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Show Smith9 m visible door gets national attention By JUDY JENSEN Editor FARMINGTON The invisible invisi-ble doors at the new Smith's grocery groc-ery store have sparked a national controversy. The air-doors are now a test case being evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. According to store manager Harv Woodyatt, the controversial air-door air-door nearly delayed the store's opening. He said the Davis County Health Department was not going to allow the store to open until permanent doors were installed. Health Department De-partment officials finally gave the store a six-month reprieve until the FDA issues a final ruling. The controversy centers on the ability of the air door to repel rats and mice. According to Woodyatt, the door is designed to circulate an air curtain 24 hours a day. The purpose pur-pose of the circulating air is to ward off insects and other animals. It also is designed to keep a constant 72 degree temperature in the store. Woodyatt said the doors are being used successfully in other areas. "This is the first one in Davis County. I've seen a dog standing outside and he won't come in because of the air, but they (the Health Department) weren't going to let me open," he said. According to Rick Harvey, director of environmental health for Davis County, his department has asked the FDA and the National Nation-al Sanitation Foundation to approve the door. He agreed the doors are being used in other counties, coun-ties, but not on grocery stores to his knowledge. "We're not going to set a nationwide nation-wide precedent in Davis County on use of these air-doors on grocery stores," he said. Farmington is the national test. If the FDA approves the door it will be business as usual at Smith's. If not, the store will be forced to install traditional permanent perma-nent doors. |
