Some neighbors wary of Henderson golf course redevelopment

Image

Christopher DeVargas

A look at the shuttered Black Mountain Golf Club in Henderson, Sept. 25, 2019.

Sun, Oct 6, 2019 (2 a.m.)

Some neighbors worry a planned housing development at the shuttered Black Mountain Golf Club in Henderson will detract from the character of their neighborhood and bring unwanted traffic.

“We have a historic neighborhood and have been here a long time,” said Denell Hahn, one of the neighbors opposing the project and president of the Henderson Historical Society.

“Even if we cannot retain it as a golf course, the development as proposed is far too dense and it’s going to impact services here,” Hahn said.

The plan calls for 1,800 homes on 204 acres — an average of just under nine per acre. The golf course, in the area of Greenway Road and Horizon Drive, is just east of a neighborhood zoned as low density residential, which only allows four homes per acre.

The developer, Randy Schams of Boulder City, plans to build single-family homes with lot sizes similar than those in the existing neighborhood in the northern section of the golf course.

Andy Barron, a Phoenix-based land planner and landscape architect who is working on the project, said the densest construction will be in the south part of the development, along Horizon Drive, between Greenway Road and Mona Lane.

“Everything supports 1,800 units,” he said. “We understand not everyone is on board, but this is very early in the public process.”

Barron said he respects the opinions of the homeowners but characterized the area as “eclectic.”

“There’s unique architecture with some homes in there that are not in keeping with the rest of the homes,” he said. “We believe the transition in home sizes and the proposed land uses are consistent with development patterns.”

Hahn, however, said she thinks the development is counter to the city’s comprehensive plan, which calls for responsible growth and development patterns. She said the development would negatively impact schools and traffic in the area.

“If you must develop it, do something comparable to the rest of our neighborhood that will enhance the area and not reduce property values,” she said.

Hahn said she felt slighted by what she described as a lack of dialogue between the developer and the neighbors. “They pretty much ignore the neighbors as stakeholders,” she said.

But Barron said his team hosted a courtesy meeting for residents in August and will have a formal meeting after the city reviews the project master plan, which was submitted Monday.

The proposal will then be heard before the Planning Commission and eventually the City Council.

The golf course opened in 1958, went into bankruptcy in 2017 and closed almost a year ago. In May, the Henderson City Council approved a closure plan that requires the owners to clear dry brush and dying trees and mitigate pest infestation.

While lamenting the loss of the golf course, neighbor Tom Burns said property owners in the area want “quality development that doesn’t impact quality of life.”

“I’ve seen it happen before,” Burns said. “It happens very quickly, with starter homes and apartments. We lose our property values and the historical qualities we’ve worked 50 years for.”

Back to top

SHARE