Las Vegas Council briefs

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001 | 10:43 a.m.

Tax-rebate bid put on hold

The developers of the furniture mart proposed near the County Government Center will learn in two weeks whether the city of Las Vegas will offer them any incentives for their 57-acre project.

After city attorneys said they still had legal issues to work out, the council delayed taking action on a proposed memorandum of understanding calling for the city to rebate 50 percent of the property taxes the project is expected to generate.

Councilman Gary Reese wanted to halt the action for other reasons, saying he wasn't sold on the project. He said he has been given conflicting stories from the developers about the project's components and whether it would offer retail sales to the public.

The furniture mart would be mainly for wholesale buyers and manufacturers, developers have said. The first phase, on 36 acres, would include 1 million square feet of furniture space.

Tougher licensing measure passed

Bookstores in the city of Las Vegas will be held to new standards requiring licensing as a sexually oriented business if 35 percent of their inventory is classified as adult.

The amendment to the city's zoning code reduces to 35 percent the amount of adult inventory necessary to classify a bookstore as an adult store. Before the change, if 51 percent of a bookstore's merchandise was composed of adult material, the business was restricted to industrial areas.

Plans for street changes delayed

Residents living along Alta Drive near Rancho Drive are no closer to getting a meandering street with curbs, gutters and sidewalks.

On Wednesday the council postponed for 30 days a decision on a resolution directing the Public Works Department to prepare preliminary plans for a special improvement district on Alta Drive from Rancho to Valley View Boulevard. The special improvement district would include street reconfiguration, landscaping, lights, and other features.

Under the special improvement district, 37 homeowners facing Alta would pay for the costs of the landscaping and maintenance, estimated at $65,000 per year for 25 years. Total construction for the street and improvements is estimated to be $1.8 million.

While several council members had concerns about whether decreasing the size of the street would result in a daily traffic jam, Councilman Michael McDonald said the goal is to preserve the neighborhood.

McDonald said he will hold a public meeting in the next month to address council concerns and discuss carving turn lanes and pull-outs for vehicles along the streets.

"I hope this is precedent-setting," McDonald said, "because we fight for our neighborhoods."

Adams appointed to vacant seat

The Las Vegas Ethics Review Board, which last month was expanded to seven seats, now has a new member.

Councilman Lawrence Weekly Wednesday appointed Danae Adams to fill the vacant seat formed when the council voted in August to expand the board from five to seven members, to reflect the number of council members.

Councilman Michael McDonald appointed former police officer Lou Johnson to fill the seat vacated by Ida Gaines, whose four-year term had expired. Chairman Earle W. White, Jr., Eileen Brookman, Linda Young, and Robert Fleming currently serve on the board.

One remaining seat, which is to be appointed by Councilman Michael Mack, will stay empty at least for 30 more days.