Leaving homes in their dust

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2003 | 10:58 a.m.

Clark County Air Quality Management encourages citizens concerned about dust problems to call the 24-hour hotline at 385-3878 (DUST). The Nevada Transportation Department also takes comments on the U.S. 95 expansion at 486-0486.

The Chelsea Circle neighbors knew the demolition was coming ... someday.

They did not, however, expect a flurry of dust and a seismic crunch in their homes two weekends ago, the product of the most recent residential destruction in the path of the proposed U.S. 95 widening between Rancho Drive and Rainbow Boulevard.

Two weekends ago Beverly Judd woke to the sound of backhoes ripping into the now-empty homes behind her house.

"It kind of scared us because our whole house shook," Judd said.

Like many people in her neighborhood, Judd and her husband have lived in their comfortable house for decades -- more than 30 years, in her case. Some of their neighbors were forced to move out to make room for the expansion. Those close by but not directly in the path watch with some trepidation as the busy highway grows behind their back yards.

The massive, $440 million construction project started in earnest this year, and it should, by 2006, expand the six-lane highway to 10 lanes near Judd's home. Nevada Department of Transportation officials have called the project essential to unplugging the bottleneck from the Rainbow curve east to the Spaghetti Bowl downtown.

One of the more controversial parts of the project was the need to demolish hundreds of homes, businesses and apartments along the path of the project. Demolition of 152 homes along the highway has just been completed by NDOT's contractors.

Still to come will be demolition of dozens of apartments, stores, warehouses and other buildings along U.S. 95 from downtown to Rainbow. The timetable for that work has not been finalized, agency officials said.

Most of the residents, including many who vehemently opposed the construction a few years ago, admit they are resigned to it now.

People who once lived in the homes that have come down have been out for months or years. But those living nearby said they were still caught by surprise when the backhoes started taking the neighboring homes down.

Judd's neighbor on Chelsea Circle, Barbara Alessi, said she has two issues with the demolition: "Nobody told us they were going to do it. There was dust everywhere."

Alessi, who has lived on the cul-de-sac for two decades, said she and all of her neighbors knew that eventually the houses and the commercial buildings nearby would come down. They would have appreciated some sort of short-term warning, however, they said.

Alessi said she called NDOT and the city of Las Vegas to complain but wasn't satisfied with the answers she got.

"All of this black stuff" -- dust from the demolition -- "was in our pool. They said it was subcontracted and that they are not required to tell us.

"If I did that, the city would be all over me," Alessi said.

NDOT and Clark County Air Quality Management officials said the demolition work was done within the law.

"Demolition takes place during the daylight hours, so there is not the need to notify the adjoining neighborhoods," NDOT spokesman Bob McKenzie said. "We make every effort to make sure that dust abatement rules are followed.

"In a project that big, you will have some dust escape," he said.

Bob Folle, Clark County Air Quality Management compliance officer, said his office received a couple of dust-related complaints regarding construction on the project in March, but none on the demolition work last month.

He said his agency had on-site dust monitors, including professional supervisors, to oversee the removal of asbestos tiles and other products built into the homes.

From his agency's perspective the asbestos removal -- a concern of the residents -- and dust control went without a hitch, Folle said.

"Everything seemed to go according to plan," he said.

John Terry, NDOT project manager for the U.S. 95 expansion, said subcontractors have been especially careful with the asbestos removal.

"Every home is tested, the various elements are tested, and that stuff is removed prior to demolition as part of the contract," he said.

Terry said although the contracts and law don't require a notification of nearby residents immediately before demolition efforts, the department might consider instituting such a policy.

Judd said she isn't opposed to the demolition. She is happy that a 7-Eleven on the corner, once busy but now shuttered, is closed and slated for destruction.

"But they weren't very considerate," Judd said. "They didn't give us any consideration at all."