Officials seeking source of bogus mailer

Diana Sahagun

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2001 | 11:22 a.m.

City of Las Vegas and Clark County officials are investigating a mailer using official government seals that was sent to northwest valley residents seeking their thoughts on future commercial development.

The mailer, which was sent without permission, went out around the same time a controversial commercial project was being proposed on a county island near Tenaya Way and Alexander Road, surrounded by the city of Las Vegas.

The mailer, which uses the city's and county's seal, is from "Northwest Business Development Coalition." The mailer says the coalition is "working for a cleaner Southern Nevada" and uses a return address on Lake Mead Boulevard, at Buffalo Drive.

The Sun found the address is a post office box at Mail Boxes, Etc. There are no listings for the coalition in the Sprint phone book and the mailer does not offer a phone number.

The mailer is asking for responses to how residents would feel about office parks, shopping centers and convenience stores being built west of Tenaya.

Earlier this month, Edward "Brent" Lovett, president of Matrix Construction Consulting, sought recommendation from the Clark County Planning Commission for a 30,000-square-foot office complex near Alexander and Tenaya.

The request was shot down, but not before residents slammed the project because it is next to a residential area and is zoned residential. Lovett will appear before the County Commission March 7, asking for approval of the project, which also is next to a city park.

Northwest resident Tony Bruges, vice president of the Mountain Shadows Homeowner's Association, pointed out that the mailer asks how residents would feel about commercial projects that are located near the Lovett project.

"I think they're trying to get an opinion and use it when it comes to the hearing at the County Commission," Bruges said. "We keep telling everyone Town Center is where commercial belongs."

Lovett could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Several applications have left the city and the county dueling lately, particularly in the quickly growing northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley. The area includes both the city and unincorporated county and has numerous county "islands" surrounded by the city.

Las Vegas City Councilman Larry Brown has said that "no means no in Ward 4" to projects on county islands, which are not in sync with the city's master plan. In some cases where county islands exist, landowners resist annexation. The islands are particularly common on busy streets where the owners hope to eventually win commercial zoning.

A bill introduced in the Legislature would grant the city more ease in annexing county islands.

The property at Alexander and Tenaya is a prime example of land that will one day become commercial, said several Clark County Planning Commissioners at the recent meeting.

The city's and county's concern with the flier is the use of the official seals.

Las Vegas spokesman Andrea Reitan said the business licencing department and the city attorney's office are evaluating who the originator was and whether he or she received permission to use the city's seal.

The city's code prohibits use of the seal unless it is for city business, city-related, or authorized by the City Council. Any use of the seal without permission is a misdemeanor.

Clark County Spokesman Doug Bradford said the county has notified county attorneys, but officials are waiting to see what the city finds before proceeding.

Bradford added that typically he receives calls from people wishing to use the county's seal, but said he had not gotten a call from the Northwest Business Development Coalition.

City Council members Michael Mack and Brown -- who both represent the growing northwest -- received calls from residents who were questioning the flier and its intentions.

Mack said the flier looks like the survey is a cooperative effort between the city and the county because of the seals.

He pointed out that the survey, though, lacks credibility because it tells residents if they fill it out, they will be entered into a drawing for a free one week stay at the Sands of Kahana resort in Maui, Hawaii. The trip will be given away April 2, according to the flier.

"People are pissed of because they don't know who it is, and it's kind of ambiguous," Mack said.

"It looks like they are working on a zoning issue and are in favor of a project so they're trying to create some kind of database to get a petition to show favoritism to this project," Mack said.