Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Sometimes, it’s the small decisions that make or break a politician.
Las Vegas Councilman Steve Ross has the opportunity, it seems, to make a name for himself in the northwest valley based on how easily he can block a plan to develop a carwash/convenience store/fast-food joint at Grand Teton Drive and Durango Road on Wednesday.
The basic idea is this: Neighbors don’t want the high-traffic business, which also would have a beer and wine license. They’d prefer something like a coffee shop or a bookstore.
According to neighbors, almost a year ago, Ross agreed. He sent a letter to the developers saying the proposal was too intense for the area.
“We didn’t say, ‘You have to put houses here,’ ” said Lisa Mayo-Deriso, a neighborhood activist. “We know he (the owner) has zoning for commercial use. But do something more conducive to the neighborhood.”
That was almost a year ago. And guess what?
It’s back.
And nothing has changed. At least, nothing has changed in the neighborhood’s favor. There is one minor change in the developer’s request for a special-use permit. Now instead of an 800-square-foot carwash, the request is for a 960-square-foot carwash.
“I was stunned,” Mayo-Deriso said of the change.
Her one bit of solace may come in the unwritten rule of the Las Vegas City Council. Typically, other council members defer to the council member whose ward is affected by a vote. So if Ross doesn’t want the development and makes his case known, other council members will likely vote with him.
That doesn’t always work, however. Late last year, Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian spoke fervently against an “affordable housing” development in her district, but she lost after other council members broke that unwritten agreement.
Mayo-Deriso is curious about how Ross’ decision might be affected by the fact that John T. Moran III, an attorney representing the developer, has been appointed to the state’s Ethics Commission.
Ross is the secretary-treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building Trades, a group whose members work on projects throughout the Las Vegas Valley. And local governments’ decisions on those projects sometimes land before the ethics panel.
Will the local lawyer’s newfound power affect how anyone on the council votes? Tune in Wednesday.
•••
The creation of a new campus for higher education and megadevelopment in the northwest valley will be at the forefront of the City Council’s meeting Wednesday.
On the education front, the council will consider ratification of a development agreement to build a College of Southern Nevada campus on 41 acres at the northwest corner of Elkhorn Road and Grand Montecito Parkway.
Remarkable by the typical standards of CSN — the state’s two-year college system formerly known as the Community College of Southern Nevada — is that the agreement calls for the construction of residential units on campus.
“The inclusion of residential units will make it possible for students, faculty and employees to live on-site and will assist in reducing vehicle trips associated with the campus,” an analysis of the agreement said.
The college consists of three main campuses serving 36,000 full-time students. Students can complete the first two years of a four-year degree at the campuses, which typically feature smaller teacher-to-student ratios, before transferring to UNLV or UNR.
•••
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will be in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and Thursday with other representatives of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a “congressional outreach initiative.”
In addition to having members meet with congressional dignitaries, the LVCVA is hosting a reception.
•••
The Las Vegas City Council will discuss possible disciplinary action against A&H Jewelry, 516 E. Fremont St., where store President Ahab Hamideh has pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a counterfeiting instrument.
In 2006, police seized from the store hundreds of counterfeit watches and a variety of jewelry stamped “14K” later found to contain no gold.
•••
The council also will decide whether to award a $180,505 contract for the marketing of the Mob Museum, which is to open in 2009 in the Old Post Office, 300 Stewart Ave. The contract likely will be awarded to Wall-To-Wall Studios, a Pittsburgh-based company.
Joe Schoenmann can be reached at 229-6436 or at [email protected].
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