Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003 | 9:43 a.m.
Floyd Lamb State Park is bordered on three sides by Las Vegas, and eventually will be within the municipal boundaries. The Legislature the past session made provisions for turning it over to the city, but negotiations over how to do that are stuck on some key details.
On Wednesday, city staff members are to ask the Las Vegas City Council for guidance on what conditions the city would require before it would accept the park from the state. The overriding framework for the city is its long-term plans for growth in the northwest valley, and the issues include cost of maintenance and potential development, the municipal Northwest Open Spaces plan, and flood control and other infrastructure in the area.
"A lot of issues are still out there," said Deputy City Manager Betsy Fretwell. She said the city's open space planning process is not expected to start for another two or three months, and will likely take a year to complete.
"The state has made it very clear they want to try and talk with the city about long-terms for that park, whether it stays in their hands or transfers to a local government," Fretwell said. "It's such a big piece (that) it's important for the city to know what's going to happen with that in the long-term sense."
For several years the city has been discussing taking back the park, which it gave to the state in 1977. In 2002 the council directed staff to begin negotiating, and three bills in the 2003 Legislative session, two in the Senate and one in the Assembly, granted authority to any political subdivision of the state to enter into an agreement to take over the park.
Generally, the law allows the city to take over the park as long as it does not change the name, maintains the historic and recreational features, guarantees public access and ensures that the property is used only for what is called passive recreation, which means outdoor use that does not harm plant or wildlife.
In backup documents for the Wednesday council meeting, city staff writes that interpretations of passive recreation may vary, and there is a need to more clearly define "the city's ability to use, enhance, improve and maintain the park."
Also, the city writes that it really only needs 50 to 75 acres of Floyd Lamb, plus associated easements, for drainage. It tried to negotiate a separate agreement for those, but the state declined, preferring instead to make a deal for the whole park.
The park encompasses about 2,000 acres, slightly more than half of which is leased by the state from the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM land would have to be included in the deal, according to the state rules passed this year.
City Council reaction in the past has been cautious, with some staunch opposition.
"I'm very much opposing it, always have been," said Ward 3 Councilman Gary Reese. "Why should the city take this albatross on and try to maintain and fund the operation when the state is doing it? I cannot see one benefit for the city to take this over."
He said he's been told it would cost the city millions to renovate the park, and a commitment of 10 or 12 employees for maintenance.
"We don't have 10 or 12 employees to put there," he said.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said, "The city is always looking for additional open space for our constituents, particularly in light of the drought restrictions, which are in place and being enforced."
But, he added, "Before I would consider taking over the state park, I would have to feel comfortable that all existing city parks are well-kept and safe. It comes down to an economic analysis."
David K. Morrow, administrator for the Division of State Parks, said the state is not necessarily looking to get rid of the park. But it does want to clarify "what our role was going to be long-term," he said.
He said it costs about $465,00 to operate annually, and estimated it earns about $200,000 a year.
"I wouldn't say we were excited at all in terms of seeing Floyd Lamb be transferred or moved out of the state system," he said. "What we're doing is following what we believe to be legislative intent, and that is to explore with the city of Las Vegas the option of transferring ownership to the city."
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