Area residents, councilman debate future of park

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002 | 11:08 a.m.

Protecting the open spaces of the Las Vegas Valley's northwest is the goal, and community participation is the key, Las Vegas Councilman Michael Mack told dozens of area residents Wednesday night.

"We've got to plan it now, and we've got to plan for our future," Mack told more than 100 people gathered at Centennial High School.

The catalyst for community concern is the future of Floyd Lamb State Park, which was one of the valley's first large ranches and contains an historic collection of buildings. While the state owns it now, Gov. Kenny Guinn and city officials have talked about transferring ownership to the city.

The ranch itself sits on about 60 acres. It is surrounded by another 550 acres that is owned by the state. The state leases another 1,400 acres from the federal Bureau of Land Management, and state brochures usually refer to the entire 2,000-plus acres as the park.

But Mack and Councilman Larry Brown said they would like a plan to protect about 5,000 acres of mixed city, county, state and federal open space in the area and put in legal and zoning barriers from residential development.

Developers have been moving into the fast-growing northwest and were the only major interest group that was not represented at the community meeting Wednesday night.

Residents in the area are concerned that the open spaces controlled by various agencies may face development.

"We're concerned (about) what's going to go into our neighborhood -- specifically to the park but the whole northwest area," said Heidi Sealy, an accountant who lives in the northwest. Sealy was one of those who signed up to be on a community committee that will help plan the future development and open-space protection for the area.

Sealy said she is not opposed to all new residential or commercial development, but wants to see the open spaces, rural neighborhoods and the state park protected from high-density construction.

Sealy, like many other nearby residents, said she is concerned about the future of the park if it is acquired by the city. Las Vegas' parks are usually places for sports and recreation, quite different from the sedate lakes and picnic areas of Floyd Lamb State Park, she said.

"If it goes to the city, I fear it will change significantly," she said. "I visit city parks on a regular basis. They all have the feeling of city parks. I fear this could become a city park like they have everywhere else."

Mack, Brown and city planning officials at the meeting said they have no intention of changing the character of the park. Brown chided some of those who have expressed dire reservations about the future of the park and surrounding area, and of the planning process that started at the meeting.

"I don't appreciate some of the people who are trying to sabotage this process," he said.

Clark County Commissioner Chip Maxfield, who represents the area on the county board, was also at the meeting. He said the question of the park's future is not one of city or state control, but of how best to protect the park's unique character forever.

Others echoed Maxfield's comments.

"Our concern is less who owns it than what its future is going to be," said Mark Rosenzweig, vice president of the Tule Springs Preservation Committee. The larger area surrounding the park is often referred to as Tule Springs.

The working group envisioned by Mack could begin meeting within weeks. Participants would likely include city officials, professional planners, nonprofit groups with a stake in the process and others, but the key element, Mack said, will be neighbors from the area.

"We're hoping to get people interested in all the different issues," said Betsy Fretwell, deputy city manager.

She said the future of the park's management -- if not the character of the park itself -- is still in flux. City staff will present findings from its study of the financial and legal issues surrounding any takeover at the Nov. 20 Las Vegas City Council meeting, she said.

Other players in planning the area will include the county and federal agencies such as the BLM, she said.

"We've been talking with the state and county for a long time about a master plan for open space," Fretwell said. "There's got to be some synergy by having dialogue together." I fear this could become a city park like they have everywhere else."