OCR Text |
Show 4 i a PT- - ap rnr'T ' XX Utah Press Assn. I i THT u.' TiT L 307 W 300 Gal t Late G City 'JT 04101-- 1 Jl2 jgjiH Communty Liberty Award page Day page 4 3 ? Thursday, March 21, 2002 Residents input sought on Magna Township issues By DEBBI OLSON Editor The Magna Township was formed as way to give more control to the residents that live in the unincorporated area. "We need more input from the citizens," said Jack Nielsen, vice chairman of the Magna Planning and Zoning Commission. "In order for us to make decisions about our community, we would like to know more about what the people who live here think." The Township Planning Commission will hold an open public meeting combined with the Magna Area Council and the Community Council to discuss the Magna Master Plan Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Union Hall, 2650 South 8950 West. Salt Lake County planners have presented the Township Planning Commission with five different options, none of which the planning commission is comfortable with making a decision on without more input from the community. At the heart of the Master Plan options is whether or not to rezone 7200 West. "This issue has been before the Magna Area Council and County Planning Commission for the past three years and no one has been able to make a firm decision about it yet," said Ron Henline, president of the Area Council. 7200 West is currently zoned residential but has several conditional use permits for businesses. The West Valley City side of 7200 West is zoned residen- - New age of doing laundry Bv DEBBI OLSON Editor Doing the laundry has gone high-tecAt least at the new Plaza 35 laundromat, which features a computer operated payment system that is tied into each washing machine and dryer. 'The new smartcards i allows some opportunities to take care of customers in a way that we couldn't before," said owner Steve Burnett. "If a machine malfunctions we can instantly credit the user and then take care of the prubltins1 firmi the compm er database." The new system also eliminates the need for those wanting to use the laundromat from having to save up loose change or try ta collect a pocketfull of quarters and dimes. '1 can give automatic bonuses on the card and in that way provide better customer service," Burnett said. The smartcard is reusable. Customers of Plaza 35 simply deposit money into the machine, which takes bills up to $20, and the computer adds the amount to the card. The card can then be inserted into washing machines and dryers and the cost of each machine is subtracted from the smart-car- d by the computer database. 'If we need to increase prices, we can do it without having to change each machine," Burnett said. 'We can also increase the prices by just the amount needed instead of having to increase it by a quarter or a dime to meet the needs of traditional laundromat coin machines." In addition to the smart-car- d system, Plaza 35 features 50 washers and 37 h. Editor Several Magna organizations are gearing up for summer events that require months of planning and volunteers to help put everything together. Under the sponsorship of the Magna Area Council and Salt Lake County, organizers of Magna's Fourth of July and Night Out Against Crime events are looking for help from members of the community. 'We're going to have an old Fashioned Fourth of July this year," said Elen Aguilar, chair COPY! Magna needs to continue to create and improve its taxbase in order to secure Magna's future as an incopo-rate- d city someday. "Plans that are being identified right now is for 7200 West to be residential with light industrial and commercial development," Nielsen said. "Citizen's input will be the key to the decision made here." The Township Planning and Zoning Commission will present the five Master Plan options that County Planners have proposed. "There are parts of of some of the plans that we like, but we don't like any of them as a whole," Nielsen said. 'That is why we need more citizen's input." Copper Days loses court battle Bv DEBBI OLSON Editor lawsuit A has resulted in the dismantling f Magna's Copper Days Organization. celebration The long-tim- e the mining heritage honoring of Magna will be replaced by the new Hometown Days Celebration, essentially run by former Copper Days organizers operating under a new name. The change is a result of the recently ruling by Third District Court Judge Noel that holds Copper Days responsible for damages caused to a building at West 2700 South following a fire on Sept. 15, 1999. The Copper Days stage, which sat about a foot from the building caught fire when two juveniles were playing with fire under the stage. The fire from the stage spread to the building's roof causing damage to the building as well as destroying the three-year-o- Patricia, Richie and Anthony Lopez finish a load of blankets at Plaza 35 Laundromat. dryers to meet a variety of laundry needs from doing large loads and quilts to small delicate laundry. 'We have toploaders that of laundry can do 1 up to front loaders that can do of wash." up to front loader The can adequately handle what would typically take six to seven loads of laundry in a typical home top loader machine for a fraction of the cost. The most popular washer at Plaza 35 is the triple front loader that can handle 25 pounds of clothes and is equal to three loads of laundry in a top loader. "The triple loader uses less soap that top loaders and can do three loads of laundry in less than the time it would take to do one load at home," Burnett said. Burnett said that the technology of a front loader also keeps clothes cleaner since soapy water from the first cycle drains out the side of the washer instead of having to go down through the clothes to drain from the bottom the way top loaders work. 