Boulder City Votersto Consider Land Sale

By Review-Journal

By HENRY BREAN

REVIEW-JOURNAL

Voters in Boulder City will consider a plan to sell a swath of desert to Clark County and use the money to keep Las Vegas-style development away from their community.

City Council members voted Tuesday to put the proposal on the municipal election ballot in June.

The measure is aimed at helping the city take control of 700 acres of private land at the city’s western border, where developer Larry Canarelli wants to build 3,800 homes for teachers, nurses, firefighters and others who can’t afford houses in Las Vegas.

The land lies just outside the city limits and is not subject to the community’s strict controls on growth. It is presently zoned to allow one house for every two acres, but the County Commission could grant Canarelli a zone change that would allow him to move ahead with his project.

Under the deal, Boulder City would sell some or all of 1,500 acres it owns in the area known as Dutchman’s Pass, and the county would designate the land as a conservation area for Mojave Desert tortoise and other sensitive wildlife.

The money the city gets from the sale would be used to buy Canarelli’s property.

County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury called the transaction a winning proposition for all concerned. The county gains more tortoise habitat; the city blocks unwanted development along its western edge; and Canarelli gets a fair price for his land, allowing him to “pursue his project … in a better location,” Woodbury said.

City Manager Vicki Mayes said a lot still needs to be worked out, including the values of the properties involved. That information is unlikely to be available when voters go to the polls.

Such uncertainty could invite criticism from some Boulder City residents, particularly those who have publicly opposed past city- sponsored land deals.

(c) 2007 Las Vegas Review – Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.