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Show Page 20 The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Volume II, Issue VI March 2000 Resort Area Growing Itself to Death By Karl Cates The Salt Lake Tribune comprehensive of its kind to date, it underscores concerns that have persisted for some time. “The fear is that this will become a suburb, and who wants to vacation in the suburbs?” said Mike Varros, a Park City real estate agent. Traffic, air pollution and sprawl are the bane of resort destinations, but data suggest all three are growing in Summit County. The report estimates the basin’s population has tripled to almost 12,000 since 1990 (in addition to Park City’s population of about 7,000). It adds that the surge shows few signs of slowing as the area continues to be a popular bedroom community for the Wasatch Front, only 15 minutes away on Interstate 80. Demand has driven the median home price from $210,000 in 1992 to more than $300,000 today. Meantime, the resort triad of Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort and The Canyons now accounts for about 40 percent of the state’s ski trade, up from a quarter in 1982. Amid the document’s reams of demographic data and economic analysis, this nugget stands out: Licensed Contractor “It is clear that unconstrained growth Delbert Morris will continue to occur unless the community 745-1709 makes a conscious Cell 791-7420 decision to intervene in the market in some Grading Dirt Hauling manner and produce a Snow Removal Landscaping different growth Rock Work Backhoe Service scenario.” Tear out & Replace Driveways Donna Van Buren, a member of the Snyderville Basin KIMBALL JUNCTION-The goose that laid the golden egg is endangered, according to a California company hired to assess the future of the fast-growing Snyderville Basin and its tourist economy. A 77-page draft of a muchanticipated report by the Berkeleybased Economic & Planning Systems holds little good news for the basin. The document, commissioned by Summit County planners, stops short of predicting a resort-industry collapse. But it strongly cautions against the area’s continuing urbanization, which has run rampant for almost 10 years in unincorporated communities such as Kimball Junction, Snyderville and Jeremy Ranch. At stake is the loss of alpine charm that feeds the basin’s vacation economy. It already is being compromised by a barrage of development ranging from tract housing and condominium complexes to strip malls and fast-food joints. Though the report is the most P.O. BOX 507 EDEN, UT 84310 Planning Commission, offered this translation: “It’s a big heads up.” It also means a weighty and complicated set of building and zoning restrictions enacted by the county in recent years and touted as the future of growth management apparently will not get the job done. Problems include a backlog of about 4,000 already approved new housing units that likely will drain more from public coffers than they will contribute. The potential for creating a four-season resort in which golf becomes as big as skiing remains largely unrealized. The push for preservation of open space, a must for any mountain resort community, has stumbled as “development patterns have sprawled across this sensitive landscape, marring its beauty forever.” Add other looming troubles, such as water shortfalls, strains on schools and fire departments, and government agencies in which the right hand too often does not know what the left is doing. Though the report’s advice is general, it is the most potent critique to emerge on the topic, and perhaps the most important. “It shows us the commitment that needs to be made,” said Doug Dotson, the county’s director of community development. Whether the political will exists to exercise it is another question. “We’ll see,” Dotson said. Note: This copyrighted article from the February 15 issue of the Salt Lake Tribune has been reprinted by permission. To the person who irresponsibly shattered the legs of a cat with a shotgun, then left the cat to die, you will be judged by how you treat other living spirits of the world. Heaven’s Gate Animal Sanctuary This injured cat, found on the side of Monte Cristo road, was rescued and named Cinderella. The cat has undergone surgery in an effort to save her legs that were critically damaged from shotgun wounds. A fund has been set up for Cinderella’s Veterinarian medical bills. Please send donations to: HEAVEN’S GATE ANIMAL SANCTUARY PO BOX 70 HUNTSVILLE UT 84317 |