Henderson council OKs Black Mountain golf course closure plan

After months of debate between Black Mountain-area residents and Black Mountain Golf Course & Country Club representatives, the Henderson City Council approved a final closure plan Tuesday.

Mayor Debra March was sick, leaving Mayor Pro Tem Gerri Schroder to lead the meeting as dozens of neighbors, most wearing bright green T-shirts that said “Save Black Mountain,” packed the room. Schroder said multiple times that the council’s action only covered the golf course closure plan, not future development.

However, the prospect of development was far from the only item of contention. During about 30 minutes of public comment, residents expressed concerns about dust in the neighborhood generated by the dry golf course, rodent infestation and where removed trees would be stored.

One resident said he’d spent $7,000 “for taking care of rats that infested my property.” He added that he’d purchased his home five years ago.

The closure plan states that the golf course owners will pay a maintenance crew to clear dry brush and dying trees, dispose of trash and address any graffiti. The crews will be available five days a week. The plan also states that the owners contracted with Big Horn Pest Control to develop a plan to control rodent and other pest infestation. The plan states Big Horn will respond to “any significant rodent or pest complaint made within three business days at the direction of property manager Dan Dombrowski.”

Attendees also were told that the course’s owners must comply with air quality standards regulated by Clark County Air Quality Management.

The golf course, at 500 Greenway Road just south of downtown Henderson, closed abruptly Nov. 25. A representative held a neighborhood meeting in February at the golf course to address concerns with the closure plan. Residents said the course grounds were being neglected, as were watering and tree removal. According to the closure plan, the course owners’ irrigation system is inoperable and they lack the funds to repair it; instead, trees, shrubs and grass are expected to be watered “once a week with a water truck.”

Ron Iverson, a resident of Queensridge in Summerlin where the shuttered Badlands golf course property has spurred similar concerns from neighbors, urged the City Council to move forward with its plan during public comment.

“We have encountered the same things on the Badlands golf course,” Iverson said. He pleaded that the council “protect the rights of the residents that surround Black Mountain and try to help them.”

The council approved the closure plan with four provisions: the property owners must water the areas where they remove trees prior to their removal, to help control dust; the property must maintain the “nursery” where removed healthy trees will be placed and watered; the property owners must ensure all city bills are current; and the council must receive six-month updates on cooperation with the closure plan.

Contact Rachel Spacek at 702-387-2921 or rspacek@reviewjournal.com. Follow @RachelSpacek on Twitter.