Editorial: New planning rules will serve residents

Monday, Feb. 24, 2003 | 8:59 a.m.

Master plans will get a lot more attention now that the Clark County Commission has changed the rules about how often they can be changed and how frequently they must be updated. The new rules say they must be updated every five years and that changes can only be considered four times a year. In the past, master plans had become hopelessly outdated, meaning that developers, by pointing to growth, could almost always justify their requests to change them during twice-a-month commission meetings. The frequent approvals for change infuriated residents who had bought property based on what the master plans indicated for the surrounding lands.

The new rules serve the residents by limiting changes to the master plan but serve developers by requiring more frequent updates to it. During the public hearings on updates, developers and their attorneys will strongly press for plans that suit their needs -- knowing that opportunities for changes will be severely limited. They will likely justify their requests on changing demographics, but what they propose might be objectionable to existing property owners on the basis of quality of life. This means that concerned residents must stay aware of the updating process and attend the hearings as well if they want to have any chance of avoiding new master plans they believe will harm their properties. This increased attention from all parties will result in better plans with fewer surprises down the road.

The new rules underwent some modification before being approved. Changes to updated master plans, for example, can be considered after one year as opposed to two, as originally proposed. Nevertheless, county residents will be far better served under the new procedures.