Smarth Growth gets attention of valley’s ‘movers and shakers’

Wednesday, March 1, 2000 | 10:08 a.m.

Growth and development are on the minds of people throughout the country, but especially in the swiftly growing Las Vegas Valley.

Decision makers and ordinary citizens in the Las Vegas Valley will discuss the impact of growth on this region during a conference called Smart Growth -- Real Solutions to be held later this month.

Hosted by the Urban Land Institute, a national nonprofit education and research institute, the Smart Growth conference will bring together academic teachers and researchers, environmentalists, urban planners, commercial developers and the politicians who make the final decisions that determine how growth will continue.

The conference is sponsored by Clark County, UNLV, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and other organizations. The conference will be held over three days -- March 16, 17 and 18 -- at UNLV.

"I think that it's an opportunity to learn what other communities have done to manage growth in a fashion that promotes sustainable development and economic vitality without compromising environmental quality and quality-of-life issues," said Jory Stewart, Clark County planning manager. "It's an opportunity to learn what works and doesn't work."

"Smart growth" has become a mantra promoted by politicians here and nationally. But the definition of the term is slippery -- what is smart for one person may be a terrible planning decision for another.

Defining what is smart growth -- and what is sprawl, or the negative effects of growth -- will be a goal for the conference, said Michael Newman, chairman of the conference organizing committee and an executive with Colliers International, a real estate firm with offices in Las Vegas.

The target audience for the first two days of the conference is the professional developers, policymakers and "movers and shakers" in the valley who have made the decisions governing development in Southern Nevada, a region that regularly leads the country in the pace of development.

The third day of the conference is for the entire community, organizers said. Booths and demonstrations will be on the UNLV campus March 18 to illustrate the region's rapid growth, and the response from various government agencies.

The conference is partially an outgrowth of a study conducted last year of 564 people living in the valley. The study investigated the residents' perception of the region's quality of life, said Paul Richitt, a UNLV assistant professor of environmental studies.

The EPA-funded study found that most people basically like living in the Las Vegas area but are increasingly concerned about traffic congestion, water and air quality and other growth-related issues.

Richitt will host a talk at the conference on protecting open spaces.

County Commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury is another scheduled speaker. He said the perennial issues of transportation, flood control and air quality are likely to generate discussion at the conference.

Issues of land-use planning and so-called spot zoning probably also will come up, Woodbury said.

"Obviously, there's a long list of issues that need to be addressed, and addressed on a regional basis," he said.

Scheduled speakers also include former Gov. Bob Miller; David Howekamp, EPA regional air division director; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman; Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson; North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon; environmentalists, professional planners and researchers from across the country.

Issues slated for discussion include: quality of life and economic viability; local and state government cooperation; efficient delivery of public infrastructure and services; and what smart growth means to Las Vegas.

Newman said the conference may spawn similar events in the future. The key to the conference's success is not to push a particular agenda or point of view, he said, but to represent diverse opinions and ideas on growth and development issues.

Launce Rake covers growth issues for the Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-4127 or by e-mail at lrake@lasvegassun.com.