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Show The Ogden February 15, 2008 Valley news Your Community Newspaper PRSRT STD POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 11 EDEN UT POSTAL PATRON EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 HUNTSVILLE-84317 OGDEN CANYON- 84401 HCR 843AO Photo by Jim Huddle Ogden Nordic Hosts Skate Ski Clinic Kaleigh and Halle Southwick of Liberty enjoy a fun day of ice fishing and sleighriding at Strawberry Reservoir. Photo courtesy of Gina Harper. Ogden Valley to Get New Elementary School By Karen Bastow On the afternoon of Monday, January 28, the Weber District Board of Education voted unanimously in favor of building a new elementary school in Eden, thereby nixing plans to remodel and continue using the existing elementary school in Huntsville. A wave of nostalgia swept over many long-time Valley residents as they contemplated the news. Tommy Lee, principal of Valley Elementary, said, “I feel quite melancholy about the decision because this Ogden Valley’s new elementary will be built at the corner of Highway 166 and Stringtown Road. Photo by Karen Bastow. school has been here for a long time and many parents of children attending the school now were also students here years ago. I realize the emotional investment many people have in this school—particularly Huntsville residents. It’s the end of an era and it is indeed sad.” Initially, plans were made to remodel the existing school at an estimated cost of 1.5 to 2.5 million dollars. It was then identified through engineering and architectural evaluations that necessary upgrades would drive the remodeling costs up to, roughly, 10 million dollars. The remodel would necessitate demolishment of everything but the newest pod in the existing building, and would take up to two years to complete. Students would be displaced with fifth and sixth graders being moved to Snowcrest Junior High, and grades kindergarten through fourth housed in portable units outside the construction zone. Board members were also concerned about the quality of education students would receive during the construction period, having students within close proximity to a construction zone, students receiving quality lunches, and about playground access. Also the present school site in Huntsville includes five acres of ground— ELEMENTARY cont. on page 19 Valley Elementary Receives Generous Gift from Kiwanis Club By Kera Erickson On the last day of school before Christmas break, Valley Elementary School received $1,000 worth of books for their Leveled Reading Library. It was a generous gift from the North Ogden Kiwanis Club. The school was able to select 480 new books. The teachers and staff at Valley Elementary chose classroom sets so the Book stamping and distribution by Kiwanis From left to right, Don Chantry, Roger Chantry, and Wally Haun. books could be used within the classrooms on a daily basis. Some of the selections included non-fiction books, which are very popular with students, such as Destination Mars, Penguins, Bug’s are Insects, and A Tree is a Plant. The staff also chose known favorites like Frindle, Bears New Friend, Ogden Nordic is hosting a skate ski clinic for adults and juniors on Tuesday, February 12 with 2006 Olympic Skier Abigail Larson. Terry Davis of Ogden Nordic said, “We are very excited at the opportunity to spend some time with Abby. She is such a positive person and obviously has some great things to offer local and Ogden skiers.” Abby currently skis for The Factory Team (formerly the Subaru F a c t o r y Team), and will be competing in the 2008 Birkebeiner on February 23. There will be two on-snow sessions at 3:30 Abigail Larson, 2006 p.m. and 4:30 Olympic skier, will attend p.m. in North skate ski clinic. Fork Park. Clinic sizes will be limited, so please call to reserve a spot. The cost of the clinic is $25 for adults and free for juniors. Please call Terry Davis at 801-4302892 to register or for more information. Ogden Valley Land Trust and Basinview Team Up to Conserve Prime View Corridor and Wildlife Habitat Open land preservation and conservation has proved to be a vital interest for Ogden Valley residents. Protecting the Valley’s rural atmosphere and minimizing the impact of development is key to maintaining its assets and securing its sustainability for generations to come. The Ogden Valley Land Trust, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, coordinates the conservation of lands through donations of development rights from private landowners and businesses, and administers and maintains these rights through conservation easements held in perpetuity. In December 2007, owners of Basinview, a development accessed from old Snow Basin road in Huntsville, donated a conservation easement to The Ogden Land Trust covering six acres within a development that abuts Forest Service property. The conservation easement is located on ridgeline property offering panoramic views of Pineview Reservoir and Snowbasin Resort, and within an area supporting critical wildlife habitat. Basinview’s developer chose to move proposed home sites in the development back away from this ridgeline in order to minimize the visual impact of development when the mountainside is viewed from the valley floor. He also voluntarily placed a conservation easement on the acreage to ensure that its conservation value would be maintained in perpetuity. Current zoning in Weber County allows for cluster subdivisions to be developed with lot sizes smaller than ordinarily man- dated if the developer incorporates amenities such as open space and/or pathways, etc. But changes in zoning can occur through the petition process when property owners have a financial incentive to push for changes that would allow them to capture a greater economic benefit. Thus, property currently zoned as open space, without the placement of a legal conservation easement, may be rezoned for higher density development in the future. While a rise in future land values may provide a property owner with the impetus to develop property they would otherwise hold on too, the placement of a conservation easement on a piece of property will ensure the preservation of the property as open space in perpetuity, regardless of zoning changes. In return for the voluntarily placement of a conservation easement on private property, the owner can capture a significant tax benefit by claiming the value of the easement as a tax deduction. The amount of the tax deduction is the revenue that could have, otherwise, been captured through lot development without a conservation restriction on the land. In the case of Basinview, the value of the easement was significant due to its placement on highly valued real estate. The value of the conservation easement can now be used as a tax deduction for the property owner who maintains control of the land. Since no one knows what future restrictions zoning may—or may not—place on property in Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon, residents can help ensure open space is protected today—even on a small scale—by LAND TRUST cont. on page 18 Chocolate Fever, and Dear Mr. Henshaw. Donald Chantry, president of the North Ogden Kiwanis Club, explained that their organization raised $3,000 with the Weber School District Foundation matching the funds. The Kiwanis club then used the $6,000 to provide books for six schools throughout the Weber School District. The North Ogden Kiwanis Club is part of an international organization. Their mission is to serve the children of the entire world. To raise money for their service projects, the North Ogden Kiwanis Club provides a breakfast at North Ogden’s annual Cherry Days celebration, hosts a golf tournament, and maintains several coin fountains around the Ogden area to raise money for youth scholarships. Besides assisting schools in the area with literacy programs, North Ogden Kiwanis also purchases trees for parks, cleans up litclub members. ter around the north end of Shupe, Nancy Washington Boulevard, and provides numerous additional services for the community. Chantry encourages others to participate in this service-oriented organization. “Anyone from the Ogden Valley area is welcome to join the North Ogden Kiwanis A series of heavy winter storms that socked Ogden Valley created slippery road condiThis rollover occurred in Liberty on Highway 162. For winter driving tips, see KIWANIS cont. on page 18 tions. suggestions by UDOT found on page 3. Vehicle Rollover in Liberty |