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Show WecLThurs/Fri, April16-8, 2005 CITY BEAT A-5 The Park Record CITY EDITOR: Jay Hamburger 649-9014 ext. 11 I citynews@parkrecord.com Open space gains further protection Thinking of Buying or Selling? NOW is the Time! Easements mean land will remain undeveloped By JAY HAMBURGER Of the Record staff Mayor Dana Williams, a longtime supporter of City Halls conservation program, was smiling as he signed a series of papers during a brief interlude at a March 24 Park City Council meeting. His signatures culminated negotiations between the government and the Summit Land Conservancy, a local conservation organization, to further protect land that the city has purchased to preserve as open space. The documents outline whal are known as 'conservation easements," which essentially bar all construction on the land except trails and inhabitable buildings, such as a rain shelter, said Jennifer Guetsehow, the executive director of the conservancy. The conservancy holds the easements but the government retains ownership of the land. "That's the key word - a third party," she said, noting that the independent conservancy will enforce the restrictions. Guetsehow said 820 acres of city land were placed into the easements as part of the agreement. The parcels were purchased with revenues from two $10 million openspace bonds approved by Park City voters, including swaths of ground in Round Valley and the Richards Ranch, which'is off S.R. 224. The easements, supporters say, offer additional protection for the land. The bond measures outline that the money must pay for land to be conserved as open space but the city prefers that more restrictions are placed on the land and that an outside party is involved in protecting the land. Guelschow said someday in the future, if the government needed funds, there was the potential that the open space could be sold to developers to raise money. The conservation easements, however, would not allow development on the land. '"We're not worried about the City Council now . .. What happens if 40 years down the road, the cityneeds an economic boost." she said. PINEBROOK PERFECTIONI • $369,900 •CM** FOR FREE MARKET ANALYSIS! We don't just list your property m we SELL itt \-.' TERRY &LANNIE SgpPfes^ Call Your Home Team!; ^ ^ SCOTT S\HEIPARK RECORD Mayor Dana Williams, left, on March 24 signed documents placing conservation easements on 820 acres of City Hall-owned open space. Jennifer Guetsehow, the executive director of the Summit Land Conservancy, and Fred Vallejo, the president of the conservancy's board of trustees, attended. Terry's direct 435-647-3206 • cell 435-640-1591 Lannie's direct 435-647-3228 • cell 435-640-0741 teiry@jessreidrealestate.com • lannie@jessreidrealestate.com ^l&fM www.4yourhometeam.com adding that envisioning City Hall selling off the land for development is the "most far-fetched scenario, but it could happen." At seven years old. the conservancy is relatively new and Guetsehow said if her organization is disbanded another conservation group would be assigned the easements. The conservancy holds about 1,800 acres of land in easements. The City Hall parcels and land in United Park City Mines' Empire Pass development at Deer Valley account for most of the ground. Guetsehow said. She said the conservancy is currently negotiating a deal with the landowner of an approximately -loOO-acre ranch in North Summit. Williams supported placing the easements on the parcels. 'it's just an extra level of protection for the (true) owners of the ground, the citizens," Williams said. calling the easements an additional check. "It's giving the public a level of confidence that nothing can happen to this property and there is a watchdog group making sure, nothing happens to it." L a p KING FOR SOME FrZXR§0Mf FINANCiW COME JOIN OUR TEAKI Join the team at Frontier Bank and you'll enjoy all the benefits of a local bank, including quick decisions, local knowledge and good, old-fashioned service. It's a '• fearsome combination. - • Home Mortgages \ • Construction Loans • Multi-Family Loans • Commercial Loans • SBA Loans - : 615-BANK(2265) frontierbankfsb.com FRONTIER BANK PARK C I T V S COMMUNITY BANK NOT JUST A COMMUNITY BANK. T H E WAY BANHMMBUGHT TO BE. 1245 DEER VALLEY DRIVE • PARTCITY FDIC Insured |