Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005 | 9:38 a.m.
Faced with opposition from condominium owners and Henderson, the Regional Transportation Commission has withdrawn plans for its first mass transit center in Henderson after spending more than $400,000 on the effort.
The decision by the commission to no longer pursue a bus and rail terminal anywhere in Henderson follows a 4-1 vote by the Henderson City Council on Feb. 15 to side with residents of Black Mountain Condominiums, 504 College Drive.
One council member suggested the RTC resubmit an improved proposal for the 4.2-acre city-owned site on College Drive, but commission officials said this week there are no plans to do so despite spending $400,000 on an environmental review and countless staff time on the project.
Henderson will lose out on a $2 million federal grant the RTC obtained solely for building a 2,300-square-foot facility in the city. That federal grant, which is due to expire if not used quickly, will be allocated elsewhere in the system outside of Henderson, RTC spokeswoman Sue Christiansen said.
"It is disappointing we can't have a facility out there to accommodate those people," Christiansen said. "We have spent several years to come to this location. The fact that this location didn't fly -- we are running out of options of places to build and buy land."
The residents opposed a transfer center about 100 feet from their 99-unit complex north of Horizon Ridge Drive, saying it would generate noise, pollution and additional crime in their neighborhood. That would reduce property value on their condominiums, which are currently assessed at more than $150,000, residents said.
The RTC will continue to use a bus stop along College Drive, nearly 300 feet away from the complex, as a point for riders to transfer to other buses. The condominiums are buffered from that bus stop by a stone wall.
For several years, the RTC has looked at several other sites in Henderson but nothing panned out because of limited access, environmental concerns, and other issues, officials said.
The College Drive location was a preferred spot because of its four routes that serve Henderson, downtown Las Vegas and Boulder City. It is also adjacent to the Union Pacific railroad line where a light rail line is proposed to extend through the community someday.
This is the first time a city has rejected the RTC's request for a terminal, Christiansen said. She said the RTC acted prudently in pursing the site and that the strong opposition to the project didn't materialize until the end of the process. The project had received approval from city staff and the Henderson Planning Commission.
"There is not going to be an intermodal station in the city of Henderson," said a disappointed Henderson Councilman Andy Hafen, an RTC board member who supported the College Drive terminal. "There was $500,000 tied up in the design, and that is money that is just lost."
The transit center was supposed to serve as a "kiss and ride" drop off point for commuters since there would not be any public parking on the site. The plans called for restrooms, a staff lounge, security and information and ticket booths. A canopy would have shaded passengers from the rain and sun.
The decision halting a transit center on College Drive upset bus riders who said this week's rain demonstrates the need for shelter. Monique Derisso, 27, of Henderson said the existing bus stop needs to be moved off College Drive because passing vehicles splash riders accidentally.
Antonio McAllum, 32, of Las Vegas, said he comes to Henderson four to five times a week to visit his son. He said he has complained about the lack of shelter at the bus stop, which RTC officials said is city property and Henderson's responsibility.
"It is ridiculous," McAllum said. "If the buses aren't running on time, you can be soaking wet by the time you get on."
The plans called for the transit center on the south side of the Union Pacific tracks, about 100 feet from the condominium complex. A trail with trees was planned for the north side adjacent to the complex, and one councilman suggested a wall be built as well to buffer residents.
Residents said their six years of experience with the bus stop triggered their opposition. The buses have brought in vagrants and increased vandalism, assaults and muggings, residents said.
One of the bus routes runs 24 hours a day, and the other three routes run from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m.
Tony Gurule, 43, a 10-year resident of the complex, said a transit center would lower property value in his peaceful neighborhood. Trains and buses generate too much noise, and a child care center nearby would become a "predator's paradise" if the mass transit terminal were approved, he said.
"It was a crazy plan," Gurule said. "It would have brought more volume to the neighborhood. There a lot of seniors on fixed incomes here who have paid their dues. They shouldn't have to fight to keep their homes safe."
Hafen said the transit center would have addressed residents' concerns because there would be 24-hour security. Also, buses on three of the four routes were going to be switched to natural gas vehicles that emit little pollution, he said.
"The same problems that exist today will exist in the future," Hafen said.
Henderson Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers said the College Drive site was a poor location for a transit center but wants the RTC to continue looking for other locations in Henderson. Even though the community needs the center to serve residents, the city made the right decision, she said.
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