'In a top loader, all that dirty water is going back through your clothes when it drains," Burnett said. Plaza 35 also has a water softener so that clothes are not washed in Magna's hard water. Cost of the machines run from $1.50 for a top loader, $3.00 for a triple loader and $5.50 for use of the front loader. Dryers are $.25 for 10 minutes of drying time. Through April, Plaza 35 is offering a 50 percent bonus on smart cards, for every dollar put into the smartcard machine, an additional $.50 will be added to the card. Burnett also plans to give bonuses periodically to regular customers of Plaza 35. The new laundromat, located on 8177 West, 3500 South, is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. It has onsite security cameras and Burnett is typically in the laundromat to help acquaint customers to the new smart card system. 'Whatever the problems are, we're theie to solve them for you," Burnett said. "I want people who come in to be happy and feel comfortable while they are here." Summer festival plans in the works Bv DEBBI OLSON tial. There have been requests made for the 7200 West to be rezoned commercial and light industrial so that it would allow for a used car lot near SR 201 and so that exisiting businessnesses currently operating on 7200 West may continue. The battle lies between bringing more business into a city gateway area or limiting new commercial areas in order to fill in exisiting commercial areas that have an overabundance of vacancies. "We need to concentrait on developing the area that are already designated commercial and fill them in before creating new commercial districts," Henline said. On the other side of the argument, Nielsen said that woman of Special Events for the Area Council. 'It's going to be an all-dfamily affair." What will be missing this carnival year is the week-lon- g that has preceded past July celebrations. "Many people complained that the rides cost too much and that they wanted something that didn't cost an arm and leg that the whole family could enjoy," Aguilar said. The party will begin on July 3 with the annual baby contest and Mr. Magna Contest "Mr. Magna is a tradition in the community ay long-standi- that hasn't been done for a few years," Aguilar said. 'We thought it would be fun to it back again." bring ' The Fourth of July will begin with the annual parade down Main Street beginning at 10 a.m. The parade will be fold lowed by a variety of activities and entertainment that should include face painting relay races, music, dancing and a fireworks show to end the day. 'We're welcoming almost anything and everyone to participate," Aguilar said. 'We also need volunteers and people to family-oriente- help raise funds. The Fourth of July committee will meet on March 27 at 6 30 p.m. a the Library. Anyone who would like to be involved is welcome. On Monday, Aug. 5, neighborhoods throughout Magna are invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the "19th Annual National Night Out" crime and drug prevention event. The celebration will begin at 6 p.m. Those who would like to help may contact Winder at 250-928- ld Copper Days stage. Although the two youth were apprehended and charged and convicted for starting the fire, Tony Vina, owner of the building, filed damages against Copper Days since the stage belonged to the organization. The suit states that the fire resulted in loss of business to Vina and requires that Copper Days pay $68,420 to Vina plus $5,460 in attorney fees and $206 for court costs. "Copper Days does not have any assets to pay that kind of judgement," said board member Norm Fitzgerald. The Copper Days Board of Directors will make a decision next month on whether to appeal the judgement or file for bankruptcy. "The judge said he (Vina) proved that he lost out on his business because he couldn't rent it," said Copper Days President Kip Peterson. "But, he couldn't rent the building before the fire because it didn't meet codes and he couldn't get insurance on it." Peterson said that if Copper Days had been able to afford an attorney it might have been able to win the case. "We didn't have the support from the County that we hoped to have," Peterson said. "The stage sat on County property at the time." The Copper Days Celebration is held for one weekend in August, which is insured by the County during the celebration, but not afterward, despite the stage being a permanent fixture to Copper Days Park that sits just west of the building. "It's sad that a guy from outside our community can come in a destroy a celebration because of what two kids did that had nothing to do with the celebration," Peterson said. "We did everything we could to get out of this judgement.." Copper Days will now live on under the new name of Magna's Hometown Days. 'The only way for Copper Days to be Copper Days is to live with the judgement and let Copper Days die and start a new one," Peterson said. Hometown Days will be held Aug. 10-1- 1 with the annual Golf Tournament on Aug. 9. "Everything will be the same only with a new name," Peterson said. The celebration will include a variety of local entertainment groups performing at Copper Days Park on 2700 South, arts and craft booths along Main Street and the annual 5K run "Were moving ahead and we're on track for this years' celebration," Peterson said. |