Boulder City could be on the verge of a growth spurt
Two residential real estate developers are drawing up plans for new housing in Boulder City, an area not well-known for its explosive growth, tucked away just south of Henderson and Las Vegas.
Wayne Laska, principal at StoryBook Homes, is making his way through the City Council in hope of eventually getting permits to build on 128 lots across 30 acres at the southeast corner of Bristlecone Drive and Adams Boulevard. The development sits adjacent to the Boulder Creek Golf Course.
The second developer is Randy Schams of RPS Homes, based in Boulder City. Schams, who has been building in the area for more than 20 years, is planning to raise 65 new townhomes at what was once known as the Boulder City Mobile Home Park at 1501 Nevada Highway, near the entrance of town on the way south from Henderson.
Schams moved one step closer to construction near the end of April, when the Planning Commission approved a variance for his The Cottages project and recommended the tentative map for the project go to the City Council.
Schams may receive council approval, but not many projects of that size and scope are given the green light in Boulder City.
The Controlled Growth Management Plan limits new construction to 120 single-family homes or multi-residential units per year in Boulder City. Also, the same individual or company can build only up to 30 units per year. RPS’ townhome project was an exception to the maximum of 30 permits each year per builder.
“That’s all we could build until we bought The Cottages, said Schams. “Because it was an existing project, we can build 65.”
Typically, Boulder City has not seen anywhere near the 120 building permits on single-family product allowed by law, according to data from City-data.com. For many years, only around 12 to 24 single-family home permits were issued.
Schams closed on the 7.5-acre property at the end of 2015 for $1.4 million, county records show. The property was previously owned by Brett Caruso, who lost it in bankruptcy.
Laska’s journey to development in Boulder City has also been unconventional compared with other cities in Clark County.
His experience stems from a rule voted into the city charter in 1995 that allows residents to vote on whether to approve public land sales to private parties on any land parcels over 1 acre. This is different from municipalities in the Las Vegas Valley that leave this in the hands of their city councils. (Read More)
