Wednesday, July 26, 2000 | 10:48 a.m.
Clark County and Rhodes Ranch developers are continuing to work on a controversial deal that would move a planned drainage ditch from Rhodes' property to public land on the east side of Durango Road.
Meanwhile, the Regional Flood Control District is moving closer to its fall deadline to complete the design of the channel.
Gale Fraser, director of the Flood Control District, said he is not yet worried about his deadline but further delays could affect the project.
"It's a project on the close horizon. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel," Fraser said. "We want to get it going, but if this is resolved in the next couple months, we don't see any big problems."
In February Rhodes requested that the planned flood channel be removed from his property on the west side of Durango Road and placed on the east side, where a golf course, high school and park are being built.
Although Rhodes received the land at a lower cost because of plans for the channel, he now claims the ditch would devalue homes in a neighborhood that will soon be under construction.
With the help of Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny -- who is also a resident of Rhodes Ranch and a friend of the developer -- Rhodes convinced the county board to move the ditch.
The board's approval came despite planners' arguments the ditch could affect the school and park. Planners also were concerned the ditch failed to fit the "public benefit" requirement for projects built on Cooperative Management Agreement land.
County Commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury said Tuesday he believes the project benefits the public.
Rather than a concrete channel on Rhodes property, the drainage ditch will either be covered, placed in the median of Durango or built into the golf course with a grass lining.
"There are many public benefits to having a grass-lined or covered channel," Woodbury said. "Because of the impacts on surrounding properties, we made the finding it was in the public's interest."
In May Rhodes developers were given 90 days to obtain proper approvals from the Army Corp of Engineers and the Regional Flood Control District, giving the project's engineers hope construction would not be delayed.
Last week, however, the county commission agreed to another 60 days to allow county planners to meet and discuss the channel's design with public works officials.
The county and the Regional Flood Control District insist neither will pay more than it would have cost to build the channel on Rhodes' property to the west.
County planner Barbara Ginoulias said Rhodes officials have not determined whether they can afford to incur all the costs.
The County Commission is scheduled to make its final decision on whether the channel will be relocated during its Sept. 20 zoning meeting.
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