Northwest citizens group knows how to fight City Hall — and win

Thursday, Sept. 16, 1999 | 9:38 a.m.

Picnic

The Northwest Citizens Association is celebrating its 20th anniversary at a picnic noon Saturday at Lone Mountain Park at the corner of Craig Road and Jenson Street. Call 645-1011 or 655-0302.

An organization devoted to curbing unrestrained development in the northwest corner of the Las Vegas Valley is preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The Northwest Citizens Association was formed in 1979 by residents concerned about gravel trucks running through what was then a sparsely developed part of the county. Since then, the association has taken on some of the thornier development questions.

Developers have for years eyed the area, seeking to put in commercial and high-density housing developments. Lone Mountain and some of the nearby neighborhoods still retain much of their rural character, despite being just a few minutes away from U.S. 95 and, as a result, a short drive to downtown.

"We feel that we've been successful over the years, primarily because we have some very active members," association President Carroll Varner said. He joined 17 years ago.

"Our victories center around our efforts to prevent commercialization of our area and to protect the rural lifestyle."

County planners agree that the organization has made a difference in the kind of development that has occurred in the past two decades in the area.

Elected officials "have constantly listened with great interest to any concerns" that come from the association members, Lesa Coder, director of the county's current planning division, said. "From the staff's perspective, their input is absolutely essential in the decision-making process."

She said the organization is often successful in getting its concerns translated into policy.

The association boundaries start at Alexander Road and go as far as Kyle Canyon Road.

Association members are vocal challengers of attempts to reduce lot sizes, change water policies, restrict the right to own or keep livestock and other issues. They often are present at citizen advisory board meetings, at Las Vegas City Council meetings and at meetings of the County Commission.

Group membership is available to families that live on a half-acre or more in the area. Those from outside the area but who share the same concerns can become associate members. About 400 families are full members of the organization.

Membership is $10 per year. The association is governed by an eight-person elected board.

Varner, a retired Las Vegas city employee, also serves as a member of the Lone Mountain Citizen Advisory Board, among other advisory groups.

He said the association and its members aren't anti-growth. They just want to keep high-density and commercial development in the proper place -- generally out of their neighborhood. The organization is willing to sit with developers to work out compromises, he pointed out.

Fionda said the region's political leadership can expect to see more of the association in the coming years.

"We have to keep our eye on everything," she said. "We certainly could use people who are enthusiastic and would like to share some of that enthusiasm with us."