City clears way for senior housing

Lisa Snedeker

Thursday, Feb. 4, 1999 | 11:23 a.m.

High-density senior housing complexes can now be built in low-density residential areas in North Las Vegas.

In what has been described as the first of its kind, an agreement between a developer and neighboring residents has evolved into a resolution amending the city's land-use master plan, which was unanimously approved by the North Las Vegas City Council Wednesday night.

The resolution, which received the Planning Commission's approval last week, was sponsored by the Templeton Development Group.

"We think this is a good solution to the senior housing problem in North Las Vegas," said Bob Quinn, vice president of development and construction for Templeton. "Over the next few years the need for senior housing is definitely going to grow."

The resolution also will protect the neighborhood, Quinn said.

"The neighborhood recognizes that seniors are good neighbors," he said. "Their biggest concern was the precedent setting of a high-density project."

Quinn said after the meeting it was refreshing to work with neighbors, rather than fighting them in front of a city council or in court.

The resolution protects residential areas like the one on the southwest corner of Allen Lane and Alexander Road, where Templeton wants to build a 43-acre senior housing project, by requiring high-density developments to follow strict guidelines, Quinn said.

Mayor Michael Montandon said it is important to note that this is a citywide resolution, not site specific.

The resolution uses the Federal Housing Act's guidelines for senior housing including providing specific buffering and limiting the buildings to one story, according to Quinn.

The resolution, however, does not approve Templeton's project, which will come before the Planning Commission next week. Templeton's request to appeal the Planning Commission's denial for reclassification of the area from a single-family residential district to a planned-unit development district was continued to the City Council's Feb. 17 meeting.

Nearly 200 residents turned out to voice their objections to the Templeton project when it came before the City Council in October. At that time, the mayor asked the residents to meet with the developers in an effort to reach a compromise.

The 200 protesters were led by attorney Michael Brimley, who lives near the area where the senior project is planned.

Brimley, who helped negotiate the resolution with Templeton, said the resolution gives the City Council the opportunity to pick and choose which senior projects it thinks are compatible with certain neighborhoods.

Brimley also told the council that the majority of neighboring residents now support the project.

"We feel that we have come up with something that is a good compromise and certainly support the project at this time," he said.

No residents spoke out against the project Wednesday.