The current owner of the property, Terra West of Las Vegas, plans to ask for an additional extension of time to rezone the area from residential to commercial at the Planning Commission's Dec. 17 meeting. If approved, the request will go before the City Council at its second meeting in January.

Meeting Chairman Bob DeBerry asked for a show of hands that revealed the majority in attendance were opposed to another commercial development in their neighborhood.

"As many of you did, we purchased our home in this area because there were churches nearby, there were schools nearby, there was a recreation center planned to go in and everything around it was zoned residential," said DeBerry, who lives in Black Hills.

In 1995, a developer purchased a 10-acre parcel on the corner with plans to build a commercial center, according to DeBerry.

Despite a meeting at that time with the developer at which about 175 residents turned out -- at least 90 percent of whom were opposed to commercial development of the property -- the council in February 1996 voted 3-2 to allow the rezoning.

DeBerry said petitions against the development were gathered and presented to city officials, but they were ignored.

"We made an attempt by going out with petitions for or against; letting people make their democratic choice," he said. "If going out and getting the citizens' wishes is not adequate for the City Council to decide the way the people want them to decide, then we need some input as to what would be valid."

Cyphers countered that she had to discount the petitions when she cast her vote for the development because they only allowed people to say they were against the development and some of the signatures were from outside the neighborhood as well as the city. She said, however, she would consider petitions that allowed people to vote for or against a proposal.

Gibson said that if residents were questioning if their opinions matter, especially about something that directly affects their neighborhood, there should be no question.

"The reason we are here is because we came to hear what the people have to say," he said. "It surely does matter."

Gibson added that since the item had not been formally brought before the council, they would not have heard about it except through letters and phone calls if they had not been invited to the meeting.

"I think this is a good thing for us to be able to sit here tonight and work our way through this," he said.

Gibson said he believed that everyone on the council, even those that originally voted for the commercial development, would be willing to "work hard to understand if there is anything new" to be considered when the next vote comes around.

Resident Don Edwards said he was concerned because the developer does not know at this time what type of businesses are planned for the shopping center.

Other citizens' concerns about the development included bringing an increase in traffic and crime as well as introducing gaming and liquor sales into their neighborhood.

"Another commercial property will only add to the problems the neighborhood must already contend with such as the obnoxious odor of frying grease, ... customers short cutting to the commercial property by climbing walls of private property, and the abundance of trash from the commercial property on the northeast corner of College and Horizon," resident Henry Jackson wrote in a prepared statement entitled "The Growth of a Slum" that he presented to the mayor.

"Developers should not profit at the expense of residents," Jackson continued. "Expand commercial endeavors on Boulder Highway, not in our neighborhood."