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Show Utah V, t Developer Proposes Limited Landscaping i Planners Reject WEST VALLEY. Developer Mike Olsen said his company eliminated some landscaping from a proposed condominium project so that additional less expensive units could be built. He couldnt have said anything worse to a City Planning Commission which stresses the need for more landscaping in the city. As a result, MMS Associates apcondominium plication for a project at 4400 W. 3600 South was denied here Thursday by a 1 vote. Minutes earlier, the commission it 5-- also rejected a request for two fourplexes at 1555 W. 3300 South. While there were few similarities between the two projects, in general both were viewed by planners as and poorly planned. MMS was seeking approval for a condominium project which would serve as an extension of the now bankrupt Westhampton planned unit development (PUD). Westhampton, which fronts on 3500 South, amounted to only three fourplexes before the developers went bankrupt. MMS planned to Next School Year Condominium Bid 90-un- it branch off from that start and to turn east to 4400 West, forming an development, said staff member Craig Hinckley. GRANITE PARK. A budget that is terms of is being increased spending scrutinized by the Granite Board of Education. A public hearing on the document w'ill be conducted on June 7. However, the Granite Education Assn, wasted little time in firing the first salvo, charging that the district is far too conservative in its revenue estimates. The combined district budgets, which total $173,233,002, represent an increase of 13.94 percent over last year. However, the maintenance and operations budget of $124,657,486 has only a 2.78 percent increase. In the total budget, the larger increase is represented by a hike in the school lunch budget and in tort liability. It is the M&O budget that will come under greatest scrutiny. Therein are such items as salaries and utilities, indeed most of the costs of operating the district. Built into the budget is a salary increase that district officials said will e pay ingrant 2.45 percent crease to most employes - that 28 Pages UTAH d Reed Call in his budget message. No mill levy increase is proposed beyond a fractional amount mandated in the capital improvement area by the state equalization formula. Granite Education Assn, executive director Robert Pierce, while admitting that the State Legislature is largely to blame for the austerity of the budget because it failed to increase the value of the weighted pupil unit, used some historical figures to base his charge that the revenue estimates are too conservative. He suggested there might be as much as $9 million available. Dr. Call responded that when there is a surplus, it is, by law, built in to the next years budget largely in the form of salary and benefits. He added that he did not feel the district could continue to count on high interest rates inflating its revenues. Chief budget officer David Garrett said that he feels the GEA figures contain some inflated percentages and noted that in those years that income exceeded projections, expenditures were also higher. He said the state has used an inflated projection in forecasting ; Of student growth Granites availablestate dollars. I , wish I felt there was $9 million more to work with. But I dont know where it would come from, Garrett concluded. In his remarks, Pierce issued a veiled strike threat, suggesting that failure to fund adequate increases for teachers could force them into action they do not wish to take. In other action, the board heard a report concerning expense of a possible move of its media center and related services into empty classrooms. The bottom line was close to a $200,000 expense and the majority by a 2 vote vetoed further investigation of that issue at this time. The board also heard a report on the districts drug and alcohol prevention program and voted unanimously to support aggressive pursuit of upgrading the program with new monies that are expected to flow into the district. Also approved were school starting times for the coming year . resulting from experience increments for those who qualify and Evaluation West Side Is Chamber Topic Today TAYLORSVILLE. An evaluation of the west side of the valley and speculation on where it is headed will be presented during a meeting of the West Valley Area Chamber of Commerce today (Thursday). Addressing the Chamber membership will be Dr. Richard Lindsay, former director of the University of Utahs Bureau of Community De- 4-- and direc- tor of Special Affairs for the LDS church. The luncheon session will be held 4150 So. Redat the wood Road, according to Dave Harvey, Chamber president. The West Side of the Valley in the Eighties - Growth, Governance, Greatness is the topic of the talk to be presented by Dr. Lindsay. In addition to dealing with commerical and residential growth, the talk will delve into the various possibilities for governmental change, as well as how the quality of life has changed and how it might be affected with future changes. Dr. Lindsay, a longtime resident of Taylorsville has served in both the Utah House and Senate. He has held several administrative positions at the state level during the past two decades, including Utah commissioner of finance and director of the Utah Division of Family Services. The former Taylorsville Lions club president and LDS ward bishop is currently president of