Land swap may solve problems with proposed Sunset Village

Lisa Snedeker

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1998 | 11:22 a.m.

An area of desert sandwiched between Whitney Ranch and Whitney Mesa off Sunset Road may someday be home to a recreational area if a proposed land exchange between the city of Henderson and Pacific Properties and Development is approved.

The City Council gave a unanimous nod Tuesday for a resolution stating the city's intent to exchange 106.5 acres of city property at the entrance of the Seven Hills master-planned community for 144 acres known as the Sunset Village project owned by Pacific Properties.

Residents have 30 days to comment on the proposal.

After nearly a year of preparation, City Attorney Shauna Hughes told the council the Sunset Village project currently is slated for a mixture of high density single-family residential, multi-family residential and commercial development.

"I think what we are presenting will do several things, all of which are beneficial to the community," she said.

Because of construction problems created by the property's high water table, there is a lawsuit pending against the city which would be resolved at no further expense if the city owned the property, according to Hughes.

Neighboring residents have expressed concern that the current zoning is too intense for the area, Hughes said.

Members of the Whitney Ranch Homeowners Association, who also have experienced problems due to the high water table, have made a proposal to the mayor saying they would like to see the city take a proactive approach and turn the property into some type of recreational area, Hughes said.

"(If approved) we would have an opportunity to proceed with development of the Sunset Village project in a way that might be more compatible with the area and might provide an opportunity for a recreational amenity ... and address the water concerns there."

She said the source of the high water level has been pinpointed to lawn watering in the upper areas of Green Valley. The run off then takes a path which heads toward the Pittman Wash.

"There have been a variety of problems reported by people living in the Bluffs and Whitney Ranch," said Hughes, adding that in some areas of Green Valley natural underground springs run close to the surface. "Some people have reported water coming up in their yards and damp and soggy conditions.

"There is no contamination. This is just water and a lot of it."

Hughes said the proposal calls for an across-the-board exchange based on appraised values of both pieces of property.

Because the city's piece of property, located in the Horizon West planning area, was worth $4.5 million more than Pacific's parcel, the city took out a portion of its property worth that amount.

"That makes the value of the land being traded even," Hughes said.