Clark County planners invite residents, builders and business operators to attend an open house on Saturday, April 9 to review proposed changes to the Winchester/Paradise land use plan, which is used to guide the area’s growth.

The open house is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 to accommodate as many people as possible. The Winchester/Paradise Open House will be held at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Rd., in the Large Conference Room. County staff will gather further input from residents, business owners and developers to update the Winchester/Paradise Land Use Plan. A Planning Advisory Group (PAG) has been meeting to implement previously proposed changes into this updated concept plan.

The Winchester/Paradise update is the third to take place since the board adopted a new ordinance in 2003 to make master plans more reliable. Updates to the Spring Valley and Enterprise land use plans were adopted in 2004. The entire update process takes about 12 months. Over the next five years, most of the unincorporated county’s 11 master plans will undergo updates. Citizen participation is considered a crucial link in the process.

"I hope people who live and work in Paradise and Winchester will continue to participate in the process," said Commissioner Myrna Williams, who represents portions of Winchester and Paradise. "It is a wonderful opportunity for neighbors to guide Clark County planners with their vision of how they want the neighborhood to grow and develop, especially regarding revitalization efforts, code enforcement, infill projects and traffic congestion."

"As one of the most established areas of the valley, there are a lot of exciting changes under way," said Commissioner Reid, who also represents part of Paradise. "There are several new projects being built. There also are many neighborhoods, including rural preservation areas, which need to be protected. Non-conforming zone changes and mixed use development need to be considered. It's important that everyone who is interested in this process have their voices heard so we can accommodate as many ideas as possible."

At the open house, county planners will discuss how the update process works and how information gathered at this open house will be worked into the updated master plan. Recommendations will then be forwarded to the Comprehensive Planning Steering Committee, the town advisory boards, the Planning Commission and eventually, the County Commission.

To get more information about the update process, visit Comprehensive Planning’s website at www.accessclarkcounty.com.  The department has a map posted online showing the county’s 11 land-use areas and a tentative schedule showing a timetable for updates. To contact planners working on this update call (702) 455-4314.