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The JLUS is a strategy tool that will provide guidance on wise development within the study area over the next 20 years, including a focus on water supply, conservation of natural land and species habitat, and understanding of the regulatory landscape of Nevada and Clark County.

The project team’s objectives are to align the study goals with the priorities of Clark County and the City of Henderson; seek robust public and stakeholder input; educate participants about the opportunities, benefits and tradeoffs associated with planned development of the study area; and gain consensus on final recommendations. The process began in July 2022 and is ongoing through September 2023; see below for a graphical summary of the project schedule. 

Future growth in the study area is certain, and rapid development is possible. Because there are few residents in the study area—and indeed most land is totally undeveloped—growth will significantly alter the character of the area. Multiple compatible land use and transportation factors exist considering this anticipated growth. With mapping and spatial analysis, stakeholder interviews, and policy and regulatory analyses conducted so far, the work to date has identified the following key factors:

Federal Land Ownership: The Bureau of Land Management’s land disposal process is long established, but comes with uncertainty. Despite participating in nomination procedures, the County and City are unable to predict which parcels will move out of federal control and become candidates for development or the timing of that action.

Private Sector Development Demand: Freight and logistics operators, homebuilders, and commercial property owners all project long-term growth in their industries, and this portion of the Las Vegas Valley is both strategically located and appears to contain ample space for their industries’ expansion.

Future Airport Project: The Supplemental Airport will be a keystone transportation project for Clark County. The JLUS will consider the potential future presence of the airport and supporting facilities and will incorporate land use compatibility measures into the final recommendations. 

Future Higher-Speed Rail: A privately run passenger train line connecting Las Vegas to the Los Angeles area will traverse the study area at some point in the future, with most of the rail alignment running in the Interstate 15 median between northbound and southbound lanes. The rail service will be supported by a maintenance/storage yard, turn-around tracks and under- or overpasses to allow emergency access. Although there are no planned stations in the study area, many of these support facilities and infrastructure will be here.

Environmental Constraints: Natural resource constraints guiding the study include legally required land and species conservation efforts, the popularity of trails and open spaces, and regional water conservation needs. See Figure 1 above for the locations of protected natural areas near the study area.

The final study will include a proactive blueprint for the study area’s long-term development, including:

Housing and job projections. Two scenarios will be considered in the projections over a 20-year time horizon, one weighing more heavily on residential and locally serving uses, and another focusing more on commercial and regionally serving uses, while still incorporating sufficient residences to absorb the projected population growth.

Development principles and framework. Accounting for known constraints and projected demand, as well as the current zoning scheme of the County and City, the JLUS will include a narrative and detailed map to guide desired development in the study area over time.

Conceptual plans to recommend built form and detailed land use mix on the developable portions of the study area, as well as design standards and guidelines. These concepts will yield the needed circulation, open space, infrastructure, and utility spaces to complete the conceptual picture.

Implementation Plan to bring it all together. The implementation plan will compile recommendations for the study area and lay out regulatory changes the County and City must undertake to bring development to fruition. Infrastructure, capital improvement, and service needs will be included as appropriate. Finally, accompanying the plan will be a fiscal model to provide insight into the expected revenues and public costs associated with development from each growth scenario.

The County and the City of Henderson recognize the need to collaborate to support equitable and orderly growth in the area, encourage future economic development opportunities, and maintain a commitment to the conservation of natural resources.

The study area is shown on the map below. To learn more about the Clark County-City of Henderson Joint Land Use Planning Study, contact Clark County’s Martin Gies at Martin.Gies@ClarkCountyNV.gov or (702) 455-5010 or City of Henderson’s Andy Powell at Andrew.Powell@CityofHenderson.com or (702) 267-1555.

Clark County - Henderson Joint Land Use Study Area (in Red)