ASK MR. SUN:

What’s going on with the land at Tropicana and Decatur?

Tuesday, March 3, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Ask Mr. Sun

Why is the road to Sloan Canyon not paved? (2-24-2009)
How does the Nevada Highway Patrol’s staffing compare with other states’? (2-20-2009)

Mr. Sun,

Please explain the plot of land about a half-mile square at the northwest corner of Tropicana Avenue and Decatur Boulevard. It is fenced but otherwise remains untouched. Who owns it and are there any plans for it? It would seem to be a prime spot for development.

— Don Merz

•••

In one sense we all own the vacant 77-acre parcel on the northwest corner of Tropicana Avenue and Decatur Boulevard.

The Clark County assessor lists the owner as “USA.” In Southern Nevada, that means the Bureau of Land Management, which has fenced it to keep people from illegally dumping on the people’s property.

Eventually the fence will come down and a park and flood control basin will go up. Such facilities have been combined in a couple of valley locations.

The Lower Flamingo Wash Detention Basin and Tropicana/Decatur Community Park, as it’s known in official documents, will be funded by public land sales in Southern Nevada and local flood control money.

The county hopes to open the park by 2012. The state of the economy, however, has created some uncertainty as to when the land will be available to dog walkers and flood-

waters.

Questions for Mr. Sun should be sent to page8@lasvegassun.com.

Discussion: 6 comments so far…

By BringtheRain

3/3/09 at 2:30 a.m.

Suggest removal

That's too bad. This area was a wonderfully preserved washland, and much loved by neighborhood kids who enjoyed mountain biking in the hilly terrain. Another crappy park and detention basin. woo boy.
By Lenny_V

3/3/09 at 9:04 p.m.

Suggest removal

This is county land. Why the hell are the federal government claiming it?
By Pj_Perez

3/4/09 at 3:52 p.m.

Suggest removal

Um, it's not county, it's federal. BLM.

Either way, yeah. I wrote a story about that chunk of land and its potential uses in the Las Vegas Mercury about five ... six ... seven? years ago. Sadly, it's not online anymore.
By leftiebob

3/4/09 at 4:42 p.m.

Suggest removal

Someone should breach the fence so the kids can mountian bike on the land. It looks like the perfect use for it.
By Dianeg43

3/4/09 at 4:52 p.m.

Suggest removal

Oh great, another park at taxpayers expense to be a place for the homeless to gather and trash and sleep. Homeless people living in tents and boxes were the reason the land was fenced off in the first place.
By drollo

3/4/09 at 9:01 p.m.

Suggest removal

the homeless, Diane--are they human beings? or does their inadequacy as sources of tax revenue deprive them of that status?