Community concept approved by council

Launce Rake and Jace Radke

Thursday, June 7, 2001 | 11:40 a.m.

The North Las Vegas City Council has unanimously approved an agreement with North Valley Enterprises to develop a 1,900-acre parcel into a master-planned community.

The community, likened to Summerlin and Green Valley Ranch, will be the first of its kind in North Las Vegas. City officials hope the community will provide a spark to boost city revenues and attract upscale businesses and residents.

"It's been a long process," Councilman William Robinson said. "For me it has been over a decade, and I'm extremely excited to see it happening after so many years. It should be really beautiful."

North Valley Enterprises, a partnership between the Del Webb Corp. of Phoenix and American Nevada Corp. of Las Vegas, presented a conceptual plan for the community during Wednesday night's council meeting.

The conceptual plan is a preliminary sketch of the elements that will go into the master-planned community. North Valley Enterprises has agreed to provide the city with a full development agreement on or before Oct. 1.

The development area is roughly bordered by Grand Teton Drive on the north, Centennial Parkway to the south, Decatur Boulevard to the west and Clayton Street to the east.

The Las Vegas Beltway expansion will run through the development.

The plan calls for an 850-acre development of family homes and a 360-acre age-restricted community.

As in other master-planned communities that have bloomed in the Southern Nevada desert in the past two decades, a hotel-casino is part of the conceptual plan.

Walking paths will be on 35-foot buffers along streets with sidewalks to provide pedestrian safety and a good experience for drivers, a spokesman with American Nevada said.

Among other elements in the preliminary agreement between the city and North Valley Enterprises:

* The company will provide $2.5 million for public facilities, including a fully outfitted fire station, a police substation and a municipal services center. Land will be set aside for schools.

* The number of houses, apartments and other homes is set at a maximum of 7,500. The overall housing density will be 4.32 units per acre.

* The partnership will provide comprehensive drainage and transportation studies for the new community.

* North Valley Enterprises will spend $7.25 million for 45 acres of park space. "Linear" parks and trails will also be part of the final development agreement.

Del Webb and American Nevada, which is owned by the Greenspun family, owners of the Las Vegas Sun, paid $47.2 million for the site at a Bureau of Land Management auction in May.

North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon said the project is attracting developers to the city.

"It's pretty exciting to be part of a win-win project," Montandon said. "It's also exciting to have a steady stream of developers through my office with interest in being a part of this project."