At the direction of the Board of County Commissioners, Long Range Planning has prepared code changes that remove local restrictions to amend urban growth boundary areas.

If adopted, developers will control the long range planning agenda in Clark County. Here's why.

First, by state law Clark County is required to update their 20 year comprehensive growth plan every 10 years. Current county code requires this update "not less than every five years." If this restriction is removed, the urban growth boundary area can be expanded every year.

Does that fit your definition of long range planning?

Second, current county code contains triggers for expansion of the urban growth boundary area that are based on the available vacant and buildable land inventory. Available residential and commercial land must first be depleted by 75% and/or available industrial land must first be depleted by 50%.

Without this provision, the urban growth boundary area can be expanded no matter how much land is available.

Does that fit your definition of long range planning?

Here's the impact. Developers are constantly buying parcels of land outside the urban growth boundary area. Under current county code they are speculating on when they will be able to develop.

Without the local restrictions currently in place, these developers can come to the county every year asking for those parcels to be brought into the urban growth boundary.

Does that meet your definition of long range planning?

Code changes public hearing

The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the code changes described above on May 19 and voted 6-1 against the changes.

As of this writing, the Board of County Commissioners has postponed the scheduled public hearing. Call 397.2232 for the new date and time.

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