Plan for Lake Mead parking lot weighed

Monday, Oct. 11, 2004 | 9:04 a.m.

The National Park Service on Friday announced it was taking the first step to address increasingly crowded parking areas at the Lake Mead Recreational Area, a spokeswoman for the lake said.

Officials are now seeking public opinion for a new, 600-vehicle parking lot adjacent to the lake at Echo Bay, which would replace the existing 109-vehicle lot now in use. The comments will then be incorporated into an environmental assessment used to identify potential problems and alternatives to the project.

The new lot, which would have larger parking spots to accommodate vehicles and trailers, would also include new restrooms, lighting and an information kiosk.

The four-stage, $2 million plan will be funded by a money generated from land sales as part of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, Roxanne Dey, a spokeswoman for Lake Mead, said.

Dey said the new parking lot is long overdue, as facilities -- many of which were built 40 years ago -- are inadequate for the growing Las Vegas Valley.

Recent years have seen between 8 million and 10 million visitors to the park, which this year saw more than 214,000 people during the Memorial Day weekend alone, she said.

"A lot of our facilities were built 40 years ago when it wasn't even imagined there would be 1.5 million people in Las Vegas," Dey said.

Park officials also say the improvement would be healthier for visitors , who during the summer have to walk up a steep hill back to their cars in triple-digit heat, she said.

Comments can be addressed to: Superintendent, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Attention: Compliance Office, 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 89005.

Comments must be submitted by Nov. 12 to be considered.