Aladdin sues county over tunnel meeting

Brian Seals

Friday, Oct. 2, 1998 | 11:34 a.m.

Aladdin Gaming LLC sued Clark County, seeking to void the county's agreement with Bellagio owner Mirage Resorts over the redesign of Harmon Avenue.

Aladdin contends the county violated Nevada's open meetings laws in issuing notice of a hastily called meeting to approve the deal.

Attempts to contact county officials and Mirage Resorts officials for comment failed Thursday.

County commissioners approved Aug. 31 a plan that would turn Harmon into a major east-west thoroughfare via two single-lane tunnels underneath the Las Vegas Strip. Aladdin says that route would reduce traffic flow past the main entrance of Aladdin's planned $1.3 billion-plus resort.

The suit, filed in state court, seeks a declaration that the county violated open meetings laws, a declaration to void the plan and an injunction barring the county from contracting for work on the project.

Aladdin's suit states the company was not told of meetings over the weekend of Aug. 29 and 30 between the county and Bellagio representatives. Revisions to a long-standing plan that would have left Harmon on the same level as Las Vegas Boulevard were made during the meeting, the suit contends.

The suit claims the special meeting notice was not issued three days before the meeting, as required by state law unless there is an emergency, and that the notice failed to accurately disclose exactly what was being considered at the meeting, in particular the tunnel plan.

"As a result, the county's action on Aug. 31, 1998, was a denial of Aladdin's right to fairness and due process through inadequate notice," the suit states.