Taylorsville Central stake. He holds a doctorate in political science and management from the University of Utah. a, Info Sought On Early West Valley Settlers VALLEY. A number of Mormon pioneers crossed the Jordan River and settled in the West Valley area during the 1860s. A history committee assembled by West Valley City knows the names of several of the early settlers, but not much else. The committee hopes there are people who might be able to provide background information on them, according to committee coordinator John Janson. The settlers were David Morrow, Abraham Sorensen, Arthur Gardner, Andrew Severson, Eli Curtis, Peter Myers, Fred Thompson, James May, Andrew Smith and Lars Jensen. WEST here's a point Columnists should never be trusted. You cant tell whether theyre serious or jesting. Not even if they designate one or the other. We were idly pumping gas into station the car at a the other day, silently mumbling self-servi- obscenities sud- about the den zoom in fuel prices, when the conversation between two adjacent patrons became decipherable. One was saying he wondered if some sinister force had taken over the weather. He pointed out that the Philippines were drouth-strickewhile Utah has so much water no one knows what to do with it. n, V. - Saf-for- THE VOICE OF WEST VALIEV CITY past two years. We must give that area some serious attention this year, said Superintendent John take-hom- Chuck-A-Ram- -- the submitted site plan was sketchy, watci lines were inadequate and that a flood control plan would be required. Neighbor Morgan Lund, 1525 W. 3300 South, argued that the area would ultimately be developed commercially or industrially and that building fourplexes would be a waste of money. The worst thing I can see about a community is to ask people to put money into it and then let it go to pot, he said. Opposition from another viewpoint was expressed by Ruthann who lives on the other side of the property. She said the additional units would create parking and water problems and would have a detrimental impact on her familys lifestyle. The commission denied the apMember plication unanimously. Keith Sorensen said the concept was poor, the plan weak, the development premature and utility service inadequate. spending cuts over the - velopment currently two-stor- y family dwellings. If you approve this, he charged, youll continue to do what the County Planning Commission did in making the west side a dumping ground for high density housing Budd Rich cast the lone vote against denial. He said he did not like the plan, but that he preferred a continuance to let the developer eliminate problem areas. Right now, the location is an eyesore, Rich said. If it (the plan) could be revised, great, he added The Redwood proposal involved only eight units. But it, too, was viewed unfavorably by the staff and encountered opposition from adjacent property owners. Staff member Kevin Hooper said lAWTWeij from the district picking up the employes share of contributions to the state retirement system. There will be greater emphasis on textbooks, an area where the district has focused many of the governor-mandate- with mon- thly payments and utility bills, Olsen said. That was the wrong argument to use with the Planning Commission. The board has emphasized repeatedly the need for more landscaping. In the master plan being prepared by the commission, improving the appearance of the city (in part through landscaping) has been a recurrent theme. The plan also drew fire from adjacent residents. Karla Sorbe, 3591 So. 4400 West, objected to the height of the buildings and contended the development would create traffic and parking problems. Her father, Victor, said he did not want to be surrounded by multiple Two Sections In Spending by all accounts austere in Theyre more concerned The new plan would have increas-th- e density of the project by 19 units, an increase which Olsen said would make the units available to people who cannot afford to buy property because of the weak economy and high interest rates. To help lower the cost to potential buyers, MMS would focus its attention on making the buildings energy-efficien- t. Eliminating costly landscaping would reduce expenses, he added. Were not landscape contractors, were developers. People wont be interested in how pretty it is. Slight Increase Is Seen ' State friss 67 A3st 30 South Salt Lake City, Utah CVlll USPS 656 380 Published weekly at 155 E. 4905 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84107 Second class postage paid at Sait Lake City, UT 84119 Subscnp tionrale $12 00 per year POSTMASTER: Send address changes to West Valley View, Bo 7187, Salt Lake City, UT 84107. Volume 29, Number Effective July Thursday, May 18 1 All 19, 1983 departments 262 6682 Keith Hess Woody Clatyon Sales Tax Increase Okayed WEST VALLEY. Sales tax will go up to 54 percent here on July 1. The City Council assured that when it voted 1 here Thursday to matincrease its share by increase which the ching a state will put into effect that day. Only two residents attended the hearing. One man said he had no opposition if it was in the best interests of the city to approve the increase. West With the additional Valley and other local governments cent on each now will receive dollar spent for retail sales. The states share will go up from 4 to 41 s cents. The Utah Transit Authority will continue to receive West Valley will receive about from the tax incrase, the t $330,000 mills in the proequivalent about perty tax, according to City Finance Director Russ Sanderson. That figure is less than the $450,000 estimate of the Utah Foundation (cited in last weeks issue of the Green Sheet). The foundations total was based on calendar year 1984 instead of the fiscal year, which begins July 1. Growth and inflation during the period would account for the difference, Sanderson indicated. City Manager John Newman said West Valleys income from the sales tax will be even larger in fiscal year 1984-8- 5 as the sales tax redistribution formula moves closer to a 0 split (50 percent according to 50 percent according to population). 