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Show New plan for city of history... 1 1 f ? "' i By JANICE CLARK Special to the Chronicle Salt Lake is a city of historical sights, saints, small skyscrapers and slums. It is a city with unusually wide, clean streets, courtesy of colonizer Brigham Young-and a city with "one of the most critical low-cost housing shortages in the nation." Salt Lake was planned, in contrast to most cities in the West. It wa' built from the beginning according to the "Plan of the City of Zion," written in 1833 at Kirkland, Ohio, by the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith. This planning gave Salt Lake its 132-foot streets, 16-foot sidewalks side-walks and 10-acre blocks. It recommended re-commended five city blocks be set aside for parks. A report on the city's resources, re-sources, made in 1889 when the population was 30,000, notes "an absence of weeds everywhere," every-where," and that "rows of shade trees are planted along the outside out-side of the walks where gutters carry the sparkling mountain water wa-ter in all directions." At that time an $85,000 opera house had just been completed and was the city's cultural pride. Downtown Down-town was "remarkable for its orderliness," and only 12 policemen police-men were employed. Since then, the city has grown and evolved. Even with the suburban su-burban exodus decreasing the population within the city limits, li-mits, it is projected that the city will have 242,247 residents by 1985. The Salt Lake urban area population is projected at over 800,000. Delbert Ward, of the University's Urban Studies and Services Institute, describles the city's evolution this way: First, Agriculture "It begins with agricultural use of the land. Then the residential resi-dential density increases and some businesses move in. Eventually, Even-tually, the commercial area encroaches en-croaches on the residential, increasing in-creasing the land value and making it uneconomical to maintain main-tain single-unit housing in the area. The result is a growing commercial center, including high-rise housing. But during the transition, the original residences are left unimproved by owners expecting to see at a profit or go commercial. These 'gray area' become slums." Regulation of this growth and minimization of "gray areas," excessive cost and other un- Future plans for Main Street call for canopied sidewalks side-walks and street crossings. Traffic would be mini mized and store signs would be moved to street level. This would make it a "pedestrian street." s pleasant effects, requires planning. plan-ning. As Mr. Ward notes, the city outgrows its legal entity and plans must consider the entire "area of impact." A city is complex com-plex and interrelated like an organism. Changes, additions and subtractions can have far reaching effects. Improvements are slow and need frequent re-evaluation. re-evaluation. Developed in the '60's Salt Lake City's Second Century Cen-tury Ran, developed in the 1960's and due for revision in 1975, has been a guide for several seve-ral recent developments downtown down-town and is recommeded in the current city master plan. Mr. Morris Johnson, an architecture professor who was involved in developing the plan, emphasizes that many of the proposals in the plan must be carried out by private companies with their own funds. "It is an overall guideline," he says, "but the things it proposes are attracting investments." Arrow Press Square is an example ex-ample of one idea which architects archit-ects who drew up the plan proposed pro-posed for downtown. Structurally Structural-ly sound buildings are stylistically stylisti-cally renovated to conform to desired use, retaining their old flavor. Farmer's Market, on West Temple between Fourth and ,"1 " Ml -.MS - v' Fifth South, has possibilities as "the market place of the city," according to the plan. Presently a run-down series of produce stalls, the plan imagines "a potpourri pot-pourri of produce, foods, trinkets, trin-kets, souvenirs, restaurants, displays, dis-plays, etc., with colorful awnings, furniture and people." Three City Functions Functions of the city proper were defined as cultural, government govern-ment and the headquarters of the LDS Church. These functions func-tions were provided for, based on aesthetics, convenience and comfort. The plan included a convention conven-tion and cultural center a block from where the Salt Palace has been built. Mr. Johnson points to this as an example of using the plan flexibly as a guideline. It further proposes construction of a visitors' center on the northeast north-east corner of First South and West Temple. This would be a source of information on attractions attrac-tions and accomodations in the city and is planned to be close to the Salt Palace. An art museum and gallery is also proposed on South Temple and Second East to "strengthen the existing character cha-racter of South Temple," according ac-cording to the plan. The function of city and county government is located in the two blocks between Fourth and Fifth South and State Street and Third East. The Courts Bldg. and Metropolitan Hall of Justice, which have been built, were included in-cluded in the plan. It proposed that the two blocks be connected con-nected by a mall, as does the Master Plan, but this has so far proven unfeasible. The two blocks occupied by the LDS Church in the center of !, town, which were in the plan as j a unit, have also remained sepa- 1" rate. Mr. Johnson points, out "! that because the blocks are so long, connecting them presents a ., considerable barrier to cars and f underpasses are not economical. Street improvements, inclu- ', ding trees, awnings, benches, re- Z moval of overhanging signs and lighting, similar to the new First South "beautification project," were envisioned for Main and ! ! State Streets. Pedestrians would j have the right-of-way. Main street specifically includes "out- door cafes, kiosks, street vendors, ven-dors, displays, colorful awnings :1 and canopies" in the plan. :a Street Interiors Considered a Street interiors were also con- sidered. The common blight condition con-dition in the back of stores ' would be replaced, in many in- ! stances with parking, such as the ' recently completed Main Street Parking Mall. It would include " rear store entrances, taking much of the parking off the ' main streets and clearing them 'J for pedestrians. " A part of the plan which will ' probably never be implemented concerns Memory Grove and Ci-ty Ci-ty Creek Canyon. This was to be a "cultural area" left in a relatively relati-vely natural state and tying in to j the tree-lined streets. The cur- J rent city Master Plan also recognizes recog-nizes this possibility, but the j area is privately owned, making development difficult. The decisions on the city's future depend, first on econo- mics, but also on the people who ; own the property and on the , On the north side of South Temple at the head of Second East is the proposed site for an art museum for permanent or traveling exhibits. J "1 eU,ahChronWe, Summer Edition, July 30 1971 5 ...saints, slums, and skyscrapers -f .