Plan for 238 new homes in Mountain’s Edge advances

By Dylan Scott

Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010 | 12:28 p.m.

Despite dropping sales since 2008, developers still are planning new projects in Mountain’s Edge. Lennar Homes received preliminary approval Wednesday for a 238-unit single-family home community at the Enterprise town board meeting.

Jasmine Falls at Mountain’s Edge would cover 20 acres near the corner of Buffalo Drive and Cactus Avenue.

Lennar replaced previous plans to put condominiums or triplex apartments on the site with a less dense single-family home approach to reflect the changing market, said Robert Johnson, who represented the company at the meeting.

The developer requested a number of fairly standard waivers, including allowing early grading to begin construction sooner and modified street improvements that align with the rest of the communities in Mountain’s Edge.

However, Gene Leed, a resident at Mountain’s Edge who represented a contingent of homeowners, voiced concerns about the availability of green space following the decision of master developer Focus Property Group to cut back on parks. He said homeowners also were worried about the ability of residents to make left turns onto Buffalo Drive.

Another area of contention was the flood channel on the southern edge of Jasmine Falls, where Lennar had requested an easement of interest by Clark County.

After Focus abandoned its original plan to turn those channels into small parks with tree lines and walkways, the Mountain’s Edge master homeowners association has instead been deeded storm drainage pipes covered with dirt and unimproved by other developers, Leed said.

Leed pointed out that this had already happened at the development to the east of Jasmine Falls.

The HOA is then responsible for maintaining and securing those channels, Leed said, costs that are funneled into each resident’s monthly HOA fees.

Johnson said he wasn't aware of that problem at other developments and Lennar would work with the HOA.

To assuage some of Leed’s concerns, the town board mandated that a traffic study be completed for the site and that a pool, cabana and barbecue pit -- already parts of Lennar’s plans -- be built during the first phase of construction at Jasmine Falls.

Sales at Mountain’s Edge have fallen from a peak of 2,300 in 2005 to 600 in 2009.

The application will go before the county planning commission on Sept. 21 for final approval.