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Show : i Val Varda Residonts'Want To Be Left Alone ii:' )C By GARY R. BLODGETT .VAL VERDA The last thing the 6.000 residents this south Davis County community want is to be y-nexed to either Bountiful or North Salt Lake. in d1 'WE JUST want to he left alone," said a spokes-"son spokes-"son for the group during a planning meeting held t week. "We don't want to be annexed unless we 3f (-forced into it." jCounty Commission Chairman Glert W. Flint said fl(1i didn't think that would happen under the new te annexation law. "You have a right to remain ncorporated if that's what you want and you are )U 'ting the services you desire." ast I;1E EMPHASIZED, however, that special ser-lpkes ser-lpkes may have to be arranged through a special vtccs district and the cost may be more than at would be paid through taxes if annexed into a ) commissioner Flint explained that, with few ex-jtions, ex-jtions, residents of unincorporated areas (such as I Verda) must petition a city for annexation. "ADJOINING cities can not reach out and annex an unincorprated area unless they (cities) have provided pro-vided services to the area for at least one year or unless through previous annexations the remaining unincorporated area becomes an island surrounded by incorporation," said the commissioner. Meanw hile, Val Verda remains an unincorporated "community" located between Bountiful and North Salt Lake. "THERE'S A lot of talk, rumors and concern about ab-out future annexation," said Ray Hale, a long-time resident of Val Verda and chairman of the Davis County Planning Commission. "Aii six committees which have been meeting during dur-ing the past several months to discuss probleme of our area have indicated they do not want annexation. Of course there are some in the area w ho would like to annex into one of the two adjoining communities, but it's evident that the majority want to remain unincorporated." VAL VERDA, for the most part, has survived well as an unincorporated entity. But major problems are beginning to arise and more and more residents are becoming concerned, the commission chairman pointed out. "Still," he said, "most of the residents have expressed ex-pressed a desire to work these problems out for ourselves, if at all possible. Most have indicated that they would even prefer special districts, if necessary, neces-sary, to pay for the needed improvements and services." ser-vices." DAVIS COUNTY Planning Department officials, several of whom attended the informal meeting held in Mr. Hale's back yard, said they would work with the residents "in any way possible." Val Verda residents haven't been sitting around doing nothing. They have been working diligently for the past several months, first meeting to discuss problems and then formulating those problems and needs into priorities. "THAT'S WHERE we are now," said John Jan-son, Jan-son, assistant county planner, who has been the go-between go-between for the residents and planning commission and county Commissioners. He said each of the six citizens' committees have come up with three priorities and possible solutions. "I WILL take these priorities and any others that we feel might be essential and combine them with pertinent information about estimated costs and whether or not the county would pay for or share in payment of these improvements and services," said . Mr. Janson. "Then all 18 or more priorities will again be reviewed re-viewed by committee members as a whole for recommendation recom-mendation at a public hearing to be held in about six weeks. The County Planning Commission will then study the priorities, cost estimates, etc., and make recommendations to the County Commission for final fin-al approval." ORDINANCES OR revisions to existing ordinances ordi-nances may hope to be approved by the Commissioners Commis-sioners to implement some of the programs, Mr. Janson explained. Some of the general topics being discussed include streets, parks, transportation, public utilities, recreation, re-creation, fire and police protection and land use.- |