North Las Vegas: City may finance lighting for fields

Diana Sahagun

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1999 | 10:14 a.m.

A future park in North Las Vegas may soon give youth a place to practice their fancy footwork after the sun goes down if the city decides to finance the lighting for approximately $250,000.

At Wednesday night's City Council meeting, the council will decide whether to pay for the lighting of three youth soccer fields at the James K. Seastrand Park in the Eldorado master-planned community.

The 23-acre city park, slated for completion in mid-June, will be the second largest park in North Las Vegas, and the largest park in the northwest part of the city.

The park was named after former longtime Mayor James Seastrand, who was instrumental in opening up the vast northern Las Vegas Valley to development in the 1980s by pushing for the construction of the Eldorado community. Seastrand served 16 years as mayor and six more as a councilman.

In December 1997 Pardee Construction Co. purchased 1,080 acres previously owned by the Bureau of Land Management for the development of Eldorado.

Last March the council approved an agreement calling for the transfer of 34 acres of open land owned by the city to Pardee, in order to develop single family housing in Eldorado. In exchange, Pardee agreed to construct a $3 million city park on approximately 23 acres on the northwest corner of Camino Eldorado and Tropical Parkway.

The agreement revised the development's original land-use plan to build a a 10-acre park that would have cost $1.25 million.

Klif Andrews, Las Vegas area manager for Pardee, said soccer field lighting was not part of the original agreement, but something the city has requested to provide additional services to those using the park.

According to the contract, Pardee has proposed building six youth soccer fields and two lighted youth baseball fields along with volleyball, tennis and basketball courts. Basic lighting around the park is estimated to cost $375,000.

Andrews said Pardee did not originally want to illuminate the soccer fields because the additional lights might become a nuisance to residents, but has agreed to install the lights if the city funds it. The park will be one-half mile away from existing Eldorado homes.

Parks and Recreation Director Eric Dabney said several council members have said they would like to see lights around the soccer fields. And the parks department is also supporting the request, he said.

If the city decides to fund the lighting, the money will come from the residential construction tax, which assesses a 1 percent fee up to $1,000 maximum on every new residential development. The proposed District 3, the area north of Cheyenne Avenue with the most rapid growth in the city, is averaging $400,000 a year in assessment tax, Dabney said.

"The park will be open to all citizens, and will increase the amount of open space for all residents," Dabney said.

The Eldorado community borders 7,500 acres of BLM land the city hopes to eventually turn into a master-planned community. The park will be one-quarter mile away from the land bound by Decatur Boulevard, Grand Teton Drive, Lamb Boulevard and Centennial Parkway.

The park will also border the proposed Las Vegas Beltway, which, when completed, will link U.S. 95 and Interstate 15. The first stage of the North Las Vegas segment of the beltway should be complete at the end of 2001.

Andrews said he hopes the park will be a positive example to show what a master-planned community and park can do for the city.

"This park is an important step toward what the city hopes to do with the 7,500 acres," he said, adding that Pardee continues to be interested in the land.

Andrews hopes the park will support a higher quality of living not just in the community of Eldorado, but around it.

"The park will be cleaner, safer and more likely to be maintained properly because it is in Eldorado," he said. "The park is geared toward family and youth sports, because there is a real shortage of fields in North Las Vegas."

Grading has already begun on the park, and landscaping is expected to begin in January. The park should be complete by mid-June, ready for a grand-opening party July 4.

In addition to soccer and baseball fields, there would be tot lots, restrooms and picnic areas. With extra money left in the budget, Pardee has also added amenities to the park that were not within the agreement, including a jogging/walking path with exercise stations along the path.

Also proposed are two separate parking areas to alleviate congestion in the surrounding neighborhoods following big events such as soccer tournaments.

According to the contract, Pardee will maintain landscaping on site for 90 days after completion. After the 90-day period, the city will accept ownership and maintain the park at an estimated $212,000 for six months. That price tag, which is in the city's fiscal year 1999-2000 parks and recreation budget, includes hiring two new maintenance workers.