OCR Text |
Show The Park Record Section A Thursday, March 18, 1993 D Page A3 ' V ! v .,.., i " " : .. jr s Developer Mike Nielsen stands in the midst of his innovative new subdivision chrii Elienber8 Unique development to provide a home for humans and wildlife by CHRIS EISENBERG Record staff writer Rory Reynolds, regional habitat manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, has seen a lot of subdivisions built throughout northern Utah. He has never seen anything like Red Hawk. Designed and built by Park City developer Mike Nielsen, Red Hawk is billed as a "Private Equestrian Development and Wildlife Preserve." According to Reynolds, it is the first example of a new breed of environmentally sensitive development to be built in Utah. "I think (Nielsen's) doing an exceptional job," Reynolds said. "He's really taking wildlife values into consideration." The innovative project is located in the foothills north of Silver Creek near the intersection of Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 40. A long-time Park City resident, Nielsen is striving to make Red Hawk home to both humans and animals by trying to combine the seemingly incompatible goals 'of ! housing development and wildlife ' : preservation") . : : "We want this to be kind of a sanctuary," Nielsen said in a recent interview. "We would like to focus on maintaining an environment for the animals." That environment, some 2000 acres of rolling hills and sagebrush, is prime habitat for dozens of elk, deer and moose. It is Nielsen's hope that the animals who eat, sleep, mate and give birth in the area will never notice the houses now going up around them. According to Nielsen, many predicted Red Hawk would never work. When he first proposed the project to the Summit County Planning Commission, Nielsen said several members were quite skeptical. "I stood up there on the saddle with the Planning Commission," Nielsen said, "and they said, 'Well, nice idea but you're going to go broke.'" So far, however, Nielsen seems , to be proving wrong those who said his project didn't have a chance. Strict land-use codes and . a "building envelope" Approved by the Planning Commission in 1989, Red Hawk is currently made up of 14, 20-acre lots. Twelve of those are now sold and two homes are under construction. Phase III, consisting of an additional 200 acres, will be submitted for approval this fall. According to Nielsen, what makes Red Hawk able to serve as a home to humans and wildlife is the strict restrictions placed on what landowners can do with their property. Although the lots are 20 acres in size, each has a specific four or five acre "building envelope" where homes can be built. The remaining" land, roughly 50 to 75 percent of the property, is recorded as a permanent wildlife easement "We want this to be kind of a sanctuary' Nielsen said in a recent interview. The easement, a legally-binding part of the title deed, mandates that all land outside the building envelope must be left open' and 1 undeveloped.' The only buildings ' allowed outside the envelope are small barns, fences and storage sheds that Nielsen said have little or no impact on wildlife. No building or fence regardless of where it is on the property is allowed to block existing game trails. All construction in the community must be approved by the Environmental Committee, a sort-of homeowners' association . established to make sure building does not excessively disrupt the animals' natural habitat Roads in the area, really nothing more than old jeep trails, have been left intentionally rugged. "For the most part I tried to minimize the damage," he said. Dues are collected from all property owners to enforce no-hunting no-hunting provisions and pay for improvements designed to lure even more wildlife. Already, Nielsen has used the money to dig nine artificial ponds in the area and has replaced 20 acres of sagebrush with 16 different varieties of grasses favored by deer, elk and moose. According to Reynolds, Nielsen's efforts are paying off. Initially skeptical, Reynolds toured the site last week and came back from the trip satisfied of the project's legitimacy. "He's really putting a lot of effort into this," Reynolds said. Reynolds, who will be working closely with Nielsen in planning future phases of the project, said he has done "a very