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Show PAGE 6 THE ZEPHVRAPRIL 1991 1 the mayor speaks an interview with Tom Stocks Ken Davey conducted an Interview with Mayor Tom Stocks. The Interview for clarity and length. edited been has Zephyr: The city has been talking about planning for veara now. You've had a planning coordinator for more than a year. What more Is going to happen with It? Tom: Planning and masters plans are ongoing. Many of the things that show up In the late 1960s master plan are the things were trying to address now. The flood problem, dealing with the creek. Dealing with signs. Would you believe sign ordinances were In the master plan of the late 60s? Those things have sat there and stagnated for 20, 30 years. Zephyr: So now whats going to happen? Tom: You don't Immediately Install those kind of things overnight Signage Is one that has created a lot of points of Interest from Individuals. There are parts of It they like or dislike. It needs to be brought on by the business people In the community, as well as everyone else. Zephyr: A sign ordinance proposal has gone to the city planning commission. Is view of that particular proposal? If vou had to. how would you vote? vour What Tom: I dont know. The present sign ordinance has some things that there's a lot of concern about, and I dont think you can cram things like that down peoples throat The business community needs to be owners of that sign ordinance. I would probably recommend tabling It for a few months In order to get Input And the petty things should be dropped out of It, those that are Irrational from both sides of the fence. Zephyr: Besides the petty things, what are the malor things In the proposed ordinance that have caused the most concern? Tom: I don't think that theres anything maor that concerns anyone. The major Items are pretty well agreed to by all people. A height restriction, certainly. Look at all the people who have replaced their signs. They brought them down Into compliance without any rule or regulation demanding that be done. The TraveLodge, the Chevron station, all of them are dropping the height of the signs. Its only the old signs, that are 20 years of age, that have a lot of height Every one thats been remodeled, revitalized, has been I brought down, Just because of the discussion of the sign ordinance. So think the like a similar for whats happening. community as a whole has Zephyr: Sort of connected to the sign ordinance, there has been criticism of the city government as Tom: think that Is very erroneous. The old attitude of businesses, In not wanting than you will find on the any competition In the community, was a lot more city council. This council Is totally wanting to see business that Is accepted by the community here. Ive heard the government has stopped this business and that business, but you bring your money In, you have an Idea, well help that business. But dont you come In here trying to ravage and rape the city coffers, because Ill tell you goodbye. And I told that to one gentleman one time. Hes no longer In the city, to my knowledge, hopefully. He got Into criminal charges on the same type of promotional thing. We dont want those people. Come In and help work with us. Zephyr: But there Is a perception held by some residents that the city Is What Is that based on? Tom: I don't know. Whoever they are, they ought to come work with the committees of the city, and they will find that they are totally wrong. I hear them sitting back, and making comments, but I dont hear any of them coming In and discussing It with the council and making those comments. Planning Isnt something new. All of these plans were discussed back In the '60s before any of these council members were Involved. They arent new, they are just bringing up things they wanted years ago, and moving toward a consensus of an organized community growth. Once you broke the bubble of the businesses who tried to stop other businesses coming here, what happened? City Market came, McDonalds came, Subway Sandwiches came, the Rio has opened up, Eddie McStlffs Is open, the Poplar Place. Who are these people talking? Who Is saying that we are against business? I dont know. If you are talking mining and uranium, the price dictates when you get back Into minerals. Its not Individuals, and It has nothing to do with Moab City. Zephyr: Connected to that, with new businesses coming in. do we have a problem of that growth being uncontrolled? Is there any danger that the things that have kept people here all their lives, that have drawn other people to live here, could be damaged bv uncontrolled growth? Tom: I dont see any uncontrolled growth. What are you referring to? Zephyr: Well, there are no height restrictions on buildings here. anti-busine- ss. I anti-busin- ess anti-busine- ss. CEDAR BREAKS CONDOS Center & 4th East Moab. Utah 84532 that are to my we Is a Minute have The offensive. even are largest thing knowledge uncontrolled, that on Main Street Lube, that's required because of the equipment Thats the highest building I don't see uncontrolled but growth. are any theorizing, People Even the plans for the church orchard. Those people want to blend In with the city. They are tickled to death that we are doing what we are. They wanted more restrictions, they didn't want our 2 commercial zone, which Is a blend of commercial and residential. They wanted to further restrict it, on their own, and so did the residents down there. The problem with "skyscraper buildings we have no transportation Into Moab. There Is no commercial, the airlines dont come through, the train doesnt come through, we have no bus service. What would entice you, or anyone else, to put up a skyscraper? Its an unfounded fear. Zephyr: On the church orchard. Its countv land Inside the city. Why didnt Moab annex that land right away? Tom: My feeling Is you dont force annexation. People who Invest In property, If they want to be annexed, will annex. Zephyr: But suppose this development doesnt get off the ground. If the countv changes the zoning to commercial. It opens It up to a lot of uses that would otherwise be on Main Street and people living In that area suddenly find their neighborhood changed without the city having done anything? Tom: That's something that could have happened for the last 25 years. Its been theres there, nothing new. My understanding Is, after talking to people Involved with this new development I understood they were going to drop the request of the county to rezone, and just do that with the city, after the land becomes part of the city. The city does have the right to control within half a mile of the city limits, and that would encompass the entire property. The residents should have no more fears than they have had for the past 25 years. Zephyr: The rumors about other things coming Into town. Which ones are true? ry What about the hotel on the site of the Canvonlands Motel? Tom: Who Is supposed to be putting up the