Zoning complaints fill council’s plate

Erin Neff

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1999 | 10:49 a.m.

The holiday spirit won't be felt very often in the Las Vegas City Council chambers this week as dozens of protesters plan public objections to planned zoning changes, new car dealerships and recent city decisions.

The Southern Nevada Homeless Coalition and the Las Vegas Catholic Worker, a nonprofit organization that feeds the homless, plan a "prayerful" protest right before the council's 1 p.m. planning and zoning session.

That protest deals with a resolution the council passed in July designating three parks in West Las Vegas to be children's parks. David Buer, chairperson of the Advocacy Committee of the Nevada Homeless Coalition, said the city lied when it promised not to enforce the resolution until negotiations took place between homeless advocates and those representing senior citizen interests.

Catholic Worker had been serving meals in one of the parks for nine years, and was recently told to cease such actions because the city had begun enforcing the resolution.

"We want the city of Las Vegas to immediately cease enforcing this resolution and negotiate in good faith to reopen these parks to the citizens of Las Vegas while protecting the playground areas of the parks for the children," Buer said.

He said several advocates and homeless individuals plan to address the council at the end of its afternoon session when public comment is allowed.

But by then the five-member board will already have had an earful.

Most of the protests inside the chambers will come during a public hearing to amend the city's general plan in the Town Center area.

The request by Centennial Ranch LLC and Centennial 95 Limited Partnership is to amend a portion of the plan by including the southeast corner of Buffalo Drive at the proposed beltway in Town Center. That area is currently zoned for rural density residential.

The request also asks to amend a medium-density residential zone to suburban mixed use and another site from suburban mixed use to general commercial.

City planners recommend denial of the rural density change and the change to general commercial. The Planning Commission also recommended denial of both. Both the city staff and Planning Commission are recommending approval of the medium-density to suburban mixed-use request.

About 115 protests were logged on this item alone when it came before the Planning Commission.

Another 21 people protested a similar general plan amendment request on the north side of Centennial Parkway between Buffalo Drive and Tenaya Way. That request -- also to add a rural residential zoned site to Town Center -- is also being recommended by staff and the Planning Commission for denial.

"I fully expect the same turnout at council as came before the commission," said David Petrovich, a city planning supervisor.

If that issue doesn't bring out residents, another planned development is certain to pack the chambers.

About 116 people protested Huff 1993 Trust's request on behalf of Laurich Properties to amend the general plan at Decatur Boulevard and Alta Drive from low-density residential to service commercial.

Both the Planning Commission and staff recommend denial.

Huff Trust is requesting the zoning change to build a 15,332-square-foot Sav-On drugstore. About 180 people protested that planned drugstore's special use permit to sell packaged liquor, and 181 protests were logged over Huff's plans to vacate a portion of Lorna Place south of Alta.

When the Planning Commission heard the related items, protesters claimed a service commercial zoning and subsequent development would allow unwarranted intrusion by commerce into a stable neighborhood.