Dealing with growth dominates Henderson races

Friday, March 23, 2007 | 6:54 a.m.

As Henderson continues to give the green light to development, the growing number of red brake lights on the city's streets and highways is becoming a major issue in this spring's City Council campaigns.

Ward 1 candidate Tom Wagner has a very personal perspective of the continuing rapid growth in Nevada's second-largest city.

When he moved to Henderson 18 years ago, Wagner lived at what was then the largely undeveloped edge of town at Windmill and Eastern Avenue, today a cluttered cluster of strip malls, homes and offices. Today the city spans 90 square miles, and many expect it to continue to grow south through annexation.

With that growth comes more and more autos on already crowded streets - and voters looking to City Hall for answers.

The candidates agree that if there's anything to complain about in Henderson, consistently ranked among the best places to live in America, it's the traffic.

Though long on generalities and short on specifics, their suggested solutions - more thoroughfares, more pressure on developers to address traffic needs created by their projects, mass transit studies, even something as simple as more red lights - at least start a dialogue likely to continue through the next council's term.

With no race having more than two candidates - and with several featuring uncontested incumbents - Henderson's election season will be a brief one ending with the April 3 primary, which will settle the contests without the need for a general election in June.

Two races are already over, as Ward 4 Councilman Steven Kirk and Municipal Judge Mark Stevens are running unopposed in the city of more than 250,000.

In the Ward 1 council race, Gerri Schroder, a planning commissioner and staffer for Rep. Shelley Berkley, is running against retired Henderson Fire Captain Don Griffie for the seat being vacated by Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers. Cyphers, who is not seeking reelection, is supporting Schroder, who, despite Griffie's longtime ties to the department, has the support of the politically potent firefighters union.

In Ward 2, veteran Councilman Andy Hafen will face Wagner, a sergeant in Metro's missing persons unit. Hafen, a retired civilian employee for Metro, has served on the council for 20 years.

In regard to the city's traffic needs, Hafen notes that the city is planning to add another north-south route by the end of the year. He also is pushing to add two major east-west thoroughfares over the next two years.

Griffie, 63, said the city should examine ways to force developers to build roads prior to housing developments, to stave off continued traffic snarls. Wagner also likes that approach.

Schroder said she wants the city to look into mass transit options.

Wagner, 41, offered perhaps the simplest solution to traffic jams - a few extra traffic lights to alleviate the crunch along busy thoroughfares, a problem that otherwise would only worsen as the city's growth continues unabated.

Henderson has been one of the region's fastest-growing cities for more than a decade, transforming a tiny outpost once referred to as "Hooterville" into a magnet for retail stores and new homes.

Dozens of additional housing developments are being planned and the city's old downtown is in the midst of a rebirth, a cause all the candidates support.

But perhaps the biggest change in Henderson will come on Las Vegas Boulevard South, where many envision an extension of the Strip that will bring unprecedented tourism to the suburban city. A pair of $2 billion casinos are planned at Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway, and many expect the city to continue to annex land south toward Jean.

"It makes sense for the city of Henderson to be in control of that growth," Hafen said. "It's closer to our services ... The city does a better job of planning than the neighboring county and city of Las Vegas."

Schroder also supports continued growth. "Annexing more land will draw more people to come and enjoy our amenities," she said.

Griffie, meanwhile, tosses out the usual "responsible growth" cliches in his stump speeches.

Wagner, however, is less keen on growth, cautioning against the city growing too big and suggesting that the county be allowed to handle some of the development along Las Vegas Boulevard South.

"I wouldn't mind if the county kept developing and left Henderson alone," he said. "The more we buy into casinos, the more we lose some of that small-town feeling."