Editorial: Getting it done right on zoning

Friday, Jan. 29, 1999 | 11:04 a.m.

Hopefully the Las Vegas City Council's postponement Monday of an important zoning vote, involving a request by developers to change the zoning for auto dealerships in the huge Town Center commercial development, isn't a foreshadowing that it is prepared to weaken a tough new zoning ordinance.

Sometimes elected officials delay a vote in an effort to get both sides to work out a compromise that is fair to all involved. But it also has been the case in the past that local politicians postpone a zoning change request hoping that neighborhood opposition will subside: It is easier to pass a controversial plan if opponents get worn down and tire of having to show up for repeated council meetings.

Southern Nevada officials talk ad nauseam about improving the quality of life. But a decent quality of life isn't just about having enough schools and parks, or less traffic and pollution, it also is about moving into a neighborhood and having reasonable assurances that the zoning of a vacant lot down the street won't metamorphose overnight from residential to commercial. In addition, even for those parcels of land already zoned commercial, area neighbors should be able to sleep at night knowing that unsightly variances will not be granted for businesses. For instance, while large and tall signs may be good for a business, they also can take their toll on area residents.

In the case of Town Center, exhaustive hearings were held on its master plan in an effort to get input from local residents and developers. What emerged was a compromise, one that would allow for a high-density commercial area near residential development. In an effort to get neighborhood residents on board, strict zoning was put in place. Yet the very first development at Town Center wants to put up towering signs, which are at odds with the zoning.

If the council gives the developers a green light to erect 90-foot signs, before you know it there will be a flood of zoning change requests, seeking comparable and even more extensive changes. Eventually the existing zoning code will be so riddled with holes it will look like Swiss cheese.

The city has a great opportunity to get off to an excellent start with the Town Center project. It won't make up for years of poor planning in other parts of the valley, but it can send a strong message that the council is serious about bettering its residents' quality of life by listening to homeowners' views.

Local residents who want to live in decent neighborhoods away from the shadow of commercial businesses have every right to expect some consistency in zoning. There was no need to postpone Monday's decision; the council's staff made a solid recommendation that the request should be denied. The council should reject this proposal and adhere to the common sense zoning it has developed for Town Center.