Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
GOLF COURSE BAN: County may try to retake land
Commissioner says acreage leased to Bill Walters could be used for park
By ADRIENNE PACKER
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Southwest valley residents might never see the golf course promised on 280 acres leased by Clark County to developer Bill Walters.
Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury said he plans to review with staff whether the county can take that land back from Walters in light of a pending ordinance banning new golf courses to conserve water.
"We don't want a golf course there or anywhere else for the time being," Woodbury said. "We're looking at the possibility of releasing their claim on it. What we do with it is up for grabs, maybe a water-conservation oriented park."
Commissioners are scheduled to conduct a public hearing on the golf course ban on Sept. 7.
Walters referred a phone call to consultant Terry Murphy, who said the developer has not decided whether he will forfeit the land.
"He is thinking about that," Murphy said, noting that Walters had nothing further to add.
Walters took control of about 320 acres of public land at no cost in April 2001 with the understanding he would build two golf courses.
A year later, in a deal that riled neighbors, commissioners granted Walters' request to rezone 40 acres of that property on the southeast corner of Warm Springs Road and Durango Drive to commercial and office/professional, generally regarded as more lucrative uses. An adjacent 25 acres also were rezoned.
At the time of the zone change, neighboring land owners complained that Walters gained an unfair business advantage by not paying for the land.
Walters is building medical offices and an upscale shopping center on the property.
"Now that you can't build that golf course, the best thing to do is give that land back," said community activist Lisa Mayo-DeRiso, who opposed the commercial zoning. "Taxpayers would forgive you if you give the land back to build a regional park. It is a much, much needed facility."
The land sits in Woodbury's district. The commissioner said Monday he has spoken to Mayo-DeRiso about a park and next plans to speak with county officials.
The lease agreement signed with the airport was designed to provide an amenity to the southwest valley. A desert-landscaped park would serve the same purpose, now that a golf course is no longer feasible because of the water shortage, Woodbury said.
"It (the golf course) is an amenity that turns out would harm the community rather than help the community," Woodbury said. "They always said they would do a golf course if we insisted, if we made water available, but we don't want it. Times change."
Walters' lease on the land is set to expire in 2051.
The county leased the land to Walters at no cost. The agreement included a profit-sharing scale that allows the county to make money from the property. For example, the county will receive 20 percent of the first $1.5 million in net revenue earned by Walters on his commercial center. Once net revenues hit $10 million, the county will receive 50 percent of the profits.
If Walters were to return the golf course land to the county, he still would be allowed to keep the most valuable portion, the commercial land.
"It's a smoking deal," said a commercial broker who asked not to be identified. "That land right now is going from $1 million an acre up. That's if you can find it."
Woodbury said Walters' lease is no different than other agreements signed by the airport under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act.
The county launched an investigation into the airport's lease agreements and land trades earlier this year after a Review-Journal article on the 2003 sale of 37.5 acres near Windmill Lane and Durango.
Legal advertisements said the land could be used only for a cemetery. Land broker Scott Gragson was the sole bidder. Airport-hired assessors valued the land at $2.6 million, and Gragson agreed to swap comparably valued property elsewhere in the valley.
Before the sale was finalized, Gragson signed an agreement to sell the land to a commercial developer for $7.8 million.
Woodbury said he is not in favor of Walters' golf course property being used for anything but an amenity for the growing residential area.
"I'm hoping the county can put it to a productive use: open space to benefit the citizens of the area," Woodbury said. "We need to see what we can do with that land before we make a definite approach to Walters about trying to get it back."
