A currently vacant 64-acre lot in Henderson, Nevada is quietly being positioned into becoming the biggest high-rise project this side of the Strip... the only problem is, its mere existence would break two city ordinances.
Plans for the proposed commercial/residential mixed-use project called The Summit would be on Horizon Ridge Parkway and Gibson Road and span over 2 million square feet with over 20 buildings.
These high-rises include a residential and office tower standing 371 feet, despite a height restriction in Henderson that no building can eclipse 60 feet. (Sunset Station stands tallest at 51 feet.)
The land is also zoned for low-density residential, requiring another change from city officials for its intended use.
Some 150 irate neighbors who never received notice from the developer but instead learned about the project via FOX 5 TV and the Las Vegas Review-Journal filled a meeting room May 4 at Fiesta Henderson.
Seventy notices were sent to neighbors 750 feet from the project, as required to do so by city officials. More than 3,500 people live within a mile of The Summit.
"Who is 750 feet away from this project?" asked a woman. "We're the closest neighborhood. Did anybody in this room get a notice? We're right next door."
Her husband answered that it was the very "750 feet of what the developer owns."
That might explain how the project has been kept quiet since November, when the developer first submitted plans with City Hall.
Another man said, "Does that mean the jackrabbits all know?"
The Thursday night neighborhood meeting was originally intended for the developer to review plans and take questions and concerns.
Eric Hawkins, vice president of Alpha Communications (a research communications firm hired by the developer) was onhand to facilitate questions, comments, and prevent general lynching of the city council members, had they been present.
Comment cards were passed out, with the note "Your comments are inportant (sic) to us." People were urged to fill out the cards in detail.
With no one available to authoritatively answer questions, however, who were these comments and questions going to?
All comments were going straight to the developer. A concerned neighbor warned that everyone's comments could be used to build the developer's legal defense. "We need to address our politicians and our city, not this developer." That was met with several people ostensibly tearing up their cards and throwing the pieces in the air.
"Mayor Gibson's bailing out," someone said.
Residents are in arms about The Summit because in having zoning changes, it could set a precedent. If the project goes through, it could attract other commercial and mixed-use projects and lead Henderson away from the low-density residential use favored by residents. It could then set the stage for a Las Vegas in Henderson.
"Henderson is a place to call home," resident Danielle Blomquist said. "We do not want the transient nature of Las Vegas. We don't want the transportation line coming into our residential area. I don't know how much plainer I can put it: we don't want it."
A thunderous round of applause with cheers of "we don't want it" erupted.
Jim Warring with C.B. Nevada, planners and architects for The Summit, opened the meeting with a presentation that lasted 7 minutes.
Emphasizing the positives of the project and comparing it favorably with Green Valley Ranch's The District (though three times the size of The District), he pointed out The Summit would be a mixed-use residential, office, retail, and entertainment complex that would not include a gaming component (the audience murmured "...yet").
"Very high-end restaurants," such as "P.F. Chang's, Claim Jumper," and high-end stores would be attracted to the project, with a circular, central space for art shows and "small" concerts. Warring emphasized it would not be for "big rock shows" but more intimate jazz shows. And "no Wal-Mart," he insisted. Several times he reiterated how high-end everything would be.
Its landscaping would use little water, and buffering in the form of townhouses would outline the towers. The view of the mountains would be spectacular, though of course the view from current residents' homes would now be the black towers of The Summit instead of Black Mountain.
Warring mentioned extra expense was made to build an underground parking garage. A concerned citizen later brought up cracks in her foundation the last time underground blasting was done in the area.
Almost as an afterthought, Warring also described a business-oriented hotel of 300 rooms along the lines of a Marriott Courtyard.
A mention of the proposed height change to 371 feet was met with groans and "oh my God." Put in perspective, this would be approximately the same height of Las Vegas hotel-casinos Treasure Island, the Las Vegas Hilton, Paris Las Vegas, and the new Augustus Tower of Caesars Palace. From a local perspective, it would be taller than South Coast, the casino that appears viewable from multiple angles of Henderson.
Interestingly, Warring spoke of many of the Henderson hillsides and mountains being torn down for other projects. "We made an effort to try and save and preserve -- according to the city's requirements -- the hillside." They don't seem as concerned following the city's other requirements of zoning and height restrictions.
Another chief concern was traffic. A woman asked, "Have you done any traffic studies?"
Scott Majewski, Henderson city planner and the only city worker present, stood and said, "We have done a traffic study. I don't know the exact details, it's still in flux and conceptual in nature." He checked his papers. "I don't have it with me."
Regarding the height of the buildings, he said, "We have six that are tall": a 27-story residential and office tower, a 24-story tower, a 14-story hotel, and two other 8- and 6-story buildings. Each story is about 12 feet. The height restriction for buildings on Horizon and Gibson is 35 feet, so the smallest proposed building would be double that.
A few times when responding to questions of what Majewski didn't know, a man asked, "What do you know?"
Someone else said, "Who bought you?"
The $64,000 question is, why would someone spend this amount of time and money developing a multimillion dollar project that goes against city ordinances set in place when he first purchased the land? Does the developer know something we don't about future rezoning and height changes in Henderson?
And who is this developer? Fred Nassiri's name wasn't mentioned at the meeting, though it was stated he's a local resident of Henderson. The Review-Journal says he comes from the clothing and music business and owns a wholesale clothing company near McCarran International Airport.
"Will the plans be available online?" someone asked.
Hawkins responded, "The information, drawings, those kinds of things, will be available at the Henderson site when the project proceeds."
Before the project can proceed, city officials must approve of a rezoning to commercial mixed use and extend the current height restriction from 60 feet to 371 feet. The planning commission meeting at City Hall is scheduled for June 29.
Those officials were not in attendance, or if they were, they were keeping quiet.
"Where are all the city councilmembers now?" asked one man. "Why are they not here listening to what we have to say?"
A neighbor responded, "They're at the bank."
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Rally or rave?
