The MVTAB has approved a second zoning request from Dollar General to build a store on a lot facing Moapa Valley Blvd. (MVTAB Approves Dollar General Request, Progress: March 19, 2014). The Progress editors have apparently approved the effort and decried Clark County for its “lack of common sense and inflexibility” in enforcing the County’s Title 30 relative to Dollar General’s desire to avoid having to complete full drainage studies, traffic studies, and to make roadside improvements on a piece of adjacent land that the company has no plans to develop. (“What a Difference a Year Makes”, Progress: March 19, 2014.)
Apparently, Dollar General proposes to subdivide its property so as to avoid having to improve the part they do not intend to immediately develop. This seems very shortsighted to me. Dollar General is a rapidly growing, NYSE-traded company enjoying in excess of $17 Billion in revenues, and over $5 Billion in gross income. By comparison, the aggregate household income of all of Moapa Valley in 2009 was less than $144 million. In its effort to grab some of those dollars, Dollar General can’t afford the modest costs and relatively simple efforts required to secure building permits and business licenses in our community?
Title 30 is Clark County’s land use, zoning, and development code. The primary purpose of Title 30 is to protect public health, safety and welfare.
Written building codes have been in existence at least since the Code of Hammurabi was implemented in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) in about 1722 BC. Deuteronomy, in the Bible, required that parapets must be constructed on all houses to prevent people from falling off. Building codes have been used since to improve the lives of all of us.
On the other hand, a lack of enforced building codes has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people from catastrophes such as fire, earthquakes, and flooding.
Secondarily, building codes help promote and preserve quality of life. Certainly, the people living in Moapa Valley are just as deserving as residents living in, and tourists visiting, other parts of Clark County.
Clark County’s taxpayers spend millions of dollars on infrastructure to improve and protect the lives and property of all who live, work, and vacation in the Moapa Valley. This is money our community could not afford if forced to “go it alone.” Clark County’s employees spend countless hours to ensure that developers follow the rules. Surely, Dollar General should not be exempted from the requirements imposed upon every resident and business proposing to build here.
Our health and welfare depends upon Dollar General complying with the rules, just as every other developer is required to do.
Keith A. Grimes
2 thoughts on “LETTER: County Code Should Apply To All”
I do agree with having some regulations taken care of in a legal fasion and keeping people safe but lets not scare away business like our neighbors in Mesquite. Its about time we give families here a variety of business. Lets not forget that FAMILIES founded this valley. I understand that there are many here who fear the idea of change and growth in our valley. However, lets have some faith and work together to make sure we provide for families first. Unfortunately the times are changing but lets remember what FDR said “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Let us all try to have an open mind to business so that we can keep our youth preoccupied with jobs/markets and not running around the street not having nothing else to do but look for trouble 😉
I do agree with having some regulations taken care of in a legal fasion and keeping people safe but lets not scare away business like our neighbors in Mesquite. Its about time we give families here a variety of business. Lets not forget that FAMILIES founded this valley. I understand that there are many here who fear the idea of change and growth in our valley. However, lets have some faith and work together to make sure we provide for families first. Unfortunately the times are changing but lets remember what FDR said “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Let us all try to have an open mind to business so that we can keep our youth preoccupied with jobs/markets and not running around the street not having nothing else to do but look for trouble 😉