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Show Park Record Thursday, April 2, 1987 Page A3 Bureau threatens to cut safety features to reduce dam cost by HEIDI EAST Record staff writer The cuts federal Bureau of Reclamation officials plan to make in building the proposed Jordanelle Dam will not significantly affect the safety of the dam, according to John Henrie, director of the regional bureau office in Provo. "We needed to reduce the cost of the proposal before President Reagan would approve funding for any of the Central Utah Project," said Henrie. The bureau official spoke to a group of Provo homeowners at a informational in-formational meeting sponsored by the local League of Women Voters there. When asked specifically what the bureau intended to eliminate to reduce costs, Henrie turned the meeting over to his technical assistant assis-tant and bureau engineer, Larry Tape. Tension between the audience and agency officials was high, but Tape eased it by asking people use his nickname, "Red." He then outlined the measures the bureau was considering con-sidering to ensure safety at the dam, but at the same time cut costs. "First, we're not going to grout the bedrock like we thought we were," he said. Geologists have debated whether the bedrock is fractured frac-tured under the dam, and the bureau decided late last year injecting a cement ce-ment grout into the rock would be a good idea "just in case" it was broken. But, said Tape, "we will be doing new studies to show there is not a problem with the bedrock." Tape also mentioned the dam would not be filled with cement. "Our financial reports indicate space within the structure would be supportable and economically significantly more reasonably feasible," feasi-ble," he said. The dam will not be completely hollow, said Tape. Instead, In-stead, the bureau will excavate mine tailings in the area which would have been under Jordanelle Reservoir Reser-voir water and will pack the inside of the dam with them. "The tailings won't add much in the way of strength, but at least they won't be mixed in with your drinking water," Henrie assured the audience. au-dience. Henrie took over from Tape and described the bureau's program for cost savings on construction labor. "It's an exciting proposal," he said. "We wanted to reduce costs and provide pro-vide a learning , experience at the same time." The bureau will not use the professional contractor they had lined up for building the dam, R. & R. Steelabuck of Ogden. Instead, said Henrie, they will offer college credit for engineering students in . u , ire ' : ''N'C ' " , ... - I U Yi -v Artist's rendition of proposed Jordanelle dam if cost cutting cut-ting plans are implemented as planned by the Bureau of Reclamation. "Well, as you know, the dam will any of Utah's several technical colleges col-leges for helping to build the dam. So far, said Henrie, about 80 students have signed up for the course, "Dambuilding in Utah 101." The dam was expected to cost $400 million to build. Some have said the final cost will top twice that amount. When asked how much the measures he had described would trim the cost, Henrie said, "Oh, I expect we're talking about $50 million." Questions and comments came fast and furious from the audience. "Isn't our safety worth $50 million?" asked one Provo resident. Provo will be downstream from the dam, and a water wall of well over 100 feet through Provo Canyon has been estimated as a possibility should the dam fail. Henrie explained the bureau was considering the possibility of issuing flotation equipment equip-ment to each neighborhood downstream. "We're thinking about managing the flotation program through the various LDS wards," he said. "In general, people are close enough to their ward that if the dam did break, they'd have plenty of warning before the water reached them." Specifically, Henrie said innertubes and inflatable rubber lifeboats were being considered. "Won't that cost a lot more than just making the dam safe?" asked another audience member, Henrie clarified the $50 million in savings was what the bureau expected ex-pected even with the flotation program. pro-gram. "What will it take for the dam to break with all the changes?" asked the same citizen. be $50 million less with the changes than proposed," said Henrie. "Without the president's personal OK, there would be no dam, and we know you want the reservoir. Especially Park City," he added in a run-on sentence, "they want the reservoir so they can start sailboar-ding sailboar-ding a little closer to home. "They've had to go all the way to Deer Creek Reservoir, you know..." "But, what will it take for the dam to break?" interrupted the audience member. Tape interjected before Henrie could answer, "Nobody knows if the bedrock is really cracked, but we're giving it a 99 percent chance of being OK. The students are going to do just a fine job of building and we're thrilled we can help the local communities com-munities by offering them this chance. If the dam breaks, well, you'll be warned and I can assure you the worst that can happen is a little damp carpeting. Isn't that a small price to pay for a beautiful mountain lake?" Red's tyrade stumped the audience, au-dience, at least for a while. Then, a woman in the back of the room stood and asked whether what the bureau was presenting "was a joke of some kind." Henrie bounced to his feet to respond. res-pond. "Absolutely not!" he shouted. "We are just trying to do good business here. You wanted the dam, and we're going to get it for you," he promised. Construction on the dam is scheduled to begin in the summer of 1987, and be completed in two phases. U.S. Highways 40 and 189 will be rerouted around the reservoir. Main St. mall to house K-Mart? by HEIDI NORTH Record staff writer In a surprise move, Main Street mall owners Randy and Debbi Fields have agreed to sell the mall to Savecorp, the firm which owns K-Mart, K-Mart, Value-Mart, and Supersavers stores nationwide. Although the Fields were quiet on future plans for their building, there is speculation that it will be the new home of Park City's first K-Mart. "Of course, any plans would have to first be OK'd by the Planning Commission and City Council," said Park City Mayor Hal Taylor, "but we're pretty excited about the possibilities." Taylor went on to say as far as he knew, "very few changes would be needed" to move K-Mart into the mall. "The problem is going to be moving existing stores into adequate buildings other than the mall," he noted. Debbi Fields, who owns and runs several stores in the mall including Mrs. Fields Cookies, Spikes restaurant, Jenessa's and Jenny's for the Swingset, agreed finding space would be tough. "But, you can't stop progress," she said. The deal to sell the mall was the end result of weeks of negotiations between city officials and Savecorp, said Fields. "We had to make sure the city was receptive to the idea first," she added. The Fields met three times during February and March with the mayor and Councilman Coun-cilman Jim Doilney, and discussed issues such as increased parking needs and maintaining the Park City "class" with a discount department store on Main Street, said Randy Fields. When the small group "had a pretty pret-ty good handle" on the planning and esthetic issues, the proposal was presented to the entire council March 25 at its regularly scheduled meeting. It was an apparent surprise sur-prise to some. "You can't honestly tell me Park City people are going to shop at a K-mart," said Councilman Tom Shellenberger. "A new market, maybe, but a discount dis-count department store on Main Street? You've got to be kidding," said Councilwoman Ann MacQuoid. Fields assured the council "this is no joke." Doilney described some of the measures the group had discussed discuss-ed to ensure the esthetic appeal of the mall was not lost. "We'll ask them to use wood for the K-Mart sign and to install a short shag carpet," he said. "They've offered sliding glass doors on the first floor, and wood paneling throughout the store." Debbi Fields said the store would carry a "better" line of clothing than most K-Marts, but would offer the traditional full line of inexpensive, inexpen-sive, energy inefficient small appliances, ap-pliances, wood-grained foamboard stereo equipment, a range of plastic, dried and paper flowers, and naturally, blue light specials. Savecorp spokesperson, Phalla Part, said the new store would "try to accommodate the unique Park City Ci-ty customer." Walls between existing ex-isting stores would be left intact, said Part. "We're imagining a series of boutiques inside the store," she said. "You know, stereos in one nook, children's clothes in another. We think that gives it a little cozier feel." When asked how that design differed dif-fered from the existing mall, Part said, "well, naturally we'll be offering offer-ing Park City our fabulous Savecorp prices." Council says yes to selling library to Holy Cross, moving to Resort by HONEY WEST Record staff fabricator Dr. Robert Winsome, head of the Holy Cross Medical Center in Park City, announced last week the three-story three-story library building "might just be ideal" as the new location for Holy Cross. "We've been looking for more space for months now," he said. "We're just literally busting the seams of our present building." There are four doctors, a nurse practitioner prac-titioner and two nurses who share the Holy Cross facility in the Alpha Beta- Skaggs parking lot now. "We can barely all squeeze in there without patients," laughed Winsome. Win-some. The doctors have had their eye on the library building for "quite some time," said Dr. Winsome. And now, with the city trying to cut down on its services, the building just might become available. The doctors have already approached the city council on possibly purchasing it, and have offered over $400,000 should it come up for sale. At the city council meeting March 26, Winsome and other Holy Cross doctors explained their proposal. "We'd like it to be a little closer to the ski areas because that's where most of our emergencies happen," he said. Winsome added that although the building would be heavy, the doctors felt spending the money to move it up near the Park City Ski Area "would be worth it." The doctors envisioned hauling the library building with one, if not two, caterpillar tractors. "We'll take her straight up Park Avenue," said Winsome. Win-some. In response to council questions, Winsome suggested the books from the existing library be housed in the "Bookmobile," a traveling library of sorts which already exists in Summit Sum-mit County. Council members seemed receptive recep-tive to the entrie proposal, and asked several questions about the mechanics of moving the building and whether the doctors would consider con-sider upping their monetary offer for the building. "If you make it more like a half million, it would solve our budgeting problems," noted City Manager Arlene Noble. The meeting ended after an hour of lively discussion with Mayor Hal Taylored wondering "why this all sounded so familiar." n n nrn.7rLn "Best lunch deal in town. " Terry Hogan President, Great Ideas Marketing i i wr I J I II i v LAJ LJLL5ZAAUWO jrr-v- - iT'' TTf r,?v, Cash in on a great meal at a great deal... with quick lunchtime service! Feast on your choice of sandwich and soup, or soup and salad, or sandwich and salad, including beverage! Soups are homemade daily, and our croissant sandwiches are topped with either corned beef, BLT, roast beef, ham, turkey, or tuna! Enjoy "fast" food at its finest! Monday-Saturday from 1 1 :30 a.m.-4 p.m. Park City's Gathering Place Resort Hotel & Conference Center 1800 Park Ave. 649-7000 it's a Boston Clam Chowder & Chili Cookoff it's a it's a it's a for Jennifer on into the (Formerly the Memorial Building) mmmii mm PRODUCTIONS Registration - Rio Grande, 649-9668 or Tom, 649-3472 |