Wednesday, May 26, 1999 | 11:22 a.m.
Boulder City took another step toward starting its first redevelopment agency when the City Council on Tuesday approved a report on the plan and set a public hearing on it for June 8.
If the redevelopment plan is adopted at the June 8 council meeting, Boulder City will join Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and other Nevada cities in organizing redevelopment areas.
City staff scheduled a public workshop for 6:30 p.m. June 2 at City Hall.
"I've had numerous phone calls today from people questioning what the redevelopment will mean for them and their businesses," Mayor Bob Ferraro said. "It is a complicated issue and something that the residents need to understand."
"The purpose of redevelopment agencies is to capture taxes from new developments and redirect that money into declining parts of the community for revitalization through landscaping and clean-up," redevelopment consultant Larry Bender said.
Ferraro said that many residents have concerns about the powers the agency could have including condemnation and eminent domain.
The redevelopment area in Boulder City includes its historic downtown as well as businesses along U.S. 93 and open space extending west toward Railroad Pass.
"About 90 percent of the redevelopment area is in commercial parts of town and 10 percent is in residential areas," Bender said.
City Manager John Sullard sees the plan as a way to improve the gateway into town.
"For years, the council has been saying that the entrance to the city needs some attention," Sullard said. "This will provide a financing mechanism to do that and keep with the feeling that the city is a cut above the rest."
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