Lone Mountain closure takes residents by surprise

Late last month, Clark County fenced off access to Lone Mountain in the northwest valley.

It came with little warning and stunned some residents in the surrounding area.

“It’s supposed to be for park upgrades that I thought were supposed to happen 10 years ago,” said Susan Polinski-Barnes. “Putting signs up to inform would have been nice.”

The 6-foot-high chain link fence was put up to protect visitors during construction of a multi-year, 10-phase project designed to improve the park.

Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown said this is part of phase four of the master plan, which is set to take 10-12 months to complete.

Safety concerns were centered on the heavy machines used to create the 10-foot-wide, 2.1-mile walking path around the base of the mountain.

Brown said signs would be posted soon along the fence explaining the closure.

He added that nearby communities were notified during town hall meetings but acknowledged that not enough people were warned about the closure.

“We could’ve done a much better job going proactively out to our service groups,” Brown said. “A lot of people around the mountain attend the meetings, but users of the park are scattered all over the valley. We apologize to these users for the lack of early communication and ask them for patience. Once it’s complete, this will be a wonderful enhancement.”

In addition to the trail, an equestrian arena for horses, a parking lot and a horse-themed playground are planned, said county spokesman Dan Kulin.

“This will be the last expansion for three to five years,” Brown said. “The next phase will be the west side of the mountain, but it’ll probably be a few years before we get the funding.”

Brown said he’s unsure if the original master plan will ever materialize due to the lack of funds.

He believes the community swimming pool and amphitheater will not be built for another 10-15 years.

Phase four is set to cost almost $7 million.

Despite the improvements, some nearby residents have concerns that the construction will destroy the rural aspect of their community.

“I love my neighborhood mountain. I can see it from my backyard and from the front of my house,” said Denise Lahav. “I hope they don’t do anything to destroy the mountain with their improvements. They are making it into a manicured park. It has been nice to have a remnant of wilderness in the neighborhood.”

The work is being paid for with a mix of county capital funds, residential construction tax revenue and a portion from proceeds of the sale of federal land in the valley.

“We want to finish this as quick as possible,” Brown said. “We’re working with the contractor to see if we can segment the trail and close off certain portions while the heavy equipment is there. This way we can provide far more access to those who hike.”

Lone Mountain Park, 4445 N. Jensen St., and Lone Mountain Park Area No. 2, 9825 W. Lone Mountain Road., remain open.

For more information on the project, visit clarkcountynv.gov.

To contact Brown’s office for comments or complaints, call 702-455-3500 or email ccdistc@clarkcountynv.gov.

To reach North View reporter Sandy Lopez, email slopez@viewnews.com or call 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy.