County rejects senior housing plan

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003 | 9:20 a.m.

The Clark County Commission reluctantly, at least for some of the board, denied a contentious application for senior housing near Twain Avenue and McLeod Drive on Wednesday.

Candle Development had hoped to build 90 apartments for seniors on four acres at the site. The issue had provoked strong opposition from nearby residents, many living in a rural neighborhood preservation area, who said they have moved in since the mid-1990s with the understanding that such high-density residential projects would not be zoned nearby.

The issue first came before the advisory planning commission in February. The project was denied by the planning commission in March and also received a thumbs-down from the Paradise Town Advisory Board.

But the project, scaled down in the face of the resistance, received recommendations of approval from the advisory boards last month.

The developers cut the number of apartments from 140 units to 90, the number of stories from three to two, and reworked the design.

Armed with those recommendations, Bob Gronauer, representing Candle Development, said the project would fill a need in the Las Vegas area.

"Seniors, senior apartments, deserve to be a part of the community," he argued.

But attorney Jeffrey Silver, representing the opponents, said even the scaled-down version would be "a horrible result for my clients."

"The elements of a massive density style of project are still there," Silver said.

Commissioner Myrna Williams motioned to deny the project, but she said her decision was difficult.

"I believe seniors are appropriate there," Williams said. The commissioner, who represents the area, said she worked to establish the rural neighborhood preservation zone for the area five years ago -- but will never ask for another RNP.

"I will never request a RNP again, ever, because I forgot the first rule of physics -- the only constant is change," she said. "I feel duty-bound to move for denial because I did request that RNP. ... That was my mistake."

The commission voted 4-2 to deny the project. The developers, however, had the vote without prejudice, which means they can bring the same or a similar project back for consideration immediately.

Greg Borgel, a land use consultant representing the developer, said the company would not submit the same plan.