Compromise allows school to open in fall

The North Las Vegas City Council and the Clark County School District have reached a compromise that will allow Scott Elementary School to open in time for the new school year in the fall.

The two groups have been at odds for more than a year over a city-imposed condition requiring the district to make extensive street improvements that exceed what normally is done during a new school construction project.

Scott is on 17.8 acres at El Campo Grande Avenue and Bruce Street. To make the improvements on Bruce Street, either the city or district would have needed to pay for the acquisition of private property.

On Wednesday, City Council members agreed to waive the street improvement requirement if the district met five conditions recommended by North Las Vegas Public Works Director Qiong Liu.

The conditions are intended to allay City Council members' concerns over the traffic and congestion that will be brought to the area when the school opens. They include:

•Constructing a pull-through lane on both Ann Road and Bruce, where students can be picked up or dropped off by their parents;

•Installing No Parking signs around the school, on Ann, Bruce and El Campo Grande.

•Prohibiting buses from using the pull-through lane on Bruce.

•Constructing a temporary parking lot at the northeast corner of Bruce and Ann.

•Installing a sidewalk along the eastern and northern boundaries of the parking lot so students have safe passage.

The compromise between the two parties developed in the days leading up to Wednesday's council meeting. When the agenda was published, the staff recommendation was to deny the district's request to drop the condition for street improvements.

Part of what had made the condition a problem was the inability of the district to negotiate the purchase of the private property needed. The street improvements hinged on obtaining a strip of land from Robert Combs, owner of R.C. Farms. The parties were unable to come to an agreement on the cost of the land.