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Show Viewpoints The A-19 Park Record. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, September 15-18, 2018 editorial Big choices line the ballot, so be engaged this election season L guest editorial Treasure, if developed, may present health implications JAMES E. LOCKEY, M.D., AND GRACE LEMASTERS, PH.D. Park City This week we attended an open space bond information session held in Park Meadows. We are residents of Park City and university-based health professionals in the area of health consequences from occupational and environmental exposures. After recognizing the massive amount of rock and soil excavation from an old mining hillside required for constructing the proposed Treasure Hill development, we have serious questions regarding the health implications regarding the intrusion of airborne rock and soil dust over Park City and in particular the Old Town district. Large amounts of airborne dust will be generated through blasting, bulldozing and other heavy equipment operation, and dump truck loading and movement through the city. We heard from The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER ....................... Andy Bernhard Editor ................................... Bubba Brown Staff Writers ......................Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Angelique McNaughton Ben Ramsey Carolyn Webber Alder Contributing ............................. Tom Clyde Writers Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Tom Kelly Joe Lair Copy Editor ............................ James Hoyt Engagement Editor............ Chris Samuels Photographer .........................Tanzi Propst Office Manager ..................... Tiffany Piper Circulation Manager ............. Lacy Brundy Accounting Manager ......... Jennifer Snow ADVERTISING Classifieds/Legals ............. Jennifer Lynch Advertising Director ........... Valerie Spung Advertising Sales ................... Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Lindsay Lane Sharon Bush Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production .......................... Patrick Schulz Wendy Fisher and her colleague that they are estimating hundreds of dump trucks of dirt will be removed over a 4-6 year period amounting to thousands of cubic yards; roughly 12 times the area of a football field. What will be the health impact to Park City residents? It is highly likely that homes, schools and businesses in Park City will be contaminated with construction dust emitted into the air including dust that contains lead, arsenic, other heavy metals and crystalline silica. Of particular concern is lead and the known impact that low level lead exposure can have on the developing nervous system in children. Once this type of environmental contamination occurs including intrusion of harmful dust into buildings, remediation is costly and difficult. We are cautioning the community that if this development does take place, the community and the owners and contractors involved with the Treasure Hill development must be proactive in putting environmental safeguards in place. These safeguards should include establishment of environmental monitoring platforms around the construction site and within buildings to provide baseline and on-going qualitative and quantitative analysis of: airborne dust, dust brought into buildings from clothing and shoes worn outdoors, and through intrusion of outdoor air into home environments. In addition, all dump trucks should be completely covered so the contents do not blow into the surrounding areas, and the trucks should be completely washed down before departure from the construction site. All other vehicles should also be washed down before leaving the construction site. Workers themselves should change out of their work cloths and shower before going home. The construction site will need a dust suppression system in place; water run-off from the site should be monitored and controlled. The Treasure Hill development presents a potential serious environmental health hazard to our community. It is the obligation of the owners and contractors involved with the development and our city officials to completely protect the environmental integrity of our community and the health of our citizens. For the record abor Day has come and gone. The landscape is dotted with vivid fall colors and campaign signs that have sprouted all over Summit County. Election season is here. More than a month remains before voters can begin casting mail-in ballots, but candidates have started making their pitches to residents. The weeks leading up to Election Day are a critical time for voters to pay attention and become informed as they weigh decisions that will shape our county and state. Important races line the ballot. At the top of the ticket, voters will choose between Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Jenny Wilson to replace Orrin Hatch in the U.S. Senate. They’ll also decide whether to send Republican Rep. Rob Bishop back to Washington or instead select one of his challengers, Democrat Lee Castillo or Eric Eliason of the newly formed United Utah Party. In the contests for the Statehouse, residents in Senate District 26 will pick among Republican Ronald Winterton and a pair of Parkites, Democrat Eileen Gallagher and the UUP’s Cathy Callow-Heusser. In House Districts 53 and 54, Republican incumbents Tim Quinn and Logan Wilde are pitted against Park City Democrats Christopher Neville and Meaghan Miller, respectively. And within Park City limits, voters may write the final chapter of the Treasure saga. A $48 million ballot measure will determine the fate of a $64 million conservation agreement City Hall reached with the Treasure partnership. A successful measure would end the land dispute, which dates to the 1980s, while a “no” vote would scuttle the deal and reignite the contentious development talks. Three critical statewide ballot initiatives, addressing Medicaid expansion, medical marijuana and the redistricting process, will also be decided. Unfortunately, there are few contested County Courthouse races — typically some of