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Show The Park Record A-2 Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, December 11-14, 2004 Dealfor112 acres wins OK Honoring the sacred "Part of COSAC's job was, No. 1., to amass contiguous open space," Rademan said in an interview before the vote, referring to Attorney Mark Harrington said the open-space committee by its before the vole that signatures acronym. Rademan said City Hall from each of the sellers were received on Thursday, prior to the believed the parcel could have held between seven and 12 houses meeting. The government's Citizen if the landowners had pursued a Open Space Advisory development. "We've always said the best Committee, a panel that suggests land purchases to the City protection is we own it," he said. Mayor Dana Williams noted Council, had unanimously recommended the buy in November, the location of the ground in an Public Affairs Director Myles interview before the vote. "It gives us over 200 acres in Rademan said. The government seems espe- the middle of the city, not on the cially pleased with the purchase, perimeter," Williams said. "It saying that the approximately gives us open space right in the $9,800 per acre cost is a bargain city limits, not buying it on the compared to other open-space border." He also said that lots of buys the city has made, which have climbed to as much as Parkites can enjoy the land because of its location. $25,000 per acre along S.R. 248. "We get a place that's convenThe government also notes the proximity of the parcel to the ient, easy to access and it's in the Gambel Oak land. If Bishop's leg- heart of the city," he said. With the purchase, the city will islation wins an approval in Congress, City Hail will have have about $2 million left from a acquired approximately 200 acres $10 million open-space bond votof contiguous open space within ers approved in 2002. The city had previously spent the money raised the city. Open-space swaths of that size in an initial $10 million land bond. The government has purchased are unprecedented within the city's limits. Parcels of that size a variety of parcels with the bond usually sit outside the city's limits. monies, from swaths of several In recent years, similarly sized hundred acres in Round Valley to parcels are normally found along a lot at the north end of Main Street. S.R. 248. City Hall gains ground near the Aerie, called 'a good piece for the puzzle' By JAY HAMBURGER Of the Record staff City Hall will purchase what the government sees as a key piece of open space nearby the April Mountain subdivision, a land buy that the city says probably halted development at the site. On Thursday, the Park City Council voted 5-0 to buy what are known as the 'Hope mining claims' for $1.1 million. The land encompasses about 112 acres. It is located north of April Mountain, west of the Aerie and adjacent to the Oaks. It is also located next to a piece of ground known as Gambel Oak. The federal Bureau of Land Management owns the Gambel Oak land but Congressman Rob Bishop intends to sponsor legislation in 2005 to transfer the land to Park City. There was little discussion before Thursday night's vote and the elected officials seemed pleased with the purchase. "It's a good piece for the puzzle," City Councilwoman Marianne Cone said before she cast her 'Yea' vote. A land was in the hands of a number of owners and City Truck routes spur complaints would depart Empire Pass, head northbound, which is downhill, on ; Uhat the land within Empire Pass S.R. 224, turn right on Bonanza 'holds lots of contaminated soil. Drive and then turn right on In the last few years, City Hall, Kearns Boulevard, which is part the Environmental Protection of the state highway system and Agency and the mining company also known as S.R. 248. The have talked about alternatives trucks would take S.R. 248 to the like trucking the soils out or stor- Richardson Flats repository. ing them at the site. Robinson estimates that 59,000 The material has been collect- cubic-yards of material needs to ed from a number of spots in be removed from Empire Pass, Empire Pass and put in a pile requiring as many as 104 north of Deer Valley Resort's roundtrips by dump trucks each Empire lodge. The material is day. He said in an interview laced with arsenic, zinc, lead and beforehand the operation would cadmium. The material would be take between five and 14 weeks .^trucked to a repository in to complete, depending on the ; 'Richardson Flats, at the south- number of trucks involved, the -east corner of Quinn's Junction, hours of operation and the numwhich is east of the Prospector ber of days per week crews are neighborhood. working. The city prefers that the mate"Make no mistake, it's a big rial be removed for several rea- operation," Robinson said during sons, including that it does not the meeting. •want contaminated soil kept nearIn the interview, Robinson by the local watershed. outlined safety measures City Brooks Robinson, the City Hall plans, like requiring the Hall planner assigned to the drivers to complete a safety UPCM application, issued a course, inspecting the trucks for report this week supporting the safety and weight violations and S.R. 224 routing. He argues that requiring each dump truck to Royal Street, with its hairpin place tarp over the load before turns, is a more dangerous route. leaving Empire Pass. S.R. 224 features a runaway truck During the Planning ramp, which Royal Street does Commission hearing, a slew of not have, and Robinson notes topics were broached by Parkites that, since it is a state highway, the but the overriding issue was the Utah Department of safety comparison between Royal Transportation is responsible for Street and S.R. 224. the road's maintenance. The people living along Marsac Robinson said the dump trucks Avenue told UPCM and the com- - Continued from A-1 missioners that the materials should be kept at the site, that previously the neighborhood had been told that the materials would stay in Empire Pass and that the S.R. 224 route travels through the city's historic district. Ruth Gezelius, a Prospect Avenue resident, said the proposal sacrifices Old Town and condemned what she sees as "massive truck movement." "I disagree with moving this up and down the Mine Road and impacting all of us to Richardson Flat," she said. People living along Deer Valley Drive countered that their neighborhood witnessed lots more traffic last summer, when Marsac Avenue was under construction in another Empire Pass-related project, that there are more residences along their stretch of road and that they do not want to listen to the dump trucks. "It's very noisy. Sometimes, I can't get on the phone," said Mary Demkowicz, who lives on Sunnyside Drive, nearby Deer Valley Drive. "We as a group do not want it coming down our roads." Robinson said the Planning Commission is scheduled to continue its discussions and vote as early as Jan. 12. He said commissioners first want more information about what additional materials need to be removed from Empire Pass in the future. Fund to help with medical costs • Continued from A-1 really want to take out the money factor," Sullivan said. "There's plenty of affluent people in this community that don't put their children in them." ; Though Rosa wasn't in a car seat, contrary to reports from the Highway Patrol, the three year old was wearing a seatbelt in the backseat of the car, said Pepe Grimaldo, outreach coordinator for the Peace House in Park City. "[Benita] has this huge guilt," Grimaldo said. "She was taking her to McDonald's to buy her a Happy Meal." Statements from troopers indicating that Rosa struck the wind- shield and suffered face injuries weren't true, Grimaldo said. "[Witnesses] got her out of the car from the back," she said, adding that she helped translate at the scene. Rosa suffered a brain injury and was still wearing the seatbelt when she was found unconscious in the car, Grimaldo said. "This is their only girl and they waited for this girl for a long, long time," she said about Rosa's young parents. Ahead for the child is a long road of physical therapy, Leavitt said. "It is slow, day by day, but they're being patient and everybody is being patient and praying for her. They are so thankful," she said. A 15-year-old Silver Springs girl, who had a learning permit to drive the Land Rover, turned in front of Mariano, while attempting to turn left off S.R. 224 onto Silver Springs Drive, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Wade Breur said. The 15 year old's father, John Wall, was reportedly a passenger in the front seat and suffered several broken bones and internal injuries in the crash. T\vo girls in Wall's vehicle and Benita reportedly suffered minor injuries. Wall's condition wasnt available Friday but a Web site tracking the mans progress reported recently that he was recovering from his injuries and almost able to be released from LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. The Saint Mary's White Pine Sacristy Window ornament is one of seven special edition Christmas ornaments started in 1996. Each year features a different stained glass window In the St. Mary's Catholic Church off of White Pine Road. Proceeds from the ornaments benefit St. Mary's building fund. To purchase an ornament send $15 to the St. Mary's Building Fund 2004 Ornament, 4993 East Meadows Drive, Park City, UT 84098. Lawyers await passage of code told Erickson. Richer identified the profesUnless he gets an approval sions of several Basin Planning before the code is amended, Pace Commissioners and claimed they fears he will never get the density reflect "the sentiment of western he was originally promised. Summit County." Commissioner"It's very, very important. We elect Sally Elliott's dominance on need to sell that and get us some the West Side over Basin resident better income," he said. "I'm Stephen Osguthorpe in the Nov. 2 afraid we're going to end up get- election attests lo this, he adds. ting nothing." "I think the facts speak against The new code also contem- the tone of your e-mail.1' Richer plates additional commercial areas continued. in western Summit County and Erickson was upset that he was County Commissioner Bob Richer allowed only three minutes to faced off against attorney Greg speak about the code revision durErickson Wednesday about the ing a recent Planning Commission motives of planners and Planning hearing. Commissioners in devising the Richer countered that the attornew code. ney was provided 45 minutes this Erickson represents Quinn's week, prompting this testy Junction landowner Ralph Merrill response from his cohort, who is upset with the residential Commissioner Ken zoning the new code places on his Woolstenhulme. property near S.R. 248 and U.S. "[Erickson's] 45, you've 40. Merrill is ready to proceed with had 30 (minutes) 'had Woolstenhulme a lawsuit against the county. snapped. Richer read from an e-mail Erickson then relayed another Erickson allegedly sent to various Quinn's developer's description of a u government officials. behind-the-door" meeting "In your memo, you do lake the allegedly conducted by Max stand that environmental groups Greenhalgh, chair of the Basin took control of Park City and Planning Commission. Summit County government," he • Continued from A-1 "They were talking about who could afford to take the county on when they extracted open space," Erickson said. "If you're going to take open space, do it constitutionally ... don't say that you're going to only allow people to develop who can afford to litigate in court, and take everybody else's property." Erickson is "setting up some sort of giant conspiracy theory," Richer said. "The conspiracy is, people have been elected to represent the values and the ideas and the things ... that people in western Summit County feel are important," Richer said. "They do it within a legal framework." But commissioners weren't elected lo "take 60 percent of a person's ground when they apply for a development application," Erickson said. "That's why this county's going to be in constant litigation unless somebody comes to their senses," Erickson adds. Commissioners are scheduled to revisit the issue during a public hearing scheduled Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. at the Sheldon Richins Building at Kimball Junction. Local groupfightsAIDS in Africa • Continued from A-1 The government in Botswana, though, stepped up and addressed the crisis, while Capener was assessing the need for AIDS medicine in the three countries. "Our main focus has been actually providing medicine ... to families living with HIV/AIDS," Capener said, adding lhat SAFE also educates Africans about AIDS prevention. "I've always had an interest in Africa. HIV/AIDS seems to be the most compelling health issue facing the world." Preventing newborns from contracting the disease from their mothers and their parents from dying has recently become SAFE'S top priority. "It can block the transmission of HIV from the mother to the baby, which is fantastic," Capener said about an effective, relatively inexpensive drug thai only requires a mother and child to lake one dose each. "The baby lives." Sadly, the children are often soon orphaned. "We treat the moms and their partners and try to keep the moms and the dads alive and thereby reducing AIDS orphans," Capener said. "Our focus has been to try and get medicine to parents so they can keep families alive." This week, more than 90 Zimbabweans infected with HIV or AIDS were receiving anliretroviral treatment for their diseases as a result of SAFE shipments, Capener said, adding thai the organization, in cooperation with Doctors Without Borders, secured future medicine supplies. "In Zimbabwe, we're the first government-approved treatment program," he said, adding that these developments have allowed SAFE lo pursue pediatric AIDS programs and construction of an orphanage in the Third World country. "We've done it successfully in Zimbabwe." Capener worked in South Africa for most of 2(K)4, where the government has also agreed to treat patients. "There was little hope," Capener said, adding that with access to western medicine Africans can begin to address the AIDS crisis. "There was no reason to get tested if there was no medicine available." "It makes you both grateful and more compelled to try and do what each of us can to try to make a difference in this pandemic," he adds. And it's easy to get involved. Contact Capener at 615-8821 or visit www.safeinformalion.org to learn more about SAFE. "They're devastated by the statistics they read. You know how you can take a coat down to the shelter for the homeless, but [you] don't know what [you] can do about AIDS in Africa," Capener said, adding that one of the organization's most generous contributors lives in Jeremy Ranch. "He continues to send me checks on a regular basis ... I don't even know the guy." Capener saw first-hand the impact medicine can have on the lives of the sick after showing up once empty-handed in Zimbabwe and returning with medication several months later. "They had been on the therapy, and instead of these longing eyes and failing health, there were bright smiles," Capener said. "It was absolutely incredible." SUSHI 2f 1 Start a new Park City Tradition Enjoy Lunch at trie Blind Dog! The experience will warm you through the season. "WINE IS BOTTLED POETRY. " ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON 1781 SIDEWINDER DRIVE, PROSPECTOR SQUARE, PARK CITY, UTAH 435-655-0800 WWW.BLINDDOGGRILL.COM |