Flying into the future

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, March 8, 2000 | 11:13 a.m.

Randy Walker is not in full panic mode -- yet.

But if the House of Representatives fails to pass a bill Friday that would allow Clark County to construct a new full-service airport south of the Las Vegas Valley, the county aviation director might become a bit uneasy.

After all, Walker told the Clark County Commission on Tuesday that the 50-year-old McCarran International Airport is fast approaching capacity and the 6,650 acres in Ivanpah Valley is the only viable site for expansion.

"I'm not trying to be a Chicken Little and say the sky is falling," Walker said. "We're just trying to be good planners."

Walker presented the airport division's 20-year vision to commissioners, outlining plans to expand the D-gate wing and build another terminal, install more ticket counters and complete a consolidated car-rental facility.

Once McCarran is built to capacity, it will be capable of serving 55 million visitors annually -- about 22 million more passengers than it can currently handle.

Considering each new hotel room that opens on the Las Vegas Strip amounts to 320 more passengers at the airport, Walker said McCarran's build-out capacity simply isn't enough.

"When we reach our 55 million capacity, what do we do?" Walker said. "Do we build a new runway or build a new airport?"

The county answer is well-known -- a new airport. But it wasn't easy to find a solution because no other city or airport in the country has dealt with a population explosion close to what Clark County has experienced.

"I guess we're setting up the model," Walker said.

The county is "cautiously optimistic" the bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., will pass. If it does, the Ivanpah Valley airport would likely open in 2010.

While the House is set to vote on the bill Friday, the Senate version, introduced by Sen. Harry Reid, is stalled in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The bill has been tripped up by objections, some of which have been made by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., over environmental concerns.

Some environmentalists worry the airport would disturb wildlife in California's Mojave National Preserve, or that sprawl created by the airport would infringe on the preserve.

Reid's staff plans to meet in Las Vegas next week with the U.S. Park Service and Aviation Administration to discuss the airport's effect.

Should the airport project move forward, the setup of the two airports would be similar to Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport, which are also about 35 miles apart in the Washington, D.C., area.

Both Walker and Nevada representatives believe a new airport is vital to the Las Vegas Valley's economy. If McCarran becomes too congested, it will result in flight delays. And, he said, when average delays exceed 15 minutes, the airport will no longer be able to attract additional air traffic, which means fewer visitors.

"We are sympathetic to the concerns of (Feinstein) and the environmental community," David Cherry, a Reid spokesman, said. "But we don't want to prevent more tourists from coming to Nevada. We think we need the airport."

Ivanpah, located near the California border south of Jean, would first be used for cargo shipments but eventually would become a passenger terminal. It would likely serve travelers coming from the East Coast and overseas.

Walker said although the customer-service strategy is preliminary, the county's theory is that tourists who have already traveled for five hours will be less agitated by the 40-minute commute to the Strip than a passenger flying in from Los Angeles.

Walker also said Las Vegas Boulevard would be extended and other routes created to Ivanpah to keep airport traffic from further congesting Interstate 15 on weekends.

County commissioners expressed concerns about how the airport will affect nearby communities such as Sandy Valley and Goodsprings.

"The lifestyles out there are very, very different," said Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny, who oversees the rural desert community between Jean and Primm. "Once the airport goes in, and I'm in support of it, that all changes."

Walker said the land is the only swath of desert remaining in Southern Nevada that meets criteria for airspace, topography and surface access. He said flight paths will not be above communities.

He and commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury also assured the community that the area surrounding the Ivanpah airport will not be swarmed by casinos.

"We want to make sure we don't create another resort corridor out there," Woodbury said. "We will send a strong message when we do our master plan that there won't be another casino district out there. It's just not going to happen."

While the Ivanpah airport is by far the most significant project the county will embark upon during the next decade, the aviation division will also spend more than $1 billion on improvements to McCarran, North Las Vegas and Henderson Executive airports.

In the next decade, two new wings will be added to the D gates, which were built two years ago and are already full. A new terminal with a baggage claim area will also be built north of Russell Road.

Henderson will receive a terminal, two runways and two aprons to allow parking space for aircraft. North Las Vegas will build an additional runway and a new apron on the east side.

The county will also complete its consolidated car-rental facility off Gilespie Street south of Interstate 215. The complex will house up to 11 rental-car companies and will share shuttles from McCarran.

Walker said the airport isn't looking to make a profit from the space, but it will make considerably more money from leases than it does currently.

Some rental-car companies are reaching the end of 30-year contracts with the county. Walker said they are paying an average of $12,000 a month when the fair market value is now about $36,000.

The new car-rental complex is off airport property but it benefits travelers.

"It's the best solution we could find," Walker said. "The common shuttle bus will take a minute longer to get to the site because there is easier access.

"With all these improvements, by the beginning of the next decade, we'll be in a good position," he said.

Adrienne Packer covers county government for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-2310 orby e-mail at adrienne@lasvegassun.com