the most important positions decided in midterm elections — to push people to the polls after the Summit County Republican Party failed to field a nominee for any of the seven open seats. Voters will only decide one race, between incumbent County Councilor Glenn Wright, a Democrat, and independent write-in candidate Josh Mann. Nonetheless, the seats and ballot measures that are up for grabs are more than enough to energize Summit County residents. Before casting ballots, voters should stay current on the issues and attend local campaign events, town halls and forums to hear candidates speak in their own words and press them on topics important to our communities. With everything from a U.S. Senate race to the Treasure bond on the ballot, the decisions we make this fall will have lasting impacts. By engaging in the political process in the weeks before ballots arrive, we can ensure we make the right ones. guest editorial Decades of Treasure point to a ‘yes’ vote MARY WHITESIDES Old Town In the last few days, a few comments have been noted in The Park Record that ask citizens to vote NO to the Open Space Bond. I wonder how deeply involved they have been with these projects? How well informed are they to make these statements? There are a number of 40-year residents who have been engaged with the Treasure Hill project for 30 years and a number of others intensely for the past 10 years. Every avenue has been explored and the open space bond is the best outcome for everyone concerned in the community. Most of us have attended City Council meetings and Planning Commission meetings and educated ourselves about every aspect of the project. We have done our research, expressed ourselves in meetings, written editorials, negotiated and listened to all sides. The research has been comprehensive on all aspects of this project: presentations from soils engineers, International Fire code requirements, explosives, excavation, mine waste mitigation, removal of materials, retaining walls, water conservation, energy analysis. Studies were done on parking, traffic impacts, deliveries, construction equipment, pollutants. The 15 CUP requirements were analyzed, the Historic District considered, style of architecture considered. Tourism and the environment was considered and found that the environment and historic charm take precedent. Real Estate has been evaluated both in Old Town and outlying areas. With a glut on the market all properties suffer from the dilution. It has been a thorough education and we consider ourselves well informed. This project has lasted through three Mayors, many elected City Council members and a number of dedicated volunteer Planning Commissioners. Legal aspects were presented by all concerns. The suggestions made by these naysayers were also explored and deemed untenable. When you consider your vote for this open space project — Treasure Hill and the Armstrong Snow Ranch Pasture — understand that this has come about as the best solution for our community. Consider that most of the major portion of the bond is paid for by retail taxes, tourism, and temporarily setting aside a few projects in addition to our own commitment of approximately $200 per year on property taxes for a few short years. It is a milestone for all opposing entities to come together at the negotiating table and reach a satisfactory conclusion for all concerned and the betterment of the community. Any and all information can be found on the Planning Commission website or by making a visit to the Planning Commission department at the Marsac Building. You can explore for yourself all upfront documents and meetings that have helped in reaching this conclusion as we have done. It not only affects Old Town residents but outlying neighbors. If you don’t see these projects from your house, you will see and experience the traffic of the ongoing excavation and development whenever you come into town on your own or with your guests to visit restaurants, special events, art galleries, parades, plays and concerts. You will be impacted by construction trucks coming into and leaving town on the main roads. Vote YES for the Open Space Bond in support of a rare community that respects the environment and history of Park City. Vote YES to preserve Treasure Hill and protect Armstrong Snow Ranch Pastures. Letters Policy The Park Record welcomes letters to the editor on any subject. We ask that the letters adhere to the following guidelines. They must include the home (street) address and telephone number of the author. No letter will be published under an assumed name. Letters must not contain libelous material. Letters should be no longer than about 300 words (about 600 words for guest editorials) and should, if possible, be typed. We reserve the right to edit letters if they are too long or if they contain statements that are unnecessarily offensive or obscene. Writers are limited to one letter every seven days. Letters thanking event sponsors can list no more than 6 individuals and/or businesses. Send your letter to: editor@parkrecord.com Photos by Chris Samuels Asked at Basin Recreation Fieldhouse Do you agree with the school district buying a home for the superintendent to live in? Emma Garrard Park City “I strongly disagree with that decision. I don’t think it’s justified enough by saying she needs to live in the community. I do think there are a lot of people that we want to encourage to live in the community. Bike mechanics would be one. Teachers are another but not someone that makes $230K a year.” Josh Taylor Jeremy Ranch “Yeah, I do. I think you have to invest to attract top-quality talent. I saw the cost of it, and I think (the price) compared to the average home is fair. I have kids in the school system and I believe in investing on the education system.” Sam Sam Wu Silver Summit “I think that you want to attract a very qualified candidate who will do the job well. So if that’s what it took to attract a qualified candidate, then I’m OK with it. Let’s just see if she does what we hope she will do.” See these photos and more by following The Park Record on Facebook.com/parkrecord and Instagram.com/parkrecord |
