Pressed for space

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

When Nellis Air Force Base was built, it was surrounded by open space, which was ideal. But now Nellis is feeling the pinch of the Las Vegas Valley’s growth.

Because development has continued to encroach on the base, military officials have limited takeoff and landing routes to avoid flights over populated areas. The Air Force wants to limit the risk of a plane with live ammunition crashing into a populated area, and it wants to spare nearby residents the noise of jets taking off and landing.

As Megan McCloskey reported in Monday’s Las Vegas Sun, North Las Vegas is planning to annex land north of the base, eyeing it for development that could further hinder the Air Force’s operations.

North Las Vegas officials don’t want to stop plans to bring more development and people to the city. And there is little the Air Force can do to stop the city.

Nellis commander Col. Howard Belote fears that with the possibility the open space nearby will be developed, “the reason for Nellis to exist is almost gone.”

Nellis is an important base for the Air Force, particularly with its proximity to the vast range of more than 3 million acres northwest of the Las Vegas Valley. It is the key training center for fighter pilots and weapons systems testing. In addition, it hosts a series of exercises for military pilots from around the world, giving Americans a chance to fly with foreign allies.

The base is also important to the Las Vegas Valley. The Air Force says the base’s economic impact was $4.2 billion for the federal fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2006. The base has more than 12,000 military and civilian employees.

Considering the national and local importance of the base, North Las Vegas should be a good neighbor and work with the Air Force instead of taking actions that could push the base out of town.