-. " rv 1 ' I ! :. -v, I ci J-s g i-1 s j -) rheumatic fever in the country and, according to thehealthtask force, "population and industrial expansion indicate increasing pollution pol-lution problems. The city's Master Mas-ter Plan notes lack of curb and gutter, deterioration of housing and railroad tracks in residential area. To Solve Shortage Model Cities has proposed solutions: so-lutions: $168,000 for housing programs, $828,000 for recreation recre-ation and culture, $875,969 for educational programs, $312,346 for social services such as a senior citizen nutrition service center, $52,500 for street improvement, im-provement, $93,421 on evalu ations, $379,409 for administration administra-tion and $150,004 for citizen participation-salaries, travel and supplies. To help solve what a local contractor, Tom Kendrick, has said is "one of the most critical low-cost housing shortages in the nation," Model Cities recently endorsed a Radford Estates housing project. It is 236 FHA housing, renting between $80.50 and $122 a month, with up to 70 percent government subsidy of the rent. Gray Areas See Problem The people living in the "gray area" Mr. Ward talks about recognize re-cognize the problem. In a letter to Model Cities, the Central City Neighborhood Council called for "an immediate re-zoning of Central Cen-tral City back to a residential status which will prevent the encroachment of businesses upon the residential districts," low cost housing construction and retention of homes being replaced by high cost rental units. Says the Model Cities housing task force, "There has been a lot of talk in the last couple of years about a housing crisis. But the word 'crisis' generally gener-ally refers to a temporary situation, situ-ation, and, for the people living in Salt Lake City's worst housing, there's nothing temporary tempo-rary about it." Transportation is also a problem. pro-blem. Thirteen percent of the Model Neighborhood relies completely com-pletely on public transportation. The area is served by two bus routes which the task force says . ,n n WaV sufficient." The : Proposed solution is 20 to take those with trTs-portation trTs-portation problems to clinics fools and other service c ! 4Jntal C0St is t at $386,400 The task force notes that facilities are useless to people who have no way to get 11 also recommends "4,000 m street improvements. Mini Bus Illegal Such a mini bus service is illegal, according to James Wooley, accounting professor and Salt Lake Transit Authority comptroller. The Transit Authority Autho-rity is the only agency authorized autho-rized to operate mass transit in the city. It is studying the problem pro-blem and attempting to improve service. Besides the West Side area, the board is considering increasing direct service to the University from high-student density areas. Transit travel now accounts for only five percent of all travel in the Salt Lake metropolitan metro-politan area, according to the Salt Lake Area Tranportation study, and has been declining during the last 10 years. This is far below the percentage of most large cities in the nation, so just bringing it up to the national level would ease traffic conditions condi-tions considerably, says Prof. Wooley. Salt Lake's problems don't approach those in big Eastern cities, but solutions are still slow and difficult. Most people agree that eradication of poverty, for example, is impossible. "There are always going to be people who are 'down and out'," says Mr. Ward. "And they have every right to be. The ones we should be concerned with are those who don't want to be." In 1970, $57,810,784 was spent on welfare-75 percent more than in 1961. Unemplyment is largely affected by the economy; it is also increasing. But saying "something ought to be done" has little effect: The 1959 report said the Jordan River was "sorely neglected;" the current Master Plan recommends a Jordan Jor-dan River Parkway and golf course and Model Cities includes a provision for $680,000 Jordan River development. 1 m without major con-: con-: iust keeping streets tier depends on the Detroit one of the lesin the natron, not industry, but because ? there who has a klee- ' on the Ti lent projects must be S elected officials, and J'ftrd says, "Our mayor philosophy of letting free solve problems being invited to get id in decisions to .improve .;iishborhoods through the 1 Cities program. "Citizens y a voice in local Iment like this since Brig-- Brig-- Voung," sav Farron Ith 'toe coordinator. The task ',blhe basis of Model Cities. ;iilsof51 percent citizens, -'professional advisers. The :isr of the program, just .j concerns diagnosing of 'lit; the next five are for mentation. spile controversies with lo-smraent lo-smraent about charges of iorcr administrated, "con-4 "con-4 interest" and inaccurate i, Model Cities will be a' as long as it satisfies 1(Ily reviews by the Depart -; Housing and Urban De-ant. De-ant. So far, HUD has : it the go-ahead. After five x its function will be :;i "We hope it dies in five says Mr. Ith. "If it is jsful in mobilizing the citi--.it wilt ." Model Neighborhood it Cities focuses on the ;;iel Neighborhood" the ..Side and the Redwood -afield area. The area in-is in-is a large part of Salt Lake's : with 18 percent of the iii recipients. The average 'apita income, according to --! statistics in $1,637; almost if the homes were built :re 1939 and only 40 percent a have solid waste dis-ilhe dis-ilhe area is in the lowest -af the valley, receiving the J of the air pollution, e task forces have pointed :r problems: lack of ac-hospitals ac-hospitals and clinics, :loned cars, a high water :i inviting insects and ro-i, ro-i, U percent, unemploy-31 unemploy-31 compared to 3.2 percent ,1( city, highest rate of A visitors' center was planned as part of the Salt Palace complex. However, due to lack of funds, if was not finished when scheduled. It is still planned for the corner of South and West Temple streets. |