City doesn’t have funds to expand Anthem Highlands park

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 | midnight

The completion of a park in Anthem Highlands may have to wait for voters to approve a revenue bond for the city, park board members told a resident Oct. 1.

Esselmont Park, a five-acre facility at 2775 Anthem Highlands Drive, has been open for less than a year since developer Pulte Homes turned it over to the city.

Resident Scott Stansbury, a member of Anthem Highland's homeowners association board, said the park has already reached capacity and in September asked the Henderson Parks and Recreation Board to set aside additional funds to complete the undeveloped 14 acres next to the park that Pulte gave to the city for a second phase.

"I think we're ready to expand there, get a little more room, and get a grass area," Stansbury said.

But board members said they have no money for the project.

The city funds most of its park construction through the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, which allows Henderson to receive funds from the sale of nearby federal land for parks and trails development, but the federal government has twice rebuffed the city's requests for funding to complete Esselmont, because it said there are enough parks in the area, board members said.

Other sources for funding parks projects — the residential construction tax or the general fund — can't be used, either. Because the developer built a park, board members said, there is no residential construction tax for the area, and the general fund money for parks has been tied up in the Heritage Park project.

Staff members said it would cost a $1.5 million just to install turf and irrigation on the remaining 14 acres at Esselmont, not including any additional amenities.

"Unfortunately, you caught us at a bad time," board Chairwoman Cathy Rosenfield said. "While I wish I could tell you we have the million and a half dollars and let's just go finish that out, but we just flat out don't."

The only other option would be for citizens to support a revenue bond to fund park development, board and staff members said. The city has not requested such a bond, though the possibility of putting one on the ballot in 2010 has been discussed as part of the city's ongoing efforts to compile a master plan for its parks system. The last park bond was passed in 1997.

The master plan will be open for public input in December or January, Henderson Parks and Recreation Director Mary Ellen Donner said. The goal is to provide something for every part of Henderson, she said.

Even if a revenue bond were passed, she said, no project would be guaranteed funding. The city would establish the priorities.

"I understand that there's a lot of interest (in Esselmont), but there's a lot of interest everywhere," Donner said. "Our job is ... to make sure that we meet the needs as best we can."

Jeremy Twitchell can be reached at 990-8928 or jeremy.twitchell@hbcpub.com.