The Las Vegas City Council on Aug. 20 approved multiple land‑use entitlements across several wards, ratified Rosa Cortez as deputy city manager and adopted the La Madre Foothills special area plan, while adding site‑specific conditions to proposals that drew neighborhood concern.

The council approved general plan and zoning changes, tentative maps, and variances for several single‑family subdivisions and infill projects; it also adopted an area plan intended to guide future development along the La Madre Foothills. Council members debated traffic, drainage, neighborhood character and trash‑enclosure placement and attached conditions to some approvals to address those concerns.

Why it matters: The council’s votes change what may be built on multiple parcels in Las Vegas, set conditions for how new developments must be designed or managed, and place a new advisory plan on the city’s policy books that will guide future zoning and infrastructure decisions in the La Madre foothills area.

Rosa Cortez ratified as deputy city manager
Rosa Cortez, currently the city engineer and deputy director of public works, was ratified as deputy city manager by the council. City Manager Mike Jansen introduced Cortez and described her city tenure beginning as an intern and advancing through multiple promotions. Councilmember Olivia Diaz moved to approve the ratification; the motion passed.

“I am deeply committed to continuing to serve our residents in the city of Las Vegas, working collectively with the city manager’s office, with the mayor and council, with all the city departments to focus on our strategic goals and move those forward,” Cortez told the council after her ratification.

Votes at a glance:
- Rosa Cortez — Ratification as deputy city manager; salary listed on the agenda as $228,913 plus benefits from the general fund; motion to ratify carried. (Agenda item 34)
- Resolution R-62-2025 — Encouraging dog‑paw protection on hot pavement when air temperatures exceed 85°F; moved by Councilwoman Seaman and adopted. (Agenda item 35)
- Bill No. 2025-29 (LVMC Title 19 amendments re: public improvements, street and frontage standards) — Adopted; motion carried. (Agenda item 37)
- Bill No. 2025-30 (amendments to the uniform development code to include condominium‑hotel provisions) — Adopted; motion carried. (Agenda item 38)
- Item 49 (Oakey/Mohawk — Taylor Morrison) — Approved (general plan amendment, rezoning, vacation of patent easement, tentative map for the subdivision as listed on the agenda); council considered drainage, traffic and neighborhood character before approving. (Agenda item 49 A–D)
- Item 52 (Owens/Gateway multifamily project) — Approved with conditions, including relocation of the trash enclosure within the site to meet residential adjacency standards before building permits are issued; staff had recommended denial. (Agenda item 52 A–D)
- Item 53 (R & T Sparks trucking and vehicle storage) — Approved with added conditions: limit of five commercial trucks and five trailers on site (applicant described truck types as pickup trucks with trailers, not semis), no parking along Tom Boulevard, and a requirement that a revised site plan show the trash enclosure in the westernmost portion of the property prior to building permit; staff had recommended denial and neighbors expressed concerns about noise, dumpsters and intensity. (Agenda item 53 A–D)
- Item 55 (Homestead at Bonita Vista — Woodside Homes) — Approved (variances and tentative map for an 8‑lot single‑family subdivision). (Agenda item 55 A–I)
- Item 56 (Mayfair Meadows — Richmond American Homes) — Approved (general plan amendment, rezoning and related items for a 37‑lot single‑family subdivision; staff recommended denial of certain variances but council approved the applications with conditions). (Agenda item 56 A–E)
- Items 36 and 57 — Council adopted the La Madre Foothills special area plan and the related resolution to add the plan to city policy documents; the plan emphasizes trails, parks and context‑sensitive design near the Red Rock boundary. (Agenda items 36 and 57)

Council discussion and conditions
Several land‑use items drew opponents from adjacent neighborhoods who cited drainage, traffic and a preference to preserve “rural” character. For the Oakey/Mohawk project neighbors urged development consistent with existing zoning; the applicant described a revised plan that removed one lot and added a cul‑de‑sac to reduce traffic onto Oakey and lower the site grade. Councilmember Brian Knudson, who moved approval, said that he supports infill development while acknowledging neighbors’ concerns, noting during discussion that he ran on encouraging infill in the ward.

On the Owens/Gateway multifamily proposal (item 52), the applicant described multiple redesigns — consolidating buildings from five down to two, moving parking to the rear and increasing landscape buffers — and agreed to relocate a trash enclosure to address a residential adjacency variance. Planning staff had found the project incompatible with surrounding single‑family development and recommended denial; Councilmember Olivia Diaz moved to approve with the planning‑staff conditions amended to require relocation of the trash enclosure at or before building permit submittal.

On the trucking/vehicle storage site (item 53), neighbors and nearby businesses opposed high volumes of commercial vehicles and daily dumpster activity. Council added conditions requiring no parking on Tom Boulevard, specified placement of a trash enclosure at the west side of the site and limited the number and type of vehicles the council was willing to permit on the parcel; the applicant said another off‑site property in the county would reduce vehicle counts at this location.

La Madre Foothills special area plan
The council adopted the La Madre Foothills special area plan, a policy document drafted with consultant SmithGroup after public outreach. City staff and the planning commission recommended approval. The plan calls for context‑sensitive development at the city’s western edge, expanded trail connections and a proposed La Madre Foothills park and trailhead. Staff noted infrastructure needs — including water and regional flood control coordination — and said the plan would be used to guide future zoning and development agreements.

City attorney review and compensation recommendation
The council completed the annual review of City Attorney Jeff Dorukat in closed session and, in open session, approved a compensation recommendation that matched the approach used for other appointive employees: an average 3.3% cost‑of‑living adjustment, a 4% merit increase and three weeks of administrative leave, a package the council moved to adopt.

What the council required of applicants
When the council approved projects that had raised neighborhood concerns it commonly: added conditions for relocation of trash enclosures to meet residential adjacency distances; required revised site plans at or before building permit submittal; added no‑parking striping or signage along affected local streets (for example, no parking on Tom Boulevard); and limited vehicle counts or vehicle types on commercial storage lots. Applicants in multiple hearings agreed to revised site plans and to accept the conditions imposed by the council.

Taper: Several consent agenda items, routine approvals and reappointments were acted on at the meeting without extended debate. The council also briefly adopted an animal‑safety resolution encouraging pet owners to check pavement temperatures and approved multiple ordinance amendments sent from committee. Staff and applicants will now execute the site plan changes required by the council before final permits are issued.