Yes, It’s In The Designated “Downtown Las Vegas Redevelopment District”, But Is It Compatable With Surrounding Single Family Homes?
Gregg Brown, the leader of the 6th and Sahara project neighborhood response has written this guest editorial for us today.
The proposed development on 6th & Sahara is items 21 through 25 on the agenda for Thursday night’s Planning Commission hearing. It is the second item on the “public discussion” section of the agenda; that means it is likely to be heard very close to the beginning of the meeting, at 6pm.
So if you would like to make your voice heard by the City Planning Commission on this important issue, please plan to make it to the City Council chambers at City Hall, 600 Stewart Avenue at 6pm.
Here’s some important information about the proposal. As many of you know, last week the developers presented their third version of the project. They had agreed to revise their plans based on the previous public meeting as well as meetings they have held with neighborhood representatives who emphasized to them the importance of conforming to the Neighborhood Plan and to the municipal ordinances designed to preserve and enhance the low-density, residential character of our neighborhood.
Based on our suggestions, it has been revised to move almost all the traffic entrances and exits off of 6th and onto Sahara, and the portion of the building along 6th Street has been lowered and set back the building from the street. On the other hand they did not take up our suggestion of lowering the tower on Sahara; instead, the latest version raises the tower to 450 feet.
The latest version estimates 673 residential units, 36,000 square feet of restaurant space, 10,000 square feet of retail (on Sahara), and 72,000 square feet of office space. They have not yet determined the cost of the rentals or the eventual cost of the condos, estimating the cost will be in the range of $600,000 per unit. They have also not yet determined the nature of the restaurant, retail or office space.
The City Planning Staff report recommends denial of the project, because the staff finds it too high and too dense for the location; in other words, the Planning Staff estimates that such a large a building on that location would have too great a negative impact on the existing and intended uses of the surrounding land, which is a residential neighborhood. The Staff report also finds that even in revised form, the building does not conform to our Neighborhood Plan because the height of a building so close to residential housing along 6th is inconsistent with existing city codes requiring a ratio of 3 : 1 distance to height (3 times as far away from the nearest house as the height).
The Planning Commissioners are not bound to follow that recommendation; they will be very interested to hear the views of residents who live in the neighborhood. If you do plan to go to the meeting, please emphasize that you are a resident who lives in the neighborhood. Especially if you live along 6th or one of the cross-streets near 6th or in the Alhambra Court, in which case you will be the closest and most directly impacted, please be sure to attend and to give voice to your questions, concerns and opinions on this project.
If you cannot make the meeting but want to have your voice heard, then you can also call the Planning Department at (702) 229 – 6301 or fax your letter to (702) 385-7268. Please reference the case number “SDR-25773”. If you do call or send a letter, do so before this Wednesday. It would also be a good idea to send me a copy or give a copy to someone who is going to be sure it is read or presented at the meeting.
If you have any questions about the project or how to make your views known to the Planning Commission please feel free to contact any of us, and please try to come to the planning commission meeting.
Greg Brown [email protected] 580 7798
Penny Dale (Southridge) [email protected] 808-1918
Scott Swank (Beverly Green) [email protected] 838-2972
