Monday, Aug. 23, 2004 | 11:07 a.m.
The First Presbyterian Church at 1515 W. Charleston Blvd., which turned 50 last year, faces an uncertain future.
The church and its neighbors are in the path of Project Neon, a plan to alter the flow of traffic along Interstate 15 between the Spaghetti Bowl and Sahara Avenue. The plan includes modifying major intersections, such as the one near the church where Martin Luther King and Charleston boulevards come together just west of I-15.
The latest proposal, said the Rev. Jim Houston-Hencken of First Presbyterian Church, "makes the freeway essentially a 40-foot overpass that comes to within five feet of our property ... it also expands Charleston by two lanes, which comes within a few feet of us. What they're doing is they are basically cordoning off the church and they don't have to pay us the eminent domain fees."
Eminent domain is a process by which the government can take land for public purposes. It is often controversial, especially when land is taken for private use, as happened downtown when the Fremont Street Experience was built.
In the case of Project Neon, the use would be strictly for the public project of smoothing traffic flows. More than 250,000 vehicles a day use I-15 between the Spaghetti Bowl and Sahara, for example. But the issue of what property to take, and whether it can be negotiated or must be litigated, might still prove contentious.
"I do have mixed feelings. We certainly want to see the freeway expanded and it would serve the community to have a more efficient thoroughfare," Houston-Hencken said. "We don't oppose the project; we simply oppose the state or city casting us aside or rendering us useless."
The state still is studying how best it can reconfigure traffic flows, although it has identified a specific "preferred alternative." Generally, that means that a strip of land along Martin Luther King between Charleston and Alta Avenue will be swallowed up; along Desert Lane, the church will stay, but its neighbors on the other side of the street are likely to go.
The Nevada Department of Transportation has a series of meetings in which it attempts to secure feedback from residents. The next public information meeting is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30, at the community room in the Clark County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central. For information, check the project Web site at www.ndotprojectneon.com or call 387-2856.
Officials previously have said that right-of-way acquisition is not immediately pressing, as there remains a lengthy design process for the project.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said that he hopes a solution is found that is fair to the church. Goodman lives in the Scotch 80s, a neighborhood a couple of blocks west of the church.
"First Presbyterian Church is an iconic landmark," Goodman said. "It's been a wonderful facility for the city. I've been to many services there, I'm friendly with many congregants; sometimes, progress gets in the way of these things. I just hope they're treated fairly no matter what happens."
He said that the project is several years out, and "the way the town grows I have to rely on traffic experts to make the right decision."
Jennifer Norrid, who lives several blocks away, said she was concerned about the project's impact on the neighborhood.
"As small as the neighborhood is, there are different issues, depending on whether or not a home will be taken out, or whether they're facing or near the freeway," Norrid said. As for the church, she said, "it's our neighbor and we are totally behind wanting to see the church preserved. They serve a good purpose for the community and the downtown area.
"And the fact they are not a strong tax base contributor we hope will not be an issue when it comes to property acquisition."
Houston-Hencken, who has a congregation of about 1,000 people, said the current proposal puts his church in the shadows of the highway. It also restricts access, forcing people to travel several hundred yards west on Charleston before they can turn left to reach the church.
"Our exposure is our presence in the community," he said. "If you remove that presence so it can't be seen we become somewhat inaccessible, becoming somewhat useless."
Houston-Hencken said the church -- "one of the few Protestant churches downtown and the only one within our immediate area" -- recently spent more than $1 million to rebuild the office and education building, which contained toxic mold.
He said that there's no way the congregation can duplicate that effort.
"If you add (the cost of) property too, it becomes exponentially more expensive. We don't have the resources to do that. We didn't have a building plan envisioned, so there's no money set aside to rebuild the entire church."
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