North Las Vegas officials to consider federal land deal

Tuesday, June 18, 2002 | 9:47 a.m.

North Las Vegas could boast one of the largest municipal parks in Southern Nevada if city and federal officials agree to swap Craig Ranch Golf Course for a much larger piece of federal land in the northwest part of the city.

The North Las Vegas City Council could act on the swap Wednesday night.

Golf course owner Donald Nelson sent a letter to city officials in May saying he would like to swap the 132-acre golf course at the southeast corner of Commerce Street and Lone Mountain Road for a 640-acre parcel of Bureau of Land Management property north of the Las Vegas Beltway route.

Nelson's plan proposes that the BLM would then turn the 132-acre golf course over to the city to be used as a park.

Mayor Michael Montandon said he supported the park idea and noted it would become the city's largest park.

The Bureau of Land Management has not determined whether the trade would benefit public lands. The BLM has auctioned off parcels within the Las Vegas Valley under the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.

However, the BLM does not oppose the swap, spokesman Phillip Guerrero said.

The BLM could give the 132-acre parcel to North Las Vegas under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. The city would then be required to manage the land as a public park.

Currently, North Las Vegas provides about two acres of open space per 1,000 residents. Adding the golf course to the city's parks would increase the ratio to three acres for every 1,000 residents, Ken Albright, the city's Parks and Recreation Department director, said.

"I believe this would be a phenomenal benefit to the city and it's right in the middle of the city," Albright said. "In fact, it may be one of largest parks in the valley."

It would be comparable to the 130-acre Nature Preserve in Clark County's Wetlands Park and smaller than Sunset Park, which checks in at 184.5 acres.

The City Council delayed a vote in May after Mark Brown, a Craig Ranch Golf Course representative, asked the council to postpone action for 30 days. Brown said he had not informed North Valley Enterprises of Nelson's intentions for the 640 acres.

American Nevada and Del Webb are partners in North Valley Enterprises, which bought 1,900 acres for $47.2 million for a master planned community in May 2001 at a BLM auction. The land is next to the 640 acres Nelson wants.