6-- nt -- six-mon- th 50-5- point-of-sal- North Of 2100- But over the five-yea- r period in which the new formula goes into effect, West Valley will receive an almost negligible increase, roughly $30,000, he added. Thats because the city's surplus will be placed in a statewide pot and redistributed to bedroom communities without solid tax bases. The State Legislature approved the sales tax increase as part of a revised distribution formula which had been a point of contention between the states cities for a number of years. West Valley is the second city to approve the tax increase, although a large majority of the states cities and counties are expected to do so. The night before, South Salt Lake, which does not' stahd to gam anything from the increase because of the redistribution formula, approved the increase. Murray, which also will not realize additional income, is holding a hearing on the issue on Tuesday. Only Councilman Larry Bunkall, an employe of the Utah Retail Grocers Assn., voted against the sales tax increase. Bunkall read a letter from Sen. Bill Barton, a West Valley resident, that said the legislature did not intend for cities to realize a revenue 2700 West Corner increase from the sales tax hike. Instead, cities were supposed to reduce their property taxes a proportionate amount, Bunkall quoted Barton as saying. Im of a like opinion, he said, adding now is not the time for a tax increase. Newman said his 1983-8budget, which will be the subject of a public hearing next Thursday (May 26), was developed with the idea that the council .vould approve the tax. He i.ad no reason to believe the council would reject the increase, basing his belief on the support the council had shown in December when he asked for their permission to explain the financial impact of the . ic-itnbution plan to other cities and to promote its acceptance. Theoretically, if the council had rejected the increase (a moot point now because of the vote), it would have faced a choice in balancing the budget: either raise the 9.95 property tax mill levy by about 1.5 mills, or cut expenses by $350,000. Cutting expenses probably would have resulted in the elimination of a street or storm drain project, Newman said. He indicated he didnt feel that would have been a wise choice and that he didnt think the council would have done it. 4 - e, - Bids Opened For Work On Highway SALT LAKE. Bids were opened Friday to pave the first phase of West Valley Highway between Salt Lake City International Airport and 2100 South. An apparent low bid of slightly more than $1 million was submitted by Kiewit Western of Murray, said County Public Works Director Don Spencer. The contract should be awarded within the next week, with work scheduled to start in June, he added. The highway, located about 4000 West, will be a direct link between the airport and and is expected to provide a major impetus to industrial development in the area. id Draws Criticisms WEST VALLEY. The question of what to do with the northwest corner of 2700 W. 4100 South surfaced again Thursday before the City Planning Commission. Neil and Susan Lund submitted an application for commercial (C-l- ) corner parcel, zoning on a half-acr- e stating that Southland Corporation was interested in placing a with gasoline pumps there. The Lunds previously obtained R-zoning for a day care center on a larger parcel which extends from 4100 to about 3980 South below the North Jordan Canal. Lund told the commission he was having difficulty obtaining financing to build the day care center because lenders felt he needed a commercial anchor on the corner to reduce overall costs. The proposal was not received favorably by area residents. The planning staff also cited several problems with the proposal. Planner Jared Campbell said the 1 corner was not conducive to a 1 since the intersection of 4100 So. 2700 West has one of the citys highest accident rates. There is a particular problem with access onto 4100 South, which narrows into one lane just west of the intersection, he noted. Campbell also said the property d was not for a convenience store. Joyce Bangerter, 4069 Montaia Dr., said area residents compromised earlier when they agreed to R-zoning on the overall parcel. Residents recognize the corner isnt suited for single family homes, but they dont want commercial there either, she said. She and a neighbor Sue Hardy are popular argued that hangouts for kids. Mrs. Bangerter further contended that commercial zoning would depreciate the value of adjacent homes. She added that outlets are enough commercial available in the general vicinity well-suite- By District - Principal Changes Announced GRANITE PARK. Two Green Sheet area high schools will have new principals next fall. Keith Hess, who has been principal at Cyprus the past six years, will move to