Tim Robison
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Town Advisory Board heard zoning requests and an update on the River View Major Development Project at a meeting held on Thursday, January 31.
The first zoning issue was a request from the Hidden Valley development project for an extension of time. The Board heard the request and granted it unanimously after the making a request that the developers make the same efforts at working with the community as the River View project developers had made.
The next zoning issue was from the owners of the Glendale Holding Company presenting to the board the expanded restaurant and convenience store design that they are proposing for Glendale. Representatives said that they have made a point to listen to the community’s desires. They said that they had expanded all the operations at the proposed convenience store and restaurant and would add another pump to the gas station. A motion was made and seconded to approve the request and was unanimously approved.
Next, the board received conceptual studies of the River View project. Representative Bonnie Rinaldi and Paul Kenner of the Moapa Development Group were on hand to explain the current concept plan for the development. Kenner discussed the drainage study which had been done. “We have worked developing out a map of the development,” Rinaldi said. “But up to now the maps we have shown you have been gray. We are now at the point where we have discussed what the desires of the community are and we are putting together a plan that will allow us to put color on the maps.”
Kenner explained the studies the group has done regarding the drainage of the river and the wet lands. He said that after hearing the Board tell him that the state and federal studies were off on their estimates of water flow he discovered that the Board was correct and the state and federal estimates were less than accurate.
“In our studies we decided to plan for the worst case scenario while still maintaining the river,” Kenner said. “We want to remove the tamarisk that holds the water and improve the wetlands along the Muddy River. Ultimately we need to engineer the flood plain so that the river will erode where it needs to erode and stay where it needs to stay.”
Rinaldi gave each of the Board members a book that explains the project up to this time. She also announced the setting up of a website that would allow for anyone wanting the information in the book to access it. The website is www.riverviewproject.com.
In all, the Board seemed pleased with the presentation and was happy with the flood control designs. In earlier meetings, the Board had expressed grave reservations to any efforts to, in any way, alter the river.
