Revised master plan approved, Henderson buffer considered

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2003 | 8:40 a.m.

A new Boulder City master plan that guides what growth comes to the west side of the city, and generally leaves the city on a course of slow but steady growth, was approved by the City Council on Tuesday.

"We have kept the nature of the old plan and improved it," Councilwoman Andrea Anderson said, referring to the 1991 version of the plan.

The revised plan, approved 4-0, has been 14 months in the making, with numerous public meetings, and review by city officials. Councilman Mike Pacini was absent.

According to state figures, from 1991 to 2002 Clark County's population grew by about 85.5 percent. During that same period Boulder City grew about 14.5 percent, nearly identical to the national rate.

Mayor Bob Ferraro has said the master plan is one piece of the city's overall slow growth policy.

The city's slow growth is largely the result of a law that limits residential building permits to 120 a year and a city requirement that sales of more than 1 acre of city-owned land be approved by the voters. In Boulder City most of the vacant land is owned by the city.

The council also took action to keep growth in neighboring Henderson from encroaching on its city limits. Council members directed city staff members to begin to work on an annexation plan for part of the McCullough Mountains, which separate the cities.

Council members said the land, which is mostly vacant or industrial uses such as gravel pits, would create a buffer betweem the two cities.

The two cities are opposites in growth policies: Henderson is one of the fastest growing cities in America and Boulder City limiting growth through laws and city policies.

City Manager John Sullard said Henderson city officials had said they may be interested in annexing land in that area, which concerned some council members.

"We need to do everything we can ... so we can control growth in that whole valley area," Mayor Bob Ferraro said, referring to the Eldorado Valley next to those mountains.

The exact size of land that might be annexed was not included in city documents prepared for the Tuesday council meeting.

In other action, the Boulder City Council:

Anderson said she wants the agreement to allow the city to order the company to stop using the airport if too many residents complain.

The council said they would like to hear an updated proposal Jan. 9.

Papillon President Brenda Halvorson said the company wants to steer clear of residential areas.

She said the company would like to start with three helicopters based at the airport, and eventually increase that number to about 12. Each helicopter would fly four tours a day, she said.

Mayor Bob Ferraro said a new shelter is needed to replace the current facility, which he described as "deplorable."

The current shelter on San Felipe Drive keeps dogs and cats in a fenced-in outdoor area that has an overhang to provide some shelter from the sun.

The council was told in March that a new shelter could cost about $2.7 million, but officials decided that was probably more than the city should spend.

Anderson said a new shelter would have to cost less than $1 million, otherwise "the voters will not do it."

The firefighters were due a raise of at least 4 percent, but tried for more when they exercised a part of their contract that allowed them to seek a higher raise in the final two years of a five-year contract that expires June, 2004, City Manager John Sullard said.

Giving the firefighters a 5 percent instead of 4 percent raise will cost the city an additional $10,000, Sullard said.