Parks become priority

      When Las Vegas City Councilman Larry Brown was elected two years ago he promised residents of the Northwest more open space and parks. But other development projects have occupied the first-time councilman's time the past 24 months.
      Between the vote on the Northwest Town Center and the massive Iron Mountain Ranch master-planned community, Brown has been unable to devote the time he wanted to the subject he feels most passionate about -- parks.
      "The biggest issues in the Northwest have been the Town Center and Iron Mountain Ranch," Brown said. "Now that we have finished those, it's time to devote 100-percent of my time to parks and open space in the Northwest. When I ran for City Council I told people it would be my priority and I want them to know that it still is."
      Although Brown has been busy with other city business, several of his park plans have moved forward.
      The completion of phase four of the Children's Memorial Park located at Gowan Road and Torrey Pines Drive is inching closer. The improvements within the park include the addition of tennis courts, volleyball areas, playground areas, a basketball court, baseball field, roller hockey rink, restroom facilities and additional parking and lighting.
      When Children's Memorial Park is completed, Brown said it is expected to be under the $3 million budget it was awarded.
      "I think a lot of people in the Northwest kept asking themselves when the project would be completed because it was hard to see progress sometimes," said Brown. "Now we are going to see the park open at or near the end of the year and I think people will see the city's commitment to open space and parks is real."
      Kathleen Rewun uses Children's Memorial Park daily with her 3-year-old daughter Nikki. She gave a thumbs up to the improvements and is happy to hear more parks are on the way.
      "It's been frustrating but I'm glad things are being accomplished," Rewun said. "We need more parks in the area. Kids have to have something constructive to do and this is it."
      There's no doubting Brown's passion when he discusses the future of parks but he said there was no guarantee the rest of the council would support his assertion of the need for parks in the rapidly growing area.
      "Of course I am only one vote but the entire council stands together and has seen the need for more open space in the Northwest," Brown said. "The rest of the council sees the need and also realizes the addition of parks in the Northwest will free up more time and space in their own wards and they are all for it."
      Brown said the council was more apt to agree with his plea for more parks in Ward 4 due to the completion of several major projects in other areas of the city. Those include the construction of Rafael Rivera Park in Ward 3 and the redesign and remodeling of the Las Vegas Municipal Golf Course in Ward 1.
      "There's no question you would have seen more of an argument had those projects in older areas of the city not been completed or funded," Brown said. "But everyone is happy with what their residents have gotten and they understand the need for the city to make a commitment for projects in the Northwest."
      Future projects in the Northwest include a 33-acre youth baseball complex at Elkhorn Springs Road and Durango Drive and the Northwest Family Leisure Service Center at Gowan Road and Durango Drive.
      The Family Leisure Service Center will include a 43,000-square-foot recreation center featuring a gymnasium, exercise room, multi-purpose room and administrative offices. Brown also said a major soccer complex could take shape in the next 90 days and be located near Cimarron-Memorial High School near Lake Mead Boulevard and Buffalo Drive.
      "The first project to be developed in the Northwest Town Center will be the 33-acre park that will include Little League fields," Brown said. "That is out to bid and we will see movement there within in the next 60 days. With all that has been said about Town Center I think the fact the first thing developed in that area is a park says a lot about the city's commitment to build parks in the Northwest."
      Brown said, in the calendar year 1999, more major announcements concerning parks and other projects in the Northwest would be made.
      One point Brown wants to reiterate to citizens of the Northwest is the city will only announce plans that will be followed through. The last thing Brown and his fellow city leaders want to do is break promises.
      "We have made the commitment we will only announce projects when we are certain the money is available and the time table is for real," Brown said. "We're not going to announce speculative projects. If we have the money we are going to go aggressively forward and make sure the projects are completed."