…that started www.SaveRedRock.com.
As such an honorable and influential member of the community was lost, the Don Albietz tragedy struck deep and wide. You may remember the Las Vegas Metro Police Officer who was killed in 2005 while riding his bike in Red Rock Canyon. As a husband, father, friend, police officer, little league coach, Ironman athlete and community hero, his life inspired the entire community to come together to fight for safer and better conditions in Red Rock Canyon, and www.saveredrock.com was born.
At the time, the Southern Highlands and Mountain’s Edge developments were being built and the county had not required them to provide sufficient infrastructure to their communities, so commuter and construction truck traffic was using the Red Rock Scenic Byway as their cut-through. It was a construction truck that hit him. A construction truck that would not have been in Red Rock Canyon, if it weren’t for high density development and poor planning.
The fight for lower speed limits and wider bike lanes and commercial trucking restrictions and high density development in Red Rock took off. State, county, and federal legislations were passed to help prioritize the canyon for recreation and safety. Several victories were won, and some battles continue to wage fiercely in defense of the canyon and her visitors.
Today, the mountain that blocks the city life, noise, lights, and pollution from the unique and natural haven that is Red Rock Canyon, is the very mountain that a developer is trying to develop. He is asking the Clark County Commission to increase his rural zoning by 500%, to create a city in the canyon of over 5000 homes, commercial and industrial uses, and a magnet institution. There is also an additional capacity for double that amount, if the BLM does not remove their lands from an arbitrary disposal boundary.
As long as Don Albietz’ memory and his beautiful family live on, Save Red Rock will never stop fighting to make Red Rock safer for everyone who loves to get away from the city and exercise and experience the fresh air and beautiful, natural escape, so magically tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas city life. We can all carry on Don’s athletic legacy and inspirational character. The Don Albietz legacy lives on as you write letters to the commissioners, sign the petition, and donate to Save Red Rock.
