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Council Approves Controversial Sun City Change

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

The Mesquite City Council approved a series of zoning items and other changes in as part of a fifth amendment to the Sun City Masterplan document during a meeting held on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

Two of the items were separated out and presented first because they involved zone changes to properties adjacent to already-developed neighborhoods in Sun City. These items drew the most controversy from neighboring residents during the public hearing segments on these items.

In the first of these two items, the developer Pulte Homes proposed to rezone a four acre parce at the intersection of Conestoga and Falcon Ridge Parkway. The request asked for a change from the current attached residential housing zoning on the parcel to a neighborhood commercial designation.

The commercial zoning would allow for a swap of a previously proposed recreational facility from a far-flung northern area of the Sun City development to the more central location, the developer said.

On propoerty would be constructed 16 new pickleball courts and a parking area with access to Conestoga Parkway, according to the request. Additional land at the site would be reserved for an unspecified “future amenity”, according to the request documents.

This item received the most comments, mainly from residents of the adjacent developments of Saddlehorn, Prominence and Tannery Cove.

Many of these commenters expressed opposition to the proposed change. Most said that they were not opposed to the recreation facility or to new pickleball courts. But they cited concerns about the effects of added noise and light pollution at this location which would be so close to their homes and yards.

“The noise and additional lighting, as well as the associated traffic congestions, will be much different with 16 pickleball courts versus the family homes of the existing zoning,” said Jackie Fox who lives in the neighborhood. “I ask (the council) to work for the entire community and uphold residents’ rights to live comfortably in our homes and property.”

“I have chosen my home carefully so that I could enjoy tranquility in my home,” said Randy Peterson who said he lived directly across the street from the proposed parcel. “Please leave this site as a single family residence zone and leave Pulte’s other sites that are already zoned for recreation for building pickleball courts to serve existing and future residents of Sun City.”

Pamela Moore, of the Saddlehorn neighborhood, said that the recreation property was not on the masterplan when she and other neighbors purchased their properties. To add it now would be both unfair and unnecessary, she said.

“If you go up to Sun City you can see all of this vacant property where they have machines out there and building like crazy,” Moore said. “There are plenty of other places that this would be more welcome and more appropriate.”

But there were others in the neighborhood who spoke out in favor of the new recreational facility and its proposed central location.

Jeanine Krull of the Prominence subdivision, said that she moved to Sun City for the active lifestyle that it offered.
“I think there is so much stuff being blown out of proportion on this,” Krull said. “So I just wanted you to know that there are a lot of us that are in favor of rezoning this.”

Sun City resident John Sadler identified himself as an official in the USA Pickleball club. He pointed out that there were existing pickleball courts in the community, located directly adjacent to homes with no complaints about noise and light pollution from the neighbors.

“The plan being proposed is being funded by a private company,” Sadler said. “We are not coming to the city for funds on it. This has been my dream that the developers start to pay for these parks and facilities. I think there are solutions to these objections rather than just constantly saying, ‘No, not in my neighborhood!’.”

John Rosen said that he was both a pickleball enthusiast and a nearby Sun City resident who brought a unique viewpoint to the table.

“I am a pickleball player who believes that Pulte sales personnel over-promised both the timing and quantity of the facilities that would be available to me when I purchased my home for that reason eight years ago,” Rosen said. “For that reason I support this rezoning request.”

Rosen cited other reasons for supporting the request. One of these included his support of economic viability of the city in pursuing sports tourism from other areas. Another reason was to promote the general health of himself, his family and his neighbors by having access to recreation nearby.

“As a resident, though, I do believe that the legitimate concerns regarding noise, light pollution and increased traffic should be heard and respected,” Rosen said.

Representing the developer, John Sullivan responded specifically to the concerns about lighting and noise.

He said that the lighting being planned for the site would meet the technology standards set forth by an organization called the International Dark Sky Association.
“This is now the leading edge of industry standard and the lights (at this facility) will be constructed to that dark sky concept,” Sullivan said.

In response to concerns about sound, Sullivan claimed that the nearest property was about 230 feet away from the proposed courts. In between would be the existing neighborhood walls, landscaping on the outside of the walls, an arterial street, additional landscaping and retaining walls on the recreation property. All of this would act as a buffer to pickleball court sounds, he said.

“There is a series of what will be the canopies of trees and whatnot that will help attenuate the sound of the pickleball as well,” he said.

In the end, City Council member Brian Wursten made the motion to approve the item and the motion was accepted with a unanimous vote. This opened the door for the other items being presented by the developer.

The second item which faced some opposition was a request to change zoning on four acres directly to the east of the Conestoga Golf Course Clubhouse. The request was to change this from residential zoning to neighborhood commercial zoning.

Sullivan said that Pulte had not yet determined what would be built in that area. But whatever it is, would have to adhere to the requirements set forth in the master plan for that zoning category.

Permitted uses would include things like retail/specialty shops, restaurants, banks, beauty salons, ice cream parlors, medical offices and more. Other more intensive uses like bars, automotive service stations, fueling stations, restaurant serving liquor and accessory gaming would require special approval by the city.

“As we look at the fifth amendment to the Development Agreement and where we are at this time, it is obvious that there will be additional amenity needs there in and around the golf course,” Sullivan said. “But it is not yet decided what that will be, so it is still uncertain.”

One resident of Tannery Cove commented during this segment about purchasing their property directly across the street from this parcel expecting it to remain a residential area and not commercial.
“I do want you to know that people are impacted by this,” she told the council. “They don’t know what it will be. But there is a whole list of things that it could be that they never have to bring back to city council.”

Wursten made the motion to approve the request. The motion received a unanimous vote of support.

Two other items were included in the fifth amendment of the Master Plan document.

The first of these was a request to change zoning on a 15.5 acre site that had been designated for an elementary school. Since there had been no demand for such a facility in that part of the community, and it was unlikely that such a demand would arise, the proposal was to change the zoning to a single family residential zoning.

The second item was to deed over a 39.1 acre detention basin parcel located west of Horizon Boulevard into city ownership. The city would then be able to include the property in the Clark County Regional Flood Control Master Plan and get assistance from that entity in maintaining it. A portion of that land has also been identified for the site of a new fire department facility.

All of these items were approved with a unanimous vote of the council.

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