Wednesday, July 7, 1999 | 11:20 a.m.
Local leaders testified before a U.S. Senate committee hearing today to ensure recognition from Washington of the critical needs facing the nation's fastest-growing region.
Sen. Harry Reid, assistant minority leader, convened the hearing of the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee at Las Vegas City Hall to discuss growth and livable communities.
The goal of the 3-hour hearing was to bring local and federal officials together with the business and development community to discuss ways to improve quality of life issues and make Southern Nevada's communities more livable.
"All you have to do is look at the traffic today to understand why we're here," Reid, D-Nev., said before testimony began.
About 87 percent of Nevada land is owned by the federal government, hiking the reasons why local and national officials must work together, he said.
"This hearing is to make sure the federal government is a partner, not an adversary, not a lone ranger," Reid said.
The perennial growth issues of transportation, redevelopment, the environment, water and mass transit topped the list of concerns voiced by local leaders.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who has made downtown redevelopment the cornerstone of his fledgling administration, said his city should not be considered the "poster child for sprawl" even though the most rapid growth is at the city's edge.
"We are clearly a young, vibrant, 20th century frontier town built around the car and technology," Goodman said.
During his testimony, Goodman said 50 percent of city residents are concerned with the effects growth is having on their quality of life. And, he said, more than 66 percent feel the pace of development is a contributing factor.
Reid opened the hearing by remarking about the astonishment felt by he and his wife, Landra, this past holiday weekend as they drove home from Searchlight and saw the effects of growth.
"As we came over the top of Railroad Pass, as we have been doing since we were both much younger, we were both amazed," Reid said. "Lights and homes and activity to the left and to the right as far as you can see."
U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., and U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Las Vegas, also gave opening statements.
"We don't want to become another L.A., another statistic," Berkley said. "Yet we will have to redouble our efforts if we are going to stay ahead of the curve."
Nuria Fernandez, deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, testified about the importance transportation plays in everyone's quality of life.
"Too often, Americans have become disconnected from their communities -- unable to walk peacefully without enduring the roar of traffic or unsafe road conditions, unable to get to jobs and shopping areas without facing gridlock, and unable to enjoy the amenities their communities offer," Fernandez said.
Others expected to testify today are: Clark County Commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury; Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson; County Commissioner Mary Kincaid; Pat Mulroy, executive director of the Southern Nevada Water Authority; and Allen Biaggi, administrator of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.
Gibson and Kincaid took part in today's hearing wearing two hats. Gibson represents the region's fastest-growing city but also chairs the Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority. Kincaid is chairwoman of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Also testifying were: Tom Stephens, director of the Nevada Department of Transportation; Jacob Snow, executive director of the Regional Transportation Commission; Richard Bunker, executive director of the Nevada Resort Association; Robert Lewis, president of Robert Lewis Homes and Jay Barton, president of Friends of Red Rock Canyon.
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