Lagoon owners blue over council decision

Barbara Diamond

Condominium owners at Blue Lagoon feel like they were outsmarted by

Montage Resort and Spa.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to uphold a unanimous

Planning Commission approval of a plan for a 7,754-square-foot home

on a Montage Resort and Spa estate lot, which Blue Lagoon owners had

appealed.

“I feel like a guppy swimming with sharks,” said Bari Burns,

speaking on behalf of the 119-member Blue Laguna Homeowners Assn.

The association members contended that the project violated Athens

Group promises to protect their views. They asked to have the home

lowered.

“I was told when I bought at Blue Lagoon that there would be units

in front of my place, but there would be view corridors,” said David

Thistle, a Las Vegas resident who vacations at the condominium

project on the northern end of Montage. “I know we have to make some

compromises, but every foot makes a difference to my view.”

Project architect Morris Skenderian said that lots nine and 10,

the lots that were merged for the proposed home on Shreve Drive, were

not visible to the condominium owners in 1997 before trees were

removed from the site.

“All we agreed to do was to keep houses below a certain height,”

Skenderian said.

Throughout the planning process for the 26-acre oceanfront

property, Skenderian has been a consultant to Athens Group, developer

of the resort and spa and a partner in the development.

He said the developer agreed during four years of hearings on

proposed Treasure Island development to limit homes on the estate

lots to one story, with a maximum height of 18 feet, although the

city standard limit is 25 feet.

Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider and Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman

took part in a good portion of the hearings.

The proposed home tops out at 14 1/2 feet, Skenderian said, adding

that he met with the most affected Blue Lagoon condo owners.

Tree heights were limited to 12 1/2 feet.

“I have been working for over a year on this design,” Skenderian

said. “It is one house on two lots, which increases the view

corridors.”

Side yard setbacks are 25 feet on the south side and eight feet on

the north side. The undeveloped lot to the south will have a 13-foot

setback, creating a 21-foot view corridor, according to testimony

presented Tuesday.

Burns said the project was stepped down so that it didn’t block

any of the views inside the Montage development, but it didn’t take

the views of Blue Lagoon residents into consideration.

Heights, locations and lot coverage for the estate homes are

included in a design guideline pamphlet produced after the Treasure

Island Specific Plan was approved for development.

Montage condominium owners Ron and Sindi Schwartz, who challenged

those guidelines when a proposed home took away some of their views,

supported the plan approved for lots nine and 10, which has the

single address of 19 Shreve Drive.

Resort general manager James Birmingham, who owns a home at 9

Shreve Drive, also supported the plan. In a letter sent to the Design

Review Board, Birmingham said the plans appears consistent with the

architecture of the neighborhood, inspired by the Craftsman style.

Complaints all came from the Blue Lagoon neighbors. The appeal was

filed by Becky and Peter Christiansen, both attorneys who practice

law in Las Vegas.

Their condo is directly behind 17 and 19 Shreve, which were

combined for the proposed home.

“While purchasing 18 Blue Lagoon, we were specifically informed

that there would be height restrictions as to any development of the

property at 17 and 19 Shreve Drive,” the appeal reads. “Accordingly,

we strongly object to any approval of a design that does not meet the

height restrictions that have been applied to properties located

immediately adjacent to 17 and 19 Shreve Drive. Nonetheless, the

design was approved thereby violating the promises made, intent and

purpose of the restrictions and violating California law on the

subject.”

The Christensens did not testify at the meeting and were

unavailable Wednesday for comment.