good job" designing and building the deer ponds and planting new grasses. "They'll be very functional for wildlife purposes," he said. Nielsen, who studied history in college but stopped a few classes shy of graduation, has no formal training in biology or wildlife issues. He used a Division of Wildlife Resources handbook for guidance in the project. The motivation for Red Hawk A soft-spoken man, Nielsen admits that his original plans for the area had little to do with preserving wildlife. In 1985, he said, the Planning Commission approved his initial proposal for the 2000-acre community 400, five-acre lots. He changed his mind, though, when he saw the impact the' development would have on the region. ' ' "When I 'started designing the lots and doing some preliminary drawings...I was really distressed that it was going to tear apart the hillsides," he said. "He's really taking wildlife values into consideration' Reynolds said. Nielsen was also motivated by thoughts of what happened to Van Nuys, his childhood home, when massive development rolled into the area following the second world wfcr. "I grew up in the San Fernando Valley," he said. "We lived in a big walnut grove, and it was just walnut groves and walnut groves as far as the eye could see." With development, however, the landscape changed dramatically. "I can't think of anything that has made (as powerful) an impact on me as how terrible my home is now. "You mention the Van Nuys Continued on A4 At Shadow Iiidge,Across from the Resort Center i Sign Up for the i Bi-Weekly Tournament Billiards League sign uP Now Rotating 8 & 9 Ball Monthly Starting March 15 jl $160 in prize money rr 1nawnnlMffl $80 -l st, $50 -2nd, $30 -3rd I Mon., Tues., Wed, - 2 person league : 1, .",, .,.',,, L , , r Thurs., - Singles League j T : " Burger Monday $20.00 Entry Fee for 00 nnnk 8 Week League CpJL CdCll 2 Weeks of Playoffs open for dinner Take a break lunch rea Monday through Saturday. 1 1 :30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 8 Take your choice of our selection of delicious sandwiches, soups or salad. Come in for a satisfying lunch or a late afternoon snack. . . $3 75 Enjoy our other featured items: Prime Rib Buffet $14 Fridays and Sturdays 5:00 to 10:30 p.m. Fresh Fish or Steak $8 Nightly 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Sunday Brunch 51425 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Family Buffet Seasonally, Monday - Thursday 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Cak&U 1800 Park Avenue 649-7000 Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner daily Park Uty's fathering Place (1 Umm UL-iL4L4 Prices and items are subject to change, ; f3 j; 1r': O 7 Q ' State LiQuor Licensee ,?J ,., , ( rmP'''mr wi' wYwf' i j 4 .A wM.fc-l!wi(---"-v-ri1tlt--fllWitt MCLEOD CREEK HOME Quality home that is better than new. 4 bedroom3.5 baths Roger Stephens CRB,CRS,GCI 649-9377 PINE INN - DEER VALLEY SKI-IN SKI-OUT 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 3 wood-burning fireplaces, fumishedl Adjacent to SUCCESS Ski Run. 2,700 sq. ft. $595,000 Carlyle Morris, GRI 649-8447 CONGRATULATIONS TO CARLYLE MORRIS AND ROGER STEPHENS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD! JEREMY RANCH CONDO Peaceful location, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, end unit. $135,500 Mike Saunders 649-3323 I ' ! ! J WHITE PINE RANCHES 6 estate lots from $425,000 to $475,000. Horse property, private paved road, electric, gas, sewer, water, gated community. Mike Saunders 649-8601 mwc-' - -2 SNOW COUNTRY CONDO Top floqr2 bedroom unit with remodeled kitchen, great rental or home! $66,000 Also 1 bedroom unit $40,000 Roger Stephens CRB, CRS, GRI 649-9377 Development Opportunity Premiere Old Town Building lot on Empire Avenue with approved house plans $69,500 Call Roger Stephens 649-9377 EMPIRE COALITION 2 bedroom, top floor, furnished. Walking distance to ski resort. Lani Beck, Associate Broker 649-7356 SECLUDED SUMMIT PARK HOME ON 1.5 ACRES UVE IN THE TREES! 4 BEDROOMS2.5 BATHS READY TO EE UPGRADED FOR ONLY $164,900 Roger Stephens CRB, CRS, GRI 649-3323 If you want to buy or sell In Park City or Deer Valley, turn to the people who know Park City best. 9r ' Robert Morns & Associates In Park City Since 1975 801-649-8601 Located in Holiday Village Shopping Mall 1-800-846-0169 |