74°F
weather icon Clear
Boulder City, NV
Opinion

Road work infringes on residents’ rights

Angela Smith
More Stories
bcr default image
Alumni events, marriage and a real Nazi
bcr default image
Las Vegas Veterans’ Memorial to Boulder City?
bcr default image
City manager bids fond farewell
bcr default image
Is the grass always greener?
By Angela Smith Boulder City Review
April 19, 2017 - 1:49 pm
 

Let me ask you a couple of questions. When is it OK to deny access to someone’s driveway for months on end while roadwork is being completed? Is it fair to caution-tape their driveways and put No Parking signs in front and to the sides of their residences for weeks at a time? And when is it OK for the city police to threaten residents who have to unload groceries and ferry young children to school and need to park for a limited time in front of their homes?

Over the past six months, from September 2016 to the end of March 2017, this has happened to several families up and down Utah Street and the connecting streets.

Also, how is it legal for the construction crews to dig up Utah Street and the side streets and leave 3-inch drop-offs with no warning cones, yellow tape or signs? There have been residents who have suffered vehicle damage as they have tried to negotiate the battleground of Utah Street. I use the term “battleground” on purpose, because the vibration from heavy equipment has caused the historic houses on Utah Street and adjoining streets to visibly and noisily shake, rattle and roll.

Where was the communication between the city, the construction company and the residents? At the beginning of the construction process, the city helpfully posted flyers on doors notifying residents of upcoming restrictions on access and progress, but these stopped around October. Why was it up to residents to flag down construction supervisors for updates, when the employees only knew what they were working on that day?

A search of the city website (http://www.bcnv.org) finally revealed a weekly status update from public works and engineering on construction work progress. When the citizens were finding the construction difficult this past six months, it might have been helpful for them to know that this limited information was available. The site also points to future work on the La Plata utility conduits on Northridge Drive and La Plata Place and the 69kV transmission loop project, as well as numerous other proposed city projects.

Recent concern has been voiced about the proposed transmission lines to connect two Boulder City electrical substations. One of the plans is for the 69kV overhead lines to travel up Nevada Way, down Avenue I and then down Utah Street. A citizen committee has already been formed by Tom Perkins and Cokie Booth to address the Nevada Way impact, but nobody seems to be speaking for Avenue I, Utah Street or the adjacent streets.

Irrespective of the impact on property values on Utah Street, the negative health impact of living under high-voltage wires is still being decided by the medical community. I hope the continuing meetings regarding this plan will consider re-routing this project out into the desert, around Boulder City and away from residential areas.

We need to ask ourselves: Are we sacrificing property values and health in return for saving the city money?

Angela Smith is a Ph.D. life coach, author and educator who has been resident in Nevada since 1992. She can be reached at catalyst78@cox.net.

THE LATEST
bcr default image
Alumni events, marriage and a real Nazi
By Bill Evans Boulder City Review

Ron’s column from a few weeks ago inspired me to tell a story about a weird event from my past. Mine is not as exciting as his in that there is no wrestler named Silo Sam. But there is at least one Nazi. And, no, not the current “I disagree with your politics so you are a Nazi” version. An actual card-carrying member of the party.

bcr default image
Las Vegas Veterans’ Memorial to Boulder City?

Veterans’ memorials can be found all over the Silver State. They are well deserved. They honor individuals who served the nation, and also commemorate battles and events regarding the many military anniversaries in Nevada.

bcr default image
City manager bids fond farewell
By Ron Eland Boulder City Review

I may be leaving Boulder City, but it was not an easy decision. From the first time I came in and met the staff and community leaders, I saw a city filled with people who truly care about where they live and work. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to work with some incredible people.

bcr default image
Is the grass always greener?
Eric Lundgaard

Many people in the past played a golf game to cement a business deal, didn’t they? They also played golf to socialize. Has Boulder City recognized lessening play on golf courses? Or, from another perspective, what happens when million-dollar homes are placed around our open space golf course with views of the McCullough Mountains? Do fewer people play golf on the Boulder Creek golf course?

bcr default image
Parting is such sweet sorrow
By Joe Hardy Boulder City Mayor

Shakespeare was the man when it came to comedy and tragedy. His ability to make people feel the intense emotions of the characters is still imitated today. The past few months have been filled with a bit of excited anticipation at City Hall as several longtime and high-level employees have found new roles in other acts. I’m here to borrow some Shakespearean lines, the first being from Ophelia, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” (Hamlet)

bcr default image
Me, my brother and Silo Sam
By Ron Eland Boulder City Review

Recently, I’ve been enjoying watching shows on A&E related to professional wrestling back in the earlier days, with profiles on wrestlers I grew up watching as well as classic rivalries.

bcr default image
Let’s talk about the ‘D Word’
By Bill Evans Boulder City Review

OK, as a starting point, I must note that it’s weird to think that I might be writing something that would put me in agreement with the Language Police.

bcr default image
Make a new plan, Stan
Bu Rod Woodbury

A plan is a method for achieving a desirable objective. It’s a program of action, usually memorialized in writing. Plans start with goals and ideas. But ideas alone (even good ones) don’t constitute a plan.

bcr default image
Time to recognize unsung heroes
By Tim Shea Boulder City Chief of Police

We have so many functions within the Boulder City Police Department, from school resource officers to road patrol to the detective bureau. The work that they do keeps Boulder City among the “Safest Cities in Nevada” (newhomesource.com, alarm.com) year after year. One unit is the backbone of our public safety response: Public Safety Dispatchers.

bcr default image
Honoring National Public Health Week

In my eight decades of this amazing life, I have worn a great many hats: son, brother, father, major (USAF), grandfather, council member, state representative, state senator.