Stage set for record auction of public land

Jeffrey Libby

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2002 | 9:49 a.m.

Henderson officials on Tuesday backed an auction of 1,954 federally owned acres in November 2003, setting the stage for the largest public auction of federal land since new public land disposal laws were passed in 1998.

The City Council also approved a second alternative that would instead auction a larger section -- 2,294 acres -- in roughly the same area of southwest Henderson, southwest of the Anthem master-planned community and the Henderson Executive Airport.

Earlier this month Henderson officials planned to endorse a Bureau of Land Management auction of closer to 1,600 acres, but high costs to bring infrastructure to the area dictate that the city releases more land to spread costs over more acres, Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson said.

"This is not a game for the weak of heart," Gibson said. "This is a complex, highly technical analysis that we have to do."

The speed at which cities grow is an integral factor in determining how much tax revenue the state sends back to cities to provide services. Too much or too little growth can diminish the amount of money the city receives from the state.

When North Las Vegas auctioned 1,905 federally owned acres in May 2001, city officials there estimated costs of building roads and laying water and sewer lines at $25 million, Gibson said. Henderson officials are estimating costs to build infrastructure in southwest Henderson at closer to $100 million, he said.

By January, Henderson officials should have a master plan detailing the mix of homes, business and industry planned for the land.