Mountain’s Edge developer planning new parks

What would you want in a park if you could build it?

Clark County is requesting the public's input on the design of the $8 million Mountain's Edge Regional Park, at 7929 Mountains Edge Parkway, between Buffalo and Durango drives. Construction is expected to begin next January, with an opening planned for October 2013.

County officials will be available to take suggestions and answer questions at an open house scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Enterprise Library, 25 E. Shelbourne Ave. It will be the second and last open house the county has scheduled.

At the first open house last month at Reedom Elementary School, county parks officials presented three proposals, and residents voted on their favorite.

The designs utilize 20 acres of the 220-acre site, funded by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. The other 200 acres are planned to be built in phases as funding becomes available, the county said.

The regional park, if completed by the end of 2013, would be about three years later than originally publicized by Mountain's Edge developer, Focus Property Group.

Park delays have become the norm for residents in the community.

In 2007, Focus advertised six parks that would serve its more than 13,000 homes.

In 2011, there was one park and nearly 8,000 homes.

Homebuilders are required to pay a fee to the developer to support a park fund. When the economy crashed in 2008, many homebuilders got behind on payments, and others went bankrupt.

Focus renegotiated its zoning agreements with the county in 2009, relieving it of some development responsibilities.

Earnest Phillips, homeowner and chairman of the Mountain's Edge Parks and Paseos Committee, does not support the renegotiations.

"I'm not getting a break on my house," Phillips said. "I have very little sympathy. It's not my responsibility to make sure the developers set apart the money for parks. I think it's about accountability and responsibility.

"The simple fact is, if you're a person like me, you're not getting a break on anything. Part of the reason you purchased (at Mountain's Edge) is that there's an expectation that things will be built."

Representatives from Focus were not available for comment.

Exploration Peak Park, the area's sole park, struggles to serve the approximately 16,000 residents in the community. Its burden may soon be lessened, ever so slightly, with the opening of another park this month or next.

Nathaniel Jones Park near Mountains Edge Parkway and El Capitan Way is a 20-acre site to complement Exploration Peak's 80 acres. The park was advertised to include a lighted basketball court, children's water play area, walking trails and shade structures.

Focus Property Group had announced the park would be open last fall, but it didn't.

County Commissioner Susan Brager said she plans to attend the February open house and is glad to see progress being made in the area of parks.

She said she understands residents' frustration over the broken timeline, but it was necessary to renegotiate the development agreement with Focus.

"When's Mountain's Edge was conceived, there was money flowing like milk and honey," Brager said. "This economy has thrown such a wrench in everything."

Brager said the county has set up a fund for the regional park that will be added to as more homes are built, and the county is looking for other avenues to finance the park.

Can residents ever expect to see their parks fully realized?

"It's going to be years," Brager said, "literally years because of where we are monetarily and as a community. But we hope so."

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.