Smooth waters at Lake Las Vegas follow the storm

Greg Harman

Wednesday, July 19, 2000 | 10:51 a.m.

An agreement to agree is all it took to keep a major condominium project on track for the southern shore of Lake Las Vegas. And nobody is complaining about the newly calmed water.

The proposed 259-unit condominium development had raised residents' concerns over loss of views and possible violations of covenants. But developers and residents reached an ambiguous agreement hours before Tuesday night's Henderson City Council meeting, assuring the item's approval by the board.

"This has been a very difficult, arduous job," said Tom Dobron, president of Innovative Resort Communities, which has teamed up with Lake Las Vegas Joint Venture on the project.

The agreement, submitted to the city clerk with various harried amendments and initials minutes before the council's unanimous approval of the project, holds that both parties will reach an independent resolution by August 20. Should the attempt fail, both parties agree to allow the planning department to settle the matter and abide by its decision.

Lead community complainant Dick Sullivan, who last week was venting criticisms of the city's handling up the matter, praised the council's work at mediation.

"City government is not an event, it is a process," Sullivan told the council. "You have set a high standard for city government. We appreciate that."

A second major development for Lake Las Vegas, the MonteLago Village, which includes a Ritz-Carlton hotel and casino, was approved with no introduction by the applicant and scant discussion by council members.

"This project can only add to the beauty and grace that is Lake Las Vegas," Councilman Jack Clark said. "You really have done a wonderful job out there."

Plans for MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas include more than 1,000 hotel rooms and condominiums, 144,700 square feet of retail and restaurant space and a 36,000-square-feet spa.

Conspicuously absent from the meeting was Betsy Gonzalez, attorney for Lake Las Vegas resident Steve Arrington, who objected to both endeavors at a recent Planning Commission meeting on grounds that they violated the homeowners' covenants.

Gonzalez had alleged that the covenants had been illegally revised without consulting homeowners.

Efforts to contact both Gonzalez and Arrington on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

In the coming weeks the two sides will try to reach agreement on maintaining views of the Muddy Mountains to the northeast of the resort as well as surrounding ridgelines and Lava Butte.

Sullivan said the hope was that the concerns of homeowners may be assuaged by revised architectural plans that are expected to give renewed interest in protecting view corridors of neighboring residents.