Henderson advisory panel to tackle Calico Ridge problem again

Valerie Miller

Thursday, March 11, 1999 | 10:41 a.m.

Henderson's Citizens' Advisory Committee is due to get a second chance to tackle the hot issue of industrially zoned land near the Calico Ridge neighborhood.

Chairman Manny Gomez told fellow members Wednesday night that the advisory committee intends to set aside its next two meetings to deal with the controversial issue, which drew as many as 200 residents to some meetings last year.

Residents of Calico Ridge, a subdivision developed in the 1980s on Henderson's northeast side between Olsen Street and Lake Mead Drive, had loudly protested planned development on about 60 acres of industrially zoned land that could come as close as 20 feet from their community.

They claimed such development would increase crime, traffic congestion, drive down property values and destroy their peaceful way of life.

In response to residents' concerns, the matter was referred late last year to the city attorney's office for mediation, in hopes of working out a compromise acceptable to residents, developers and the city.

Mediation was reportedly concluded in February, but Gomez said he is still waiting for official word on the outcome of negotiations and the final report.

Gomez said he expects the report from the city attorney's office toward the end of March. That report and the results of a sound study on the area will be topics of future meetings, he said. The next one will be March 24.

The sound study, paid for by the city, was recently completed to assess how noise from future industrial development in Calico Ridge could affect the surrounding community, Gomez said.