Editorial: When neighborhoods, thrill rides don’t mix

Tuesday, April 9, 2002 | 8:47 a.m.

Stratosphere hotel-casino executives withdrew their application in September to build the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster once it became clear that the Las Vegas City Council was poised to reject the thrill ride. Mayor Oscar Goodman and City Councilman Gary Reese, in whose ward the project would have been built, said that they would oppose a proposed roller-coaster as long as nearby residential neighbors objected.

The Stratosphere has a new plan, one that would reduce the height and speed of the roller coaster. The roller coaster would travel 93 mph instead of 120 mph and the tower would be 325 feet instead of 416 feet. The Stratosphere executives may believe that is a major concession, but nearby residents still believe, understandably, that the ride is incompatible with a residential area and would hurt efforts to rejuvenate their neighborhood. This is a project where city government should listen to the wishes of those who would be most inconvenienced by a roller-coaster ride. The city Planning Commission, scheduled to take up the revised project on Thursday, should reject the proposed roller coaster.

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