City, residents not happy with housing complex plans

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, March 8, 2001 | 11:48 a.m.

When American CityVista representatives first approached the city about building an affordable housing complex near West Las Vegas, city officials lauded the group and had visions of new communities being born on vacant lots.

But five months after the representatives, along with former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros, toured prospective sites by bus, city officials and residents are disappointed with what they see on paper.

American CityVista appeared before the City Council on Wednesday asking to rezone 31 acres to residential at Washington Avenue and Rancho Drive. But the council members were lukewarm to the idea after seeing the proposed site plans, which were scheduled to be voted on this evening by the Planning Commission.

West Las Vegas residents also came out to oppose the project -- emphasizing that they weren't opposed to new homes, but found fault with the American CityVista project.

American CityVista prides itself on building "villages within cities," but critics painted a much different picture of tiny lots and little or no open space. The council voted to delay the rezoning request for two weeks to allow the group to meet with West Las Vegas residents and revamp the project.

The site plans have been put on hold and will not be voted on this evening by the commission.

A handful of residents complained that the project calls for 409 homes, which equals 13 per acre. About 25 percent of the homes would be 750 square feet, the average size of a one-bedroom apartment.

The group also had proposed a variance to allow zero square feet of open space where 6.8 acres is the minimum.

Joseph Sayles, from the West Las Vegas Neighborhood Executive Board, said the development as proposed lacks quality and is not the best use for the land. He also said neighbors are worried the project will decrease their property values.

"We are not opposed to residential property. We just think it might not be the best use with the number of units proposed," Sayles said.

Frank Hawkins, a former city councilman whose nonprofit group has built affordable housing complexes throughout the city, said the type of development being proposed encourages crime because it leaves no space for children to play. He also said the plans conflict with the council's goals of providing more open space.

Mayor Oscar Goodman seemed inclined to drop the project.

"I don't think it's going to make it based on what I heard today," he said. "This is going to take major reworking."

Randy Reinhart, vice president of American CityVista, said he will call a special neighborhood meeting to work with residents in the next two weeks to address their problems, including lowering the density and increasing open space.

City Councilman Lawrence Weekly, who represents West Las Vegas, said many of the residents would rather look at an empty lot than see the type of development that is proposed.

"Let's give the community what's best for the community," he said. "We're not trying to create another ghetto."