Vets upset at nursing home snag

Monday, May 11, 1998 | 9:55 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Veterans organizations aren't happy about suggestions to build the $19 million state Veterans Home in Boulder City.

All along, the home has been planned for Fifth Street and Craig Road in North Las Vegas, but soil tests at that location turned up problems, spurring suggestions that the long-awaited home be built instead in Boulder City.

Ed Gobel, vice president of the Council of Nevada Veterans Organization, says a possible shift of the 180-bed skilled nursing home to Boulder City would discourage visitors from traveling the distance to see relatives.

The state Public Works Board reported the soil problems in North Las Vegas to the Legislative Interim Finance Committee last week. The problem could add $2 million to the cost, the board reported. The finance committee will tackle the issue of extra cost and the new location when it meets again next month.

The soils problem was also outlined Saturday to the state Veterans Advisory Commission, meeting at the Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas. Eric Raecke, manager of the Public Works Board, led the briefing.

Charles Abbott, director of the state Veteran Affairs Commission, said there was disappointment, as there has been so much work put into the North Las Vegas site. He said this was a good location, close to public transportation, the Mike O'Callaghan federal hospital and a veterans clinic.

About $12 million of the $19 million will come from the federal government but the state must have its application, along with an environmental impact statement, submitted by Sept. 30 to qualify for money this year. The Nevada congressional delegation is seeking permission to have the date extended as the result of the soils findings.

Gobel said Sunday he can't understand why state officials did not find out sooner that the soils at the North Las Vegas site, which is near other facilities, is bad. "We want to see the engineering reports. It seems incredible that they toured the site several times and just found out," he said.