County OKs health clinic despite neighbors’ opposition

Residents voice concerns about traffic, location during two-hour discussion

Leila Navidi

Carolyn Edwards, the vice president of the Clark County School Board, speaks to residents during a community meeting at Elaine Wynn Elementary School about a proposed health clinic on the school’s campus in Las Vegas Monday, Nov. 2, 2009.

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009 | 1:52 p.m.

Permit issue puts clinic on hold (11-4-2009)
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Newest health center fills a need (9-12-2009)
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Volunteers works to make life better for poor students (1-10-2007)

Map of Elaine Wynn Elementary School

5655 Edna Ave., Las Vegas

Despite vocal opposition from some Spring Valley residents, the Clark County Commission unanimously approved a special use permit for a student health clinic at Elaine Wynn Elementary School.

“We have to do what’s the right thing to do, and not what’s politically expedient,” Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said at today’s meeting.

The vote followed nearly two hours of public comment and discussion.

The clinic, to be sited on the Wynn campus east of Jones Boulevard, will be operated by the nonprofit Communities in Schools, which already has similar facilities at two other campuses. The clinics provide basic health care, including vaccinations and the physical checkups required to participate in school athletics, to students up to age 18. Most of the students will come from Wynn, although small groups from other nearby campuses will also make use of the clinic facilities. The clinics operate at almost no cost to the Clark County School District, which provides the land as well as utilities hookups.

Neighbors argued that while the project’s mission was laudable, the location was inappropriate. They were also upset that the district had not notified the neighbors prior to breaking ground on the project last month.

The area around the school already suffers from traffic problems that would only be exacerbated by the clinic, residents told the commission.

Additionally, some people pointed out that the clinic would be serving the children of poor families who don’t live in the immediate neighborhood, but rather walk to Wynn from low-income areas beyond Decatur Boulevard. It would make more sense to place the clinic closer to their homes, said Colette Welsing, a 15-year Spring Valley resident and retired school District teacher.

Commissioner Susan Brager, making the motion to approve the clinic, told the residents “I was one of the poor people you talked about today … We need to be very respectful that not everybody gets to be a 'have' in our community. There are many 'have-nots.'”

Brager also encouraged the School District to come up with a better process for public notification of such projects and provide more opportunity for input.

“We will do much better,” School Board Vice President Carolyn Edwards. “We apologize to you, and we apologize to the neighborhood.”

The district was also accused of violating the state’s open meeting law by holding closed-door discussions on the project. Attorney Gary Moss said he requested the minutes of the meetings where Wynn was selected as the clinic’s location and was told none existed.

We have no meaningful opportunity to contribute to this process,” said attorney Gary Moss. “This decision is arbitrary and capricious, if there ever was one.”

Edwards told the commissioners that the closed-door discussions referenced by Moss took place among district staff and Communities in Schools. Once the issue was brought to the School Board for approval, it was added to the publicly noticed agenda and all discussions were conducted in an open meeting.

The Wynn campus health clinic would become the seventh to operate in Clark County.

The nonprofit Nevada Health Centers operates clinics at C.P. Squires Elementary School, Roy Martin Middle School and Valley High School. Two — at Martinez and Cunningham elementary schools — are operated by Communities in Schools. The sixth, at Basic High School, is funded by Nevada State College.

The Southern Nevada chapter of NAIOP, the commercial real estate development association, has offered to donate the clinic building at Wynn Elementary, which would be named in memory of Casey Jones, who served as the business group’s president in 2005.

Commission Chairman Rory Reid told the audience there are three similar clinics in his district, and all of the locations were considered controversial at the time they were proposed. However, in the intervening years there have been no complaints from area residents. Clark County needs more public-private partnerships to serve the needs of the entire community, Reid said.

He urged the Spring Valley residents to work with the School District as the project moves forward so that their concerns will be appropriately addressed.

Discussion: 4 comments so far…

Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.

By wwunlv

Nov. 18, 2009

3:14 p.m.

Suggest removal

This sounds like a terrific idea for disadvantaged kids. It is extremely generous of this doctor to donate his time to such a worthwhile endeavor.
By dodgerchuck

Nov. 18, 2009

7:36 p.m.

Suggest removal

what dr,i didnt see any mentioned
By bighitter1

Nov. 18, 2009

8:50 p.m.

Suggest removal

I live near this area and know the location due to my girlfriend living down the block from Wynn. Most all of the people that were not in favor of this clinic were white and those in favor were of color. I think the clinic is a good idea but the clinic should have used one of the medical buildings in the Decatur/Flamingo area. There are many medical offices that are empty. It would make it easier for those needing its services. I love watching all these old white people freaking out because, omg we are going to be having all these blacks and latins coming into our community (poor people).All these smarty pants that came up with all these lame excuses got shot down. lol. But seriously, schools should not have medical clinics on their campuses.
By CitizenAndVoter

Nov. 26, 2009

6:52 a.m.

Suggest removal

This issue has nothing to do with race. I live in the neighborhood and have been involved with this issue.

The hard work of Communities in Schools is needed and should actually be funded more fully. Keeping kids healthy and, therefore, focused and in school is an absolute necessity. The neighborhood surrounding Elaine Wynn Elementary enthusiastically applauds the work & mission of CIS.

The neighborhood is staunchly PRO clinic but AGAINST this location because it simply doesn't make sense. The location on Coley Ave is highly inconvenient to the very children & families it alleges to serve. For example, it offers no public transportation access which is the primary transportation mode for the majority of intended users, the latest proposal offers only 7 parking spaces for those who drive, and the nearest drug store to fill prescriptions written by clinic staff is a mile away.

There have been no traffic or neighborhood impact studies done on the proposed site, at least none publicly available. And the proposed access on Coley Avenue on the South side of Wynn Elementary is not a safe traffic zone especially during school drop-off and pick-up times.
It is only common sense that the clinic should be located closest to the most students it can serve, not on the far Southwest edge of the service area. Other sites such as Cashman or Clark can provide the most convenient, superior public access, parking & location for the children it is meant to serve.

Meetings & discussions concerning the Wynn Elementary site were held on many occasions over 2 years by School Board members, School District officials, School Board Trustees, Communities in Schools and NAIOP (possibly more) yet NO minutes or records of these exist. In two years not a single member of the neighborhood was notified or offered any information. And now, in spite of repeatedly asking how and by whom it was decided that this is a wise or useful location, the proponents offer no specifics and remain largely mute. Why is that?

There are myriad other reasons why this clinic should not be built at Wynn Elementary, some smacking of the nepotism and good 'ol boy favoritism of the Erin Kenny era. And your readers should know that last Tuesday the Spring Valley Town Advisory Board voted to deny a Use permit for the clinic (based on facts, not emotion).

But putting all that aside, if a much-needed clinic is to be built, then why locate it on the far edge & miles away from the center of the intended service area? Why locate it in a place where it poses a real difficulty to reach for most of the children of the 6 schools it is intended to serve? And why locate it less than 3 blocks from another free clinic that is in the process of gaining funding, approvals and permits?

Locating this clinic at Wynn Elementary simply makes no sense. And it surely doesn't pass the smell test.