Opposition to college subsides

Jeffrey Libby

Wednesday, June 20, 2001 | 10:32 a.m.

Just three residents spoke.

At a public hearing Tuesday, the majority -- two -- criticized the city's pending sale of 73 acres in a light industrial park for the Nevada State College site. A third resident offered support.

It was a far cry from six weeks ago, when about 180 residents of two rural neighborhoods showed up at Henderson City Council chambers to voice mostly protest against a college in their back yards. None of their comments were entered into the public record at that meeting because of noticing issues.

The deal would allow the state university system to build initial classrooms and a library off U.S. 95 in the foothills of southeast Henderson. The city would also lease for $1 a year over five years about 13,000 square feet of office space in a renovated vitamin manufacturing plant.

Tuesday night marked residents' first chance to speak on the record about the proposed agreement. City officials have been working on alternatives for the site since March.

Even so, the bitterness remained largely on the side of the council.

Councilman Jack Clark blamed inaccurate media reports for lingering opposition to the college site. He said it had been reported incorrectly that as many as 40 bars were planned in the vicinity of the college.

Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers interrupted one resident's testimony to ask that the record reflect that the local businesswoman, one of the loudest critics of the planned college location, intended to move to Arizona.

It apparently didn't matter to Cyphers that the resident in question, Lauren Pedersen, was holding a petition signed by 300 Mission Hills and Paradise Hills residents also opposed to the planned site.

Still, at least one long-term Paradise Hills resident left the meeting feeling cautiously optimistic, although he said the long delay to speak on the record had worn many residents down.

"I think the neighborhood is coming to grips with the fact that the college is going to be there," Mark Grealis said. "The mayor said some really good things tonight. He talked about protecting the rural lifestyle and protecting the integrity of College Drive. Now we just have to work together to see that these things come to pass."

College Drive, which runs between the two neighborhoods, has been viewed by residents as the place commercial development would likely spring up to support student needs. As many as 1,000 students are projected to enroll by fall 2002.

But Cyphers says she has been working for two years with residents to craft zoning that would allow only residential development in the two neighborhoods. She expects the City Council to approve the new zoning by September.

Though the state Public Works Board will ultimately direct construction of the college campus, Mayor Jim Gibson said the state board has informally agreed to a mutual decision-making process with city officials. The city will request input from residents, he said.

The city plans to sell the land for $55 an acre, or $4,000 total. It's the same price paid to the Bureau of Land Management in 1970. A recent appraisal valued the land at about $6 million.

The city and state plan to co-sign a request to the BLM that would annex an additional 555 acres to allow the college campus to expand.

The Legislature approved $20 million in construction and operating funds for the college through 2003.