Granite high where Dr. John Larsen, who has accepted an LDS mission call, has served the past three years. Taking over the top post at Cyprus will be Dr. Elwood (Woody) Clayton, currently principal at Kearns junior high. The post at Kearns junior has yet to be filled. Elementary schools that will have new principals include Oquirrh Hills, Taylorsville, William Penn, Oakridge and Jackling. In its annual administrative shuffle, the district moved William Anderson from Jackling to Oquirrh Hills, where Nancy Lunnen has asked to return to a classroom teacher assignment. The new Jackling principal will be Dr. Joan Neilson, who is currently a counselor at Kearns high and who has been acting principal at Libbie Edward, among other administrative assignments. Richard Davis is being transferred from William Penn to Oakridge to replace Varon Howell who is moving to Taylorsville elementary. Milton Johnson is retiring at Taylorsville. The William Penn assignment will be handled at a later meeting. Larry Petersen, a teacher at Meadow Moor, will become assistant principal at the expanded Fox Hills school, which has an added campus and 1,400 students. '' First Caller Buys! I was very pleased with th response from the Green Sheet war ad. The first person who calle bought it. Mrs. D. L. Purser, 7285 Zana Lane relating what happened when she us ed a classified ad in Utahs mos widely circulated weekly news WOODEN rocking baby cradlo. ls papers. The Magna lady found, a: most Green Sheet advertisers do that results are quick - and cost: inexpensive. 2 to place your ad Dial 262-668- by Jim Cornwell His companion agreed, observing that it was ridiculous for an ordinarily wet country like the Philippines to be suffering from lack of moisture while a normally dry state like Utah was getting so much rain and snow that all storage facilities are overtaxed. And you know, he continued, youre right about our weather being controlled. I read ail about it a few years ago. read about it? Where? It was on the front page of the You Green Sheet. That fella Cromwell or Cornwall or somethin like that wrote it. He said the Russians had figured out how to control our weather. That was when we kept having snowstorms one after another one winter - five or six years ago. He said, the man continued, That he knew about it because he had a friend who cleaned of fices in Washington and this guy had found a confidential memo in a wastebasket about what the Russians were up to. You didnt believe that, did you? queried the man at the next pump. You bet! Theres a law that newspapers can 4 print something unless its the truth. Naw - theres no such law. How could they print all those lies the politicians tell if the law said they had to print nothing but the truth? I never thought of that. I always believed what I read. Wonder if he really wasnt telling the truth? We didnt wait to hear the outcome. Our tank filled, we paid the bill and drove away. Even tucked the collar on our coat up around our face walking to the car. May in Utah is pretty cold, yknow. Oh, well - thats not the reason we did it. Anybody who reads us that diligently might remember our picture. And just as hes learning were not prohibited by law from writing untrue things is no time to have him recognize us. Unfortunately, what he was talking about we remember quite vividly. It was one of those flights of fancy. of fancy and flim-flacome so close together in Funk & Flight m Wagnall that you hafta believe theres some relationship. We did engage in this distortion of fact it was about as true as Greek mythology. It was pure hokum. We have no janitor friends in Washington and even if we did the chance of one of em finding a confidential memo in a wastebasket is both slim and fat. But we mustve been convincing. Not only did the man in the gas station believe what he read, but so did a lady whose identity we never did learn. She took it for Gospel. So much so, in fact, that she telephoned Bob Welti, the Channel 5 weather prognosticator, and p how related to him the Ruskies were destroying our weather pattern through some nefarious plan that was either going to freeze us to death or bury us in snowdrifts akin to the Ice He denied that. Then he called us a crackpot. It seemed like he smiled as he said it. step-by-ste- Age. Good newsman that he is, Bob didnt dismiss the ladys tale as the product of some crackpot with a typewriter. He called and asked us about it. Upon hearing our affirmation that it was pure nonsense, he called us a crackpot. No he didnt - not til we asked him if it was true that the chance of rain predictions he gives us at 10 p.m. are determined in this manner: Ten members of the station personnel are randomly interviewed. If three think its going to rain, thats the 30 Bob reports on his chance weathercast. Heck, it was all in fun. And no, dont always tell the truth in this column. Elsewhere in the paper we do. We never knowingly permit a falsehood in the news or editorial columns. But here at the bottom of page one, anything goes. But folks shouldnt take us seriously. The next time we stopped for gas, we were being deluged with cold rain. The attendant, we scanning the moisture-lade- n clouds hovering over us, said, There was a guy in the station the other day that said the Rus- sians are controlling our weather. You didnt believe him, did you? we asked. You bet - he said he read it in the newspaper and the law says -- newspapers cant report anything that isnt the truth. J |