Letters to the Editor, April 19

Boarded up buildings sign of city officials’ failure

Boulder City is a pretty little town with a rotten tooth smile. I’ve watched for decades and approved of the town’s efforts to make downtown more attractive. About 25 years ago, this started to pay off. There were downtown trees, renovated sidewalks and smart, new parking.

More recently, a great new entrance arch, extensive new landscaping and modern lighting (were added). This is all topped off with many new street sculptures and murals on walls.

But when you get to the blinking red light, there it is. A rotten tooth where Mel’s Diner used to be. Then you turn right and there it is: our pride and joy, the historic and beautifully maintained Boulder Dam Hotel. Directly across the street is the second, perfectly located big rotten tooth.

When this restaurant is open and thriving, Boulder City thrives. I know. I ran Carlos’ Mexican Cafe there for 10 years and downtown bustled.

I don’t know exactly why the owner, Charles Lawson, is in such a snit. His disagreements with the city of Boulder City have resulted in him saying that he will leave the buildings boarded up forever or until he dies. He is only in his forties.

Something has to be done about this. I don’t care if the City Council has to apologize, eat crow, grovel, bargain with or bend over backward — or use eminent domain against him. Anything.

Boulder City looks like another failed small town. But we the people know we haven’t failed. Our civic leaders have failed us. Downtown is turning into a flea market.

City Council, here’s your chance. Do something. Let’s get rid of Boulder City’s rotten tooth smile.

Carl “Carlos” Raines

Greater effort needed to control off-road vehicles in desert

Thank you to Police Chief (Tim) Shea for his effort to get control of the off-road vehicle problem in Boulder City. His program is a good start, but does not address the real problem or the inadequacies of the existing city code.

The proposal for an off-road vehicle trail system will supposedly allow access to permissible areas while protecting the rights and quality of life of residents. Residents have a reasonable expectation that Boulder City officials will consider all prevalent issues at stake in the desert areas around our neighborhoods.

Given the asbestos issue, Boulder City residents should expect the planners of the trail system be required to complete an environmental assessment of the impact any proposed routes will have on our inhabited areas. I suggest that the planners consult with UNLV geologists to recognize areas known to contain (naturally occurring) asbestos that would not be suitable for public trails. The asbestos problem was not mentioned in either article in the March 22 Boulder City Review.

I believe the city is currently in noncompliance with our public nuisances code. Code 8-1-1 states: “It shall be unlawful to erect, (contrive,) cause, continue, maintain or permit to exist, any public nuisance within the city.”

Code 8-1-2 C.9 clearly defines “unhealthful matter” as a public nuisance. The soils of a large area of Eldorado Valley within and adjacent to Boulder City are known to contain asbestos. By allowing unregulated off-road vehicle activity on city-owned lands known to contain asbestos the city is “permitting to exist” a delivery mechanism for “unhealthful matter” to be liberated into our air.

Action is required by Boulder City leadership to revise the city code to properly adjudicate the chronic off-road vehicle problem. A 1,000-foot prohibition zone around our neighborhoods is simply not enough to protect our quality of life.

Mark Reischman