Northwest project wins over neighbors

Thursday, Aug. 7, 2003 | 9:54 a.m.

The developer of the proposed Centennial Gateway shopping center in northwest Las Vegas won over area residents with changes in design that answered aesthetic concerns and then won over the Las Vegas City Council.

The council on Wednesday voted 7-0 to approve the project after making minor changes to add landscaping to further appease those concerned with the shopping center fitting in with the lush nearby golf course community.

The project, to be located between Centennial Parkway and Ann Road, just off U.S. 95, had drawn concerns from area residents including several in the sprawling Painted Desert development across the street to the south of the proposed shopping center.

However, Jennifer Lazovich, attorney for the Centennial Gateway Limited Liability Company and developer Territory Inc., told the council of changes -- some of them recent -- that were integrated into the plan to ease concerns of residents who sought to maintain the rural beauty of the area.

Among the developer's concessions were:

Councilman Michael Mack, in whose ward the shopping center will be built, said residents would be proud of the project. City staff and the Las Vegas Planning Commission had recommended approval amid protests that the project would bring additional noise and traffic to the area.

The proposed 33-acre Centennial Gateway shopping center, in effect, is a large off-site annex to the nearby 1 million-square-foot Centennial Center, also built by Territory Inc. While Centennial Center is home to major outlets such as Wal-Mart, the developer plans less intensive retail outlets such as a book store, sporting goods store, toy stores, clothiers and restaurants.

Carol Harrington, like several of the people who spoke on the project, had difficulty choosing which side of the room to stand on after Mayor Oscar Goodman instructed supporters to line up at one microphone and the opponents to line up at the other.

"I'm in favor of the shopping center, but I want to preserve the park-like quality along Ann Road," said Harrington, who has lived in Painted Desert's 1,622-home community since 1991. "I want it (the shopping center) to look great."