Vocal group opposes NLV senior housing plan

Jace Radke

Thursday, Oct. 22, 1998 | 12:05 p.m.

About 200 citizens showed up at the North Las Vegas City Council meeting Wednesday holding florescent signs and wearing stickers protesting plans for a high-density development in their residential neighborhood.

The application, made by the Templeton Development Group, is for a 43-acre senior housing complex on Alexander Road between Allen Lane and Valley Drive.

"Changing the zoning on this property is going against the city's staff and the Planning Commission, which have both recommended denial," said Michael Brimley, a resident in the area where the proposed zoning change would take place, and a spokesman for the group of 200 residents. "Changing the zoning is inconsistent with the master plan and most importantly it is against the voice of the people."

The council continued the item until its Nov. 18 meeting at Mayor Michael Montandon's suggestion so that citizens could take the time to meet with the developers of the project.

Mike Ballard, a spokesman for Templeton, said he was surprised at how vocal the protest against the development is.

"They just allowed a casino to be zoned between them and their closest grocery store," he said, "but we understand their desire to protect their neighborhood."

Residents said they wanted to voice their concerns about the proposed development, because even though it was not recommended by city staff or the Planning Commission, the developers have been using a public relations campaign in an attempt to sway people in the neighborhood.

"What we are looking for is the officials to be responsive to our situation," Brimley said. "The people have a voice and we put these people in office. Our main concern is that the council listens to the people and responds to us."

The neighborhood and the surrounding area is currently zoned as a single-family residential district.

Ballard noted that Templeton has owned the property at issue for more than 25 years.

Until last year it was zoned for 245 single-family homes but Ballard said the company let the zoning lapse and is trying to get it re-zoned for 10-plus units per acre, or 440 rental units.

He said Templeton has changed its focus since the original zoning and now is in the business of constructing housing for senior citizens.

"Templeton Development is the leading builder of senior housing in Southern Nevada," he said.

The proposed project would be for "active senior adults" who will be provided shuttle service for banking, groceries and other services.

But, many area residents oppose the idea.

"There are schools in the neighborhood including Cheyenne High School and Swainston Middle School and we don't want high-density development in this area," said Charles Bennion, the president of the Citizens for Honorable Government.

The citizens that are against the zone change may have a long fight on their if developer Ken Templeton employs the same tactics that he used to get a similar senior development approved in 1995 near the corner of Jones Boulevard and Flamingo Road.

In that case, citizens also questioned whether the development broke zoning rules. Templeton sued the County Commission when it first voted against the project, but the court refused to hear the lawsuit.

Templeton continued to revise the project by cutting the number of units from 355 to lesser amounts until the commission passed off on the project at 171 units in May 1995.

Templeton bused in dozens of senior citizens from as far away as Henderson to the meeting to help convince the commissioners to rule in favor of the development.

Myrna Williams, the only commissioner to oppose the development and not buy into Templeton's carefully orchestrated defense, which side-stepped the zoning issues and emphasized sentiment for seniors, said that she felt Templeton had tried to cloud the real issue.

"It disturbs me when we get issues like this, that extraneous issues as important and meritorious as senior housing are brought in to cloud the real issue," Williams said at the time. "The real issue is whether we want a corridor of dense population not zoned or guided for it."

Ballard down-played the impact of the high-density housing project for the elderly and expressed confidence area residents will be convinced the plan is a good one.

"We requested a continuance (of Wednesday's council meeting) so we can help the city of North Las Vegas, along with residents, to craft a senior housing ordinance similar to ordinances in Clark County and Henderson," Ballard said. "We invite input from anybody in the area to assist us in this."

He said many residents have already shown willingness to work with Templeton.

Ballard said he hopes the entire re-zoning process can be completed in 60 days.

"That's the fastest we can do it with all the public hearings," he said.