Residents skip advisory panel meeting

Valerie Miller

Thursday, Feb. 11, 1999 | 11:31 a.m.

What if you held a meeting and nobody came?

That was nearly the problem faced by the Henderson Citizens Advisory Committee Thursday as it tried to elicit feedback from residents before going forward with the second phase of a study plan.

The advisory committee sent public notices of its Wednesday meeting to approximately 400 people who reside or own property within 500 to 600 feet of Lake Mead Drive -- the heart of the proposed study area -- but the response was less than overwhelming, Chairman Manny Gomez said.

"We wanted to give citizens in the area a chance to speak before we heard presentations (from developers) because we respect their opinions," Gomez said after the meeting. But out of the 400 invited, only three or four showed up, he said.

In the first phase of its study, the committee received an enormous amount of response from the surrounding neighborhoods, especially from Calico Ridge residents angered at proposed industrial development that could come as close as 20 feet from their community.

The residents contended that industrial development would decrease their property values and increase traffic.

The issue of development on the 62 acres of industrial land was eventually referred to the city attorney's office for mediation.

The advisory committee intends to combine its plan for the remainder of the Lake Mead study area with recommendations from the city attorney's office for the Calico Ridge area to complete the first phase of its report. The recommendations will then be sent to the Planning Commission and City Council, Gomez said.

In the event mediation on the industrial land in Calico Ridge falls through, however, Gomez said the committee would be agreeable to tackling the issue again.

"With Calico Ridge, anything is possible," he added. "And if they (the city attorney's office) says 'look at it again' then that's what we'll do."

The status of mediation is in question. Calico Ridge residents who met Monday night to get a status on the project questioned whether the city had ended negotiations without informing them.

Henderson City Attorney Shauna Hughes said, "Right now, we have two choices -- either hold one or two more mediator sessions or provide a recommendation to the citizens advisory commission. We have come to the end of our negotiations."