NLV council OKs gaming, tax measures for Aliante project

Dan Kulin

Thursday, Oct. 17, 2002 | 11:26 a.m.

New zoning designations that clear the way for a casino and residential development in part of the Aliante master-planned community in North Las Vegas were unanimously approved Wednesday by the City Council.

The gaming enterprise district -- allowing for a potential casino-hotel project -- was approved on 40 acres at Simmons Street and the Beltway. Residential zoning classification was approved on 78 acres east of Simmons Street.

The council also unanimously approved measures that pave the way for establishing a Special Improvement District for the 1,905 acres in the planned Aliante community.

Property owners in the proposed Special Improvement District would be charged a fee to pay off $50 million in bonds. The bonds would pay for infrastructure at Aliante, such as streets and water and sewer lines.

North Las Vegas Public Works Director James Bell said the Special Improvement District fee would cost Aliante homeowners about $4,000 each.

Special Improvement Districts, which are sometimes called Local Improvement Districts, are common in master-planned communities throughout the Las Vegas Valley, Bell said. The fees typically appear on property owners' city tax bills for 20 years, he said.

City Manager Kurt Fritsch said under the proposed Special Improvement District the 7,500 homes planned for Aliante would pay about $30 million of the debt, with commercial properties paying about $20 million.

Public hearings and council votes on establishing the Special Improvement District are scheduled Nov. 6, Fritsch said.

Aliante is a project of North Valley Enterprises LLC, a partnership between developers American Nevada Corp. and Del Webb Corp. American Nevada is owned by the Greenspun family, which own the Las Vegas Sun.