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Show Wednesday, November 2, 1977 Page 3 BATTLE COMPANY SEBUUUR Featuring Steak Seafood & Chunkwagon Salad Bar BRAND OPENING Saturday, November 5 Candidates Face Issues The Newspaper submitted nine issue-oriented questions to each of the four candidates can-didates seeking election to the Park City Council. The questions and the responses received from Matt Alvarez, Mary Lehmer, Richard Martinez Mar-tinez and Bob Wells follow. Q: Do you feel a redevelopment agency would benefit the city in general and Main Street in particular? If not, do you have alternative proposals for the Main Street area? Alvarez: As I understand the redevelopment agency, there are economic incentives incen-tives offered to encourage rehabilitation of depressed or undesirable areas of a community. Over the years we have asked our banks for similar aid, we have tried to get financing from mortgage and insurance companies and none have been willing to listen to our arguments. Helen and I have been in business in Park City for 14 years and though we have received help from our banks and from the S.B.A., the general response has been negative. They are more interested in maximizing profit, rather than recognizing the value of restoration and revitilization of our historic zone. The redevelopment agency could make it much easier to get financing and also apply pressure to some of the speculators to do something with their properties. Lehmer:The City Council has been considering the RDA for some six months and will not commit until it has all the facts and figures. The candidates are not better bet-ter informed than the Council. Coun-cil. It would be presumptuous presum-ptuous to answer Yes or No to this question without the input needed to form an intelligent, in-telligent, informed opinion. RDA allows government condemnation of private property and must be cautiously thought about. I am for development of Main Street. I have spoken out for the reactivation of the Museum to draw new people to Main St. When the impact fees are applied as promised, the revitalization of the town will help Main St. I f FT ? Matt Alvarez Mary Lehmer Martinez: I think the agency agen-cy would benefit the city as a whole because we all use the facilities on Main Street and would like it to be a nicer place to be. Wells: I do believe that a redevelopment agency can benefit the city and the Main Street area. The most important im-portant thing, however, is to make the agency work with a strong initial effort on the part of the city to physically improve the historic part of town with street and sidewalk improvement, landscaping, land-scaping, landmarks and building improvements. If we can dedicate building 'impact fees to the above and to an improved appearance "fdr public buildings;"and"lf we provide an adequate transportation system; private property owners will follow, creating the improvements im-provements that will generate funds for the redevelopment agency. The redevelopment, agency should be set up to make sure that any money generated can be spent on steets surrounding Main Street as well as Main Street itself. The greatest advantage advan-tage of a redevelopment agency is to keep our tax dollars in the city rather than directing them to the county, provided that we make certain that the Fire District and School District are properly reimbursed for any lost revenue. Q: Do you favor the transportation trans-portation tax which will be on the November 8 ballot? Alvarez: As a businessman who has financially supported suppor-ted the transportation system, I am in favor of the transportation tax. The burden bur-den of payment will lie with those people who use it, primarily, the tourist. I would like to see the system designed in such a way that we could provide free transportation tran-sportation for the elderly and children under 12. Lehmer: A dependable transportation system operating on frequent schedules is a must for our tourist-recreation town. Since our main streets cannot can-not handle much more traffic, traf-fic, we may all soon be riding the bus from centralized parking lots. (We should look to acquiring them now.) The transportation tax O4 per cent sales tax) will be borne heavily by the tourists. But the rest of us will bear the same increase, even though present anticipated an-ticipated revenue will not be sufficient to provide bus service ser-vice throughout the city. The cost will be 50 cents per month for each $200 per month on retail purchases. On balance the value of the , services to the general welfare of the city and such . of the service we can all utilize are worth this modest sum, even if the service at present doesn't come right to our door. Martinez: I think it is as fair a way to do it if we want to have a transportation system throughout our city. ' III In f Richard Martinez Wells: I definitely favor the transportation tax. It is the only way that we can operate year round, serve the resident as well as the tourist, and provide an economical service for the senior citizens. I feel that it would be a major mistake to pass up an opportunity to pay for a bus system with out of town dollars. Tourist expenditures ex-penditures will account for 75 per cent of all fundings. The cost to the local resident will be very small, only 25 cents on $100 spent in town. Q: What are your views on the Deer Valley resort? Alvarez: I am in favor of the Deer Valley resort. It will encourage more people to circulate in and throughout our community. It should help create a much healthier business climate. Also, I feel it lies within what I consider one of the natural city limit boun-. daries. With the new master plan, an aware planning commission, com-mission, and the developers who wish to excel, the Deer Valley project can be a real asset to Park City. Lehmer: I am confident, that , Deer Valley, -resort, if properly developed will be a ; boon to Park City and the state of Utah. I am enthusiastic en-thusiastic about anything HOLIDAY RANCH HOME - Large 2-car garage with automatic opener Slate floor in entry and kitchen Thermopane windows 3 bedrooms, 2x2 baths 1 . 1 acre solid wood doors & hardwood cabinets $130,000 HAL TAYLOR ASSOCIATES P. O. Box 801 Park City, Utah 84060 Phone (801)649-8181) that will attract more tourists and visitors, as tourist dollars are good dollars. For instance, tourists don't require schools which consume 55 cents of every tax dollar in Utah. A town whose major interest is the tourist industry therefore exacts fewer taxes for its own people. We need more instead of less tourist attractions, particularly to equalize winter and summer economics. I think the Alpine Slide was the neatest and greatest thing that happened hap-pened to Park City this summer. Martinez: I would like to see it go in as this would start some building on the upper end of town. I would like to see Main Street stay in the middle of town and I think this would be what we need to do. Wells: I think that the proposed Deer Valley Resort is a good project that will bring far more benefits to the town than the cost of expansion. ex-pansion. It will make the Main Stret business district the center of town again. Development in that area is not proposed to be very dense and the project is physically separated from other areas of town. Seserva&ns Call B43-7C71 1B4 PARK AVENUE OpmSigMyB-ll chid Bob Wells Q: What do you see as the city's biggest problems at present? Alvarez: There are two major problems which must" be attended to aS soon as " possible: ;" !i; : :i A. The lack of attention being paid to modernization Continued On Page 13 esign Coalition mas o moved! We re now located in the Mt. Air Mall Complete Home Furnishings Furniture, Carpets & Hardwood Floors Draperies & Blinds, Wallpaper Coming Soon - Furniture Show Room Interior Design Service esign Coalition THE TIME OF SPECIALS! WED. Maggie's homemade chili with any sandwich THURS. The cruiser for $1.89 Regular $2.49 FRI. For all you grazers, an herbal treat - one half pound serving of golf course clippings topped with our secret sauce Come while the supply lasts $11.89 itysyii delicatessen restaurant We will be open every day from 11 :30 until 4 : 00 until the flakes arrive j |