LV City Council cautious on park takeover

Thursday, Nov. 21, 2002 | 11:06 a.m.

The Las Vegas City Council was reminded Wednesday why the men who held their jobs 24 years ago couldn't wait to dump the future Floyd Lamb State Park in the state's lap.

The city in 1977 conveyed the aging, rundown Tule Springs area park to the state for $1. Now the state is offering to return it to the city for free.

City staff members told the council Wednesday that once it took possession, the city would have to shell out $450,000 initially for repairs and other improvements and spend more than $1 million a year to maintain the park.

"My dad told me long ago not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I want to look down this horse's throat," Councilman Gary Reese said.

He said the city cannot afford to hire more marshals to patrol the parks it currently operates and questioned whether the state is not trying to unload "a white elephant" on the city.

"It's crunch time for the city as far as I am concerned," Reese said. "I'm not so sure I want to go forward."

Reese, nevertheless, voted with five other council members to instruct the city staff to continue negotiating with the state as well as further study the economic impact of retaking Floyd Lamb State Park. Councilman Michael McDonald was absent from the meeting, caring for his ill mother.

Other council members also recommended caution before going forward with plans to retake the rural park.

"This is an area of the valley that has to be protected and preserved," Councilman Larry Brown said. But it's "not something to rush into. We need to evaluate every aspect of this."

Deputy City Manager Steve Houchens told the council the problems with taking the park land, lake and buildings south of Moccasin Road and north of Grand Teton Road, just off U.S. 95., include:

Currently, the state collects about $140,000 a year in park entrance fees, Houchens told the council.

Councilman Michael Mack reiterated what he and several council members have said: They do not intend to destroy the rural integrity of the region. City residents at recent town meetings have expressed concerns the city wants the park for housing, ball fields and a golf course.

"That by no means is the intent of this council," Mack said. "There is a lot of historic value out there."

Tule Springs' history dates to 1869.

Mack said the city's intent is more for preserving a rural facility where people can fish in the small lake, ride horses at an equestrian park and shoot guns on a firing range.

But he added that the city is not ready to take the governor's gift, noting the city should "not accept it today. There are a lot of unknowns."

Among those unknowns is the 853 acre feet of water rights that should come with the land. Houchens said that could turn into a "fairly complex" legal matter.

If the city decides to accept the gift, the deal would have to be approved by the 2003 Legislature.

In 1971 the city approached the state and proposed that Tule Springs become part of the state parks system. Then-state Sen. Floyd Lamb, chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, pushed through a grant request to the U.S. Department of the Interior.