Now I know how many NDoT employees it takes to run an outreach meeting.
It takes lots and lots.
In fact, I hadn't settled in to enjoy the expensive and colorful posters that decorated the room up at Aliante Library at that Sheep Mountain Parkway meeting before I was pounced upon by a fellow in khaki pants and dress shirt who wanted me to know that the Parkway, with its mass transit and hiking trails, would be lined with gold and be neater than Aladdin's magic carpet.
Oh, okay. I made up some of that. But only some.
We were told that the parkway was needed because the Las Vegas Valley was growing so fast, we just need it, by golly. We were then shown scary pictures of the population growth in the valley that looked like HIV on crack in a petri dish.
Note that we were all just supposed to go along with the premise of the presentation: that growth is unstoppable and that it must take a certain form. That form being acres of houses with a casino or two stuck in to break the monotony.
Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, a bit outside her own district, showed up and wondered if it wasn't just a little early to be doing studies for a parkway, especially since environmental impact studies were under way for the Shooting Park and the Ice Age Park, the outcomes of which could render the parkway project null and void. She also wondered why NDoT, or whoever is really behind the push for the parkway, was so intent on providing nifty mass transit up where there are any houses yet when her district down in Las Vegas which has lots of people NOW can't get a bus.
I didn't see any County Commissioners from the districts through which the Parkway would actually run, nor any Nor'Town councilfolk, but I was only there for the 5:30 presentation. They may have crept in at some other time.
After a bunch of other comments, all against the project, the meeting closed, with Bob Borgersen asking the moderator if she didn't want to wait for some positive comments.
She smiled rather painfully in response, it seemed to me.
You can comment on the parkway, too, just follow this link.
Ooo. Here's Stan Nudlemann's vid of a trek to the mammoth bones.
Can you see me?
Darn. I had other plans last night and can’t make the next one. I’ll just have to make sure I fill something out online for this waste-of-taxpayer-money project
Sorry I missed you. After talking my heart out for 90 minutes, I had finally had it. We had a great citizen turn-out in the first hour…I would say 100 or so. Channel 3 had a live feed and commented that usually only a handful of people show up for these meetings and that he (Tom Holley) was surrounded by “scores of folks”.
I will be commenting at the May 29th meeting if they remember to tell us what time the presentation will be…..
Thanks to all who made it and please everyone fill out an online comment!!!!
Yes it was a good meeting and well attended. I / we appreciate commissioner Chris G for attending and speaking against this parkway study which is a waste of our hard earned taxpayer money. The perception that it is necessary that we must develop to the foot of our mountain, immitating summerlin in all it’s density is like saying two wrongs make a right. In this case bigger is definitely not better. Thanks to everyone that was able to attend and to those who spoke up quite eloquently, and to the Scandal Monger for using this format to network information to everyone.
Richard Cherchio