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Show By GARY R. BLODGETT BOUNTIFUL - There was con-: con-: sidcrable opposition to the proposed Towne Center Plaza, planned for construction in the Bountiful : downtown area west of Main Street between Center and 100 South. Bountiful Redevelopment Agency Agen-cy (RDA) board of directors approved ap-proved the concept of the plan and 1 gave authorization to the developers lo beght seeking tenants Jbr the $5 million retail-entertainment plaza. But strong opposition was expressed ex-pressed by some local merchants and residents. Lee Barnard, owner of Lee's Barber Shop; on Main Street, said, "I cannot pay die $10 per square foot lease i for relocating in the center not without substantially increasing the cost of hair cuts - and I don't want to do that" He told the RDA board that "my place is not for sale not for any price that is being offered," "We have an excellent Main Street location, and because we own the building, ' there is no rent to pay," be said. "When you add the leasespacctoouroperatingcosts.it becomes prohibitive to remain in ; business and stay competitive." - His partner, Richard Peterson; said, "We have 73 year's total ex-i ex-i perience and are able to make a liv-L liv-L mg with the situation that we now ' have. But we can't afford any more costs." ; Mr. Barnard asked the board why it could not change the south boun-1 boun-1 daryof the project to the north wall of the former DeMont clothing store. "That is a natural break since (you are not including the Qpertuilding in the project he said. "It would square-off the south boundary, and it would eliminate only a few feet from the overall pro- " jectsite." Board member Barbara Holt is recuperating from surgery and did not attend last week's meeting. But in a letter to the RDA board, she urged them not to have a "quick vote" but to wait until she and board member Bob Gramoll could be present. . "The public is not aware of the proposal, and not even the (RDA) - board is familiar with all that is be- ing proposed, she wrote. "We need input from our merchants and from the public as to which direction direc-tion the dry should take." t She reminded the board that it had approved an economic de-vetofjment de-vetofjment study for $25,000, agreeing agree-ing that local residents should have a say in the progress of the com- "muniry.' """" " "' " "How can we know the desires of the people it we don't wait long enough to hear from diem. Please wait at least one more week before , making a decision," she wrote. Haven Burningham, who said he was speaking on behalf of his wife, who is a property owner in the proposed pro-posed site, told the board that "our property will get more valuable, and that condemnation would be a financial fi-nancial burden on us." ".. Swede Olson, owner of die vacated Bountiful Drug building on - the comer of Main and Center, said -he would accept a fair-market price for his property, but "I am concerned concern-ed about how that value is going to be determined." Others who opposed the plaza concept said it would be difficult, if not impossible, for the project to succeed without an anchor store. Developers said a large departments store, or similar attraction, is not proposed in the new devekjpment |
