Residents speak out against plans for Interstate 15 corridors

Six months ago, Gloria Mann installed a swimming pool in her unincorporated Clark County yard, which backs up to Industrial Road, south of Blue Diamond Highway.

On Thursday, she discovered that Clark County, which approved the permit for her pool, has plans to expand Industrial Road -- directly through her pool.

"I've lived there less than six months, and nothing was disclosed," Mann said. Her home is in a rural preservation area between Interstate 15 and Industrial. "I'm upset they are going to destroy my property. The road is going to be 15 feet from my back door and 3 feet higher."

Mann was one of about 150 residents who turned out last week at the Enterprise Library for a Nevada Department of Transportation informational meeting concerning three alternatives for the I-15 South corridor.

The state transportation department is working with county planners and Henderson officials to forecast and improve travel in the south part of the valley from Tropicana Avenue to the Bureau of Land Management disposal boundaries and from Hualapai Way to Mountain Vista and Valle Verde streets.

Alternatives range from the general expansion of the roadway network to the construction of super arterials on existing roadways, addition of interchanges along I-15, or additional frontage roads. Up to five interchanges between Blue Diamond and Lake Mead Drive are being considered to keep up with growth demands.

Residents interested in reviewing the alternatives and providing their input can attend another open house 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Silver Springs Recreation Center, 1951 Silver Springs Pkwy., Henderson.

Kent Cooper, program development manager for NDOT, said residents' main concern has been the preservation of their rural area and lifestyle.

"The big issue is the same issue that has been heard for the past 20 years throughout the valley," he said, adding the transportation department is trying to avoid some of difficulties along I-15 that it ran into in the northwest part of the valley with the U.S. 95 expansion.

Cooper said the study is on the fast track and should be ready to present to city and county officials within two months.

"The intent is to pick the best elements of each alternative and combine them into one," he said. "Then we will go before the elected bodies with our recommendations by the end of March."

Once the state transportation department has the blessing of the city and the county, it will present its recommendations to the Regional Transportation Commission, Cooper said.

However, the purpose of the meetings, said John Schlegle, assistant director of comprehensive planning for the county, is to look at proposed transportation improvements, not to establish standards for the rural preservation areas.

In the case of Gloria Mann's swimming pool, for example, "That's the wrong place to voice their concerns," he said. "The solution is not an NDOT solution. It is ours."

Schlegle added that county planners are aware of the need to develop standards for arterials that will run through rural preservation areas.

"The county is working on that," he said.

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