Mayor fires annexation shot over county’s bow

Diana Sahagun

Friday, Oct. 5, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

The city of Las Vegas should begin chipping away at pockets of land in Clark County's northwest if county commissioners continue to stall a proposed interlocal pact, Mayor Oscar Goodman said Thursday.

A measure approved this year by the state Legislature -- Assembly Bill 179 -- allows the city to annex county islands in the northwest, as long as city land borders at least 75 percent of the county island.

The county and city for years have squabbled over how to develop land in the northwest, where pockets of county land abut city property. After growing frustrated with commissioners' approval of nonconforming uses in city neighborhoods, and with no compromise in sight, the city appealed to the Legislature.

The city had been working with the county on an interlocal agreement -- drafted by Commissioner Chip Maxfield and City Councilmen Larry Brown and Michael Mack -- in an effort to gain a compromise before falling back on the legislative action.

A proposed agreement, shot down by the county Tuesday, would have given the county a say in how land in the northwest is developed.

The city, in turn, could not act on the proposal and blasted commissioners -- particularly Erin Kenny -- for accusing the city of having a hidden agenda.

Goodman said the agreement should have been approved by the county to "keep peace in the valley."

"We should look to start annexing right now," Goodman said during his weekly press conference.

He said the city should do so even without commissioners' approval.

Goodman said the city should proceed with the annexation of 11.5 miles in the northwest targeted for a city-funded equestrian trail.

The council on Wednesday approved building 11.5 miles of equestrian trails in the northwest along Centennial Parkway. The trails, which will cost $37,000 annually to maintain, cut through county islands.