Henderson has a master plan in mind for BLM land

Scott Reeder

Monday, Nov. 23, 1998 | 10:58 a.m.

Henderson sees potential in a 2,000-acre slice of empty desert that the federal government is selling.

The city has approached the Bureau of Land Management about purchasing the land due south of the Sky Harbor Airport.

"We are really at the preliminary stages of discussion," said John Rinaldi, Jr., property manager for the city. "I guess the feeling is if the city buys the land, it can control how it is developed."

Unlike other master-planned communities, such as Summerlin and Green Valley, the city rather than a private company would create the design for the community, Rinaldi said.

During the next decade, the BLM plans to sell off 27,000 acres of land that surrounds the developed area of the Las Vegas Valley. The land sale was authorized by legislation President Clinton signed last month.

But the cost to Henderson could be quite high.

"It would be sold off in a competitive bid process. But we have the option of allowing the city to match the high bidder and make the purchase," said Mike Dwyer of the Las Vegas field office of the BLM. "We haven't decided yet whether we will allow that."

While both the city and the BLM declined to give an estimate on the property's value, Jim Veltman, an independent urban planner, said such land is typically selling for $70,000 an acre. That would put a minimum price tag at $14 million.

"We have not looked at the actual value of the property yet," Rinaldi said. "We haven't even looked at financing options."

The BLM has not yet decided when the land will be sold.

The land is currently in unincorporated Clark County, but the city is considering annexing it, Rinaldi said.

"That's just a natural direction for Henderson to grow. I see real potential for us there," he said. "I really don't foresee any resistance from the county on annexing this land."

North Las Vegas has already annexed 7,500 acres the BLM is planning to sell, but it has made no move to buy any of the land.

Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson said the city wants to have a strong say in how that area is developed, and ownership is something it should consider. He said it is too early to identify a means for financing the project.

"When the city is the owner of a property, it can dictate to a stronger degree the set-asides for public facilities, such as parks, schools, trails," Rinaldi said. "We can also direct population densities."

Federal law calls for using 85 percent of the proceeds from BLM land sales to purchase environmentally sensitive lands elsewhere in Nevada. Another 10 percent will be used to fund water projects in Southern Nevada, and 5 percent will go to the state to pay for education programs.

Not everyone believes it is a wise idea for municipalities to get into the business of purchasing land for development.

"Why does the city of Henderson think they can do a better job than some private developer?" Veltman asked. "They can control how an area is developed by setting good design standards."

Gibson said the city has a strong track record in working with developers, and is considering the purchase not to make a profit but to control how the city grows.

"It is extremely important to us that we do everything we can to make sure that developments that continue to occur are compatible with what we already have," he said. "If we were to take control of the property in that area, we would be able to provide buffering from other types of uses that might not be compatible."

U.S. Sen Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said legislation's purpose was to give local government more say in the sale of federal lands.

"This really is landmark legislation," he said. "What this does is give cities more authority in the sale of land. Before the federal government could just sell land without talking to anyone."