Editorial: On wings of … sloths

Monday, Jan. 19, 2004 | 8:52 a.m.

Although they've been complaining for years, residents near the North Las Vegas Airport have the feeling no one's listening. Their complaints center on the airport's continual growth, which has left them enduring 250,000 takeoffs and landings a year at all hours of the day and night. Small planes are constantly buzzing overhead, creating noise and the potential for crashes. The potential is real -- more than 20 crashes have occurred since 1999.

Clark County, which manages the airport, should start demonstrating to the citizens that it's listening. A plan for managing the growth should get under way, with regular progress reports to the residents. Frustrated with the lack of response to the residents, state Sen. Ray Shaffer, R-North Las Vegsas, is proposing a bill that would shut the airport down at night and limit yearly takeoffs and landings to 65,000. In our view, such a bill would be extreme. There is a balance somewhere between the needs of the airport and the demands of the residents. Before the chance to arrive at a balanced solution is lost, the county should start doing a better job of listening -- and planning.