Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

LV Council briefs for July 3, 2003

Staff to negotiate cell phone deal

The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a request by city staff to enter into negotiations with AT&T Wireless, which wants to install cell phone antennas on a light pole at one of the ballfields at the city-owned Mountain Ridge Park.

The company proposes to install two 2-foot antennas about 70 feet high on the 80-foot-tall light standard. The park is west of U.S. 95, south of where Durango Drive crosses the highway.

City and cellular company officials say that if the negotiations are successful, the installation of the antennas will benefit tens of thousands of cell users who now experience temporary loss of cell phone service in northwest Las Vegas.

Widening design contract OK'd

The council unanimously approved a contract for VTN Nevada to design the widening of Martin L. King Boulevard between Alta Drive and Carey Avenue.

The contract is for $940,000. The money will come from funds provided to the city from the Regional Transportation Commission.

VTN will develop the concept to be brought back to the council for review and public comment.

Neighborhoods to get boost

The council unanimously approved a proposal to send teams of city workers into three run-down, crime-ridden city neighborhoods to try to revitalize them, similar to what was done in the Meadows Village neighborhood behind the Stratosphere.

The city will use the "Integrated Service Team" pilot program approved last month to address the problems at Sierra Oeste near Lake Mead and Jones boulevards, Las Vegas Acres northeast of Rancho and Vegas drives and Shenandoah Square Acres northwest of Stewart and Mojave avenues.

The neighborhoods have a total 3,282 residents. Between 1996 and 2001 the city has found more than 2,500 building code violations, responded to more than 1,700 health and safety complaint calls and cleaned nearly 1,200 graffiti sites in the neighborhoods.

One-way streets plan approved

The council approved a plan to begin the process that will make Bonneville and Clark avenues one-way streets to help relieve downtown traffic congestion. The vote was 6-0 with Mayor Oscar Goodman abstaining because he owns property on Bonneville.

Bonneville would become an eastbound-only street from Main Street to Maryland Parkway. Clark would become a westbound-only street from Charleston Boulevard to Main Street.

Public Works Director Richard Goecke said the plan is similar to what the city did many years ago to make Fourth Street a one-way northbound street, with Casino Center Boulevard going southbound only, and relieve traffic congestion in that area.

Speed bumps project approved

The council by unanimous vote approved speed bumps for Mesquite Avenue between Bruce and 21st streets.

City staff recommended denial of the proposal because a traffic study found the road does not have enough traffic to warrant the traffic-delaying bumps.

Councilman Gary Reese said, however, that there are a lot of children who play in the streets in the neighborhood, which is in his ward, and asked the rest of the council to support the request as a safety measure.

The bumps will cost $12,000 to install.

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