Letter to the editor: Development is proceeding without infrastructure upgrades

Posted

Ridgefield has been in the news recently. School teachers went on strike and parents have recently become aware of crowding and portables in schools. Well, Clark County better be prepared for more bad news. 

With the elimination of the urban holdings area, development is proceeding south of 179th Street. Councilors seem focused on letting development proceed ASAP. The state’s Growth Management Act and Clark County Code 40.100.020 requires concurrency. That means development cannot proceed until supporting infrastructure is in place. Councilors and staff have disregarded this concept, giving in to developers’ wishes. Currently, development is proceeding without infrastructure upgrades.

In two meetings on 179th Street, councilors and staff have not engaged in real discussions of what residents want. Staff has developed a road network to meet future development needs, rather than accommodate existing residents. Plans range from two to 14 roundabouts on 179th Street. Half (47%) of the parcels in the area are constrained by critical areas. This and funding have not been addressed.



Thousands of new residents will move into the fairgrounds area, without schools, or sewers to serve them. Guess who picks up the tab? Let them know this is not how to proceed. Development must be planned well in advance.

Jim Byrne,

Ridgefield