Editorial: Growth is served by new rules

Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003 | 9:03 a.m.

It appears possible that the high-profile zoning gaffes committed late last year by the Clark County Commission may serve as a stimulus for long overdue reform. Four county commissioners, representing a majority on the seven-member board, are backing a proposal that would protect master plans against impulsive changes. Master plans give general guidance for land development in the county's unincorporated towns. Developers, however, often submit proposals that do not conform to the guidelines, and the past experience has been that they are often approved. When this happens, area residents who bought property based on their research of the master plans often cry foul -- and justly so.

Although such "non-conforming" proposals have created controversy for years, the issue crystalized late last year when the board dealt with several of them simultaneously. Perhaps the nadir was reached when a sharply divided County Commission approved home development underneath a departing flight path at McCarran International Airport.

The proposal for the new rules was introduced Wednesday as the commissioners convened for a regular zoning meeting. The proposed rules state that master plans, once adopted, cannot be changed for two years. After that, non-conforming changes can only be considered quarterly and must pass by a two-thirds majority vote. The proposed rules also ensure greater public participation and hold developers to higher standards in working with residents affected by their proposals. Two county commissioners are on record opposing the new rules, saying that they would restrict growth. We see the new rules as promoting the only kind of growth worth having -- responsible growth.