Carmine Dionisio, who lives in the Mountain’s Edge community in southwest Las Vegas, recently got a notice about a proposed communications tower planned near Starr Avenue and Rainbow Boulevard — and he says it left him with more questions than answers. The notice asked whether he supported or opposed the project, but Dionisio says he couldn’t give an informed answer because it simply didn’t tell him enough.
“I oppose it because there wasn’t enough information in there,” Dionisio said, according to KTNV. Clark County officials told the station the proposed tower would stand about 100 feet tall and would be used for Verizon Wireless, surrounded by a chain-link security fence and accompanied by small support buildings and backup generators. The project area tied to the proposal covers roughly 632 acres, according to the county.
A Six-Day Turnaround Left Little Time to Respond
A first public meeting on the proposal was held September 30, but Dionisio says he didn’t attend because he felt he didn’t have enough time to prepare a response. He pointed to the timing of the notice itself as the core problem. “It was stamped on the 24th and they have it six days later,” he said, per the same KTNV report — a gap he argues doesn’t leave residents much room to research a project before weighing in on it.
Dionisio is also concerned about what a new tower could mean for the area’s landscape, though the report notes only that this is his concern, not a determined outcome. Residents will get another shot to weigh in at a public meeting scheduled for October 21, giving those with similar reservations roughly three more weeks to review the proposal before the next round of comment.
Damaged Fencing and Ignored Warning Signs
Beyond the tower itself, Dionisio raised separate concerns about the condition of the federal property surrounding the proposed site. He said some signs and portions of the fencing had been removed or damaged, even though the signs are meant to warn people against trespassing and dumping on the land. Despite those warnings, he said the area continues to be used by people walking, biking, driving and even setting off fireworks.
The Bureau of Land Management is the agency that handles illegal-dumping concerns on federal land, but KTNV reported that the BLM had not provided an immediate response regarding the property’s condition or any plans to address the issues Dionisio flagged. Dionisio said he wants the property better monitored regardless of whether the tower ultimately gets built, and he’s asked that the damaged fencing be restored and the missing signs reinstated.
Illegal Dumping Is a Broader Problem on Southern Nevada’s Public Lands
Illegal dumping is a broader problem on Southern Nevada’s public lands. The Southern Nevada Health District defines it as the improper or unauthorized disposal of solid waste. Its Solid Waste & Compliance section handled 1,575 such complaints in 2017.
Clark County residents can report illegal dumping to the Southern Nevada Health District at 702-759-0600 or through its online complaint form.
Cleanup as a Public-Land Priority
A 2018 Bureau of Land Management implementation agreement for the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act lists litter and dumping cleanup among examples of public-health-and-safety priorities in its Conservation Initiatives category, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
For now, the fate of the proposed tower near Starr Avenue and Rainbow Boulevard remains an open question, with the next public meeting set for October 21 giving Dionisio and his neighbors another chance to make their case.
