Las Vegas about to get park back

Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005 | 11:01 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn said Tuesday that Las Vegas will be able to turn Floyd Lamb State Park "into a phenomenal park" because it has the money to do the maintenance and improvements.

When the Legislative Interim Finance Committee votes Thursday, it is expected to return the park to the city.

Las Vegas formerly owned the park, called Tule Springs, but deeded it over to the state when the city faced financial difficulties in 1977. It was renamed later after state Sen. Floyd Lamb, who was instrumental in putting the deal together.

But the city has now agreed to take it back.

When the state Board of Examiners considered the issue Tuesday, Guinn said the state hasn't the money to maintain and improve the 680-acre park. In addition, growth has built up around it, making it more of a city park than a state park, he said.

The governor said the city receives millions of dollars from the sale of lands that could be used for improvements.

The 2003 Legislature authorized return of the park to the city, but Las Vegas can't change the use or the name.

There have been efforts to change the name after Lamb was convicted of bribery and spent time in a federal prison. Those efforts have always met with failure in the Legislature.

Chris Knight, director of administrative services for Las Vegas, said the city has filed an application to take over the lease on an 1,050 adjacent acres of Bureau of Land Management.

Knight said there would be opportunities for the public to express their feelings on the future use and development of the park.