Strategic planners showcase their work

Scott Reeder

Friday, Jan. 15, 1999 | 11:45 a.m.

It was a day of self congratulation.

Politicians of every stripe gathered at the Sawyer State Office Building on Thursday and talked about all they had accomplished.

The Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority formally presented its plan to the state Legislature, about 18 months after that body created it to examine growth issues in the Las Vegas Valley.

"This group has just done terrific work," Sen. Jon Porter, R-Boulder City, said. "In fact, they did even better than I had ever hoped."

Perhaps the most powerful legislator in Nevada, Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, showed up to give his thumbs up for the plan, which critics have described as vague and meaningless.

In fact, some legislators believe the state, not the authority should take the lead in managing and planning growth issues.

But Raggio disagreed.

"We are available to help, but we are not there to drive the train," he said.

For Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, the signal was clear.

"I think he was sending the message that we aren't going to see any urban-growth legislation considered by the Legislature this year, other than what is endorsed by this authority."

Titus called the authority "window dressing for doing nothing."

"This isn't a strategic plan. All that they did is go around to the different governmental entities and see what their plans were and then staple everyone's plan together and call it a strategic plan," she said.

But North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon said the real accomplishment of the authority is that it fostered a dialogue between Clark County and the various cities of Southern Nevada.

Twenty-one community leaders spent 3,000 hours and more than 18 months looking at growth in Southern Nevada and wrote a plan costing $1 million.

The authority found a need for greater coordination among various jurisdictions when planning roads and other transportation issues.

But it is deferring to the Regional Transportation Commission to develop a detailed plan for transportation.

The authority also calls for another study to be conducted to determine whether a public monorail system is needed for Las Vegas.

"Oftentimes, when someone says, 'Let's study it,' they really mean, 'I hope this issue will just go away,' " Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani has said.

The authority is recommending that the valley have 2.5 acres of park space for every 1,000 residents. Currently, there is about one acre for every 1,000 residents in the Las Vegas Valley.

The drafters of the plan say more park space than that is not necessary because of the abundance of federal park land available in the area.

The county and the municipalities need to issue bonds to purchase land and develop parks, the plan said, and a steady income stream needs to be established to pay off the bonds.

The area will need to spend between $574 million and $769 million to expand its park system, the authority estimates.

While the authority does make specific recommendations, it has not developed a mechanism to require that area governments will follow through with those recommendations.

The authority is calling for the development of a comprehensive plan for management of the Las Vegas Wash. But it is calling for the Southern Nevada Water Authority to coordinate the development of a plan for management of the wash.

The plan also calls for developing a smog-check program for cars and trucks with diesel engines and more strict testing of vehicles already being tested.

Porter said he is optimistic that the authority has begun the process that will lead to greater cooperation.

"I guess the biggest difference between me and those who have been critical of the plan is that I believe in less government, not more," Porter said.