County approves lease for armory

Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004 | 8:49 a.m.

Over the objections of some neighbors, the Clark County Commission on Tuesday approved the lease of about 40 acres in southwest Las Vegas for use by the Nevada National Guard as an armory.

Although the National Guard still must come back before the commission to seek a zoning change for the site at Arville Street and Serene Avenue, commissioners expressed concern that the lease approval might appear to be a de facto approval of the land use for the site.

Commissioners, however, said the national security importance of the new armory, which would serve as a staging point for a response to a chemical, biological or nuclear attack on the region, trumped the concerns of neighbors.

Adjutant General Giles Vanderhoof told the commission that immediate approval of the lease on land owned by McCarran International Airport was critical if the National Guard was to keep $13 million appropriated in Congress for the new armory. The proposal was tabled two weeks ago after neighbors objected to the planned use.

"I'm reaching the end of the life for the money that I have for that armory," Vanderhoof told the commission. "Not to over-dramatize things, but if we lose this money, I would say there would not be another armory in Southern Nevada for at least 15 years."

Vanderhoof said he met with the neighbors last week to answer questions about the proposed lease and use for the land in the airport's cooperative management area. Most of the residents, he said, simply had questions about what the proposed site would look like.

Vanderhoof said five people own islands of property within the boundaries of the planned armory site and probably will have to move. He said negotiations would focus on finding a way to get them to move voluntarily.

Buy-outs could include state funding, he said. While the state could take the land through eminent domain, that is not likely, he added.

"We're not going to do things to trample on our own community," Vanderhoof said.

Bill Curran, a lawyer representing residents living inside the boundaries of the proposed armory, asked the commission to delay action on the lease approval.

"There has been no process, no notice, no discussions," Curran said.

He said his clients, the Coblentz Trust, tried without success to discuss the sale of the land or a land swap for the property that the Coblentz family has owned for 40 years.

"We would like this held a little bit longer so we could get some more information," Curran said. "I feel a little like the guy standing in front of a steamroller."

Vanderhoof promised the information would come. Homeowners on the site might be able to hold onto their property, but "Who would want to be living in something like that?" Vanderhoof asked. Commissioners said that the zoning process for the land will protect residents in and near the site.

Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey said the lease would be void if the National Guard can't win zoning approval for the project.

"Your clients would be protected in that manner," Kincaid-Chauncey told Curran.

Commissioner Myrna Williams agreed.

"This is not written in stone, but it is allowing the financing to go forward," she said. "Having the lease allows the Guard to at least get the funding. Once that's secured, then the other things can be worked out."