Las Vegas City Council votes for new golf course policies
The Las Vegas City Council couldn’t get behind a moratorium on accepting plans for golf course and open space redevelopment, but officials want city staff to come up with a new policy that can act as a guide in the future.
Councilman Steve Seroka’s moratorium proposal was aimed at giving the city time to create a broad policy for redevelopment in master plan and special use areas that include a golf course or other common open spaces. Such proposals have riled neighbors, but most council members did not want a six-month stop on accepting applications.
Mayor Carolyn Goodman recalled the recession’s ravaging of the local economy when she said she couldn’t support a moratorium.
“This is a town that needs to keep growing and attracting at this particular time,” Goodman said.
Some city leaders said the measure is not aimed at a specific development, but the battle lines re-emerged over EHB Cos.’ development proposal for the Badlands golf course, with some arguing it targets that closed west valley course.
A new development policy would apply to the 23 master development plan areas and special area plans in the city. Most of those areas have common open spaces, and 11 are golf courses.
A majority of the council directed city staff to create a broad policy to guide golf course and open space development, and bring it back to the council in the next six months.
The moratorium proposal sliced the council. Councilwoman Michele Fiore said she wanted it denied outright, arguing it affects the northwest Ward 6 she represents more than Ward 2, where Badlands lies.
“A vote on this is a vote against Ward 6, and that is not OK with me,” Fiore said.
Even without the moratorium, Fiore and Goodman cast the only no votes among the seven-member council, arguing they should start over with a new measure for that.
Public engagement requirements, wetlands and wildlife assessments and landscaping standards are among the areas city staff will be looking at in creating a new policy.
Golf course closures and redevelopment plans have stirred controversy valleywide in recent years. City officials have been looking to local governments in other states that have seen a rash of golf course closures.
Badlands blowback
Opponents of a plan to build homes and apartments on the Badlands course came out in favor of the six-month stop on development.
EHB CEO and founder Yohan Lowie called the council’s action a “moratorium in disguise.” The City Council approved in February 435 for-sale condominiums for the course’s eastern edge, but rejected other proposals to develop other portions of the 250-acre course in June and August.
Other representatives for EHB said they didn’t have enough time between when the council agenda was released last week and the council meeting to review the moratorium proposal. The agenda was posted Aug. 29. City Hall is also closed on Fridays.
“Frankly, this smells and looks like you’re trying to push something through,” said Stephanie Allen, one of the attorneys representing the Badlands owners.
Attorney Frank Schreck, a Queensridge homeowner who has vehemently opposed plans to build on the adjacent shuttered golf course, said creating a citywide policy will require developers to submit completed applications “so no other community has to suffer the way Queensridge has had to suffer,” Schreck said.
Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @JamieMunksRJ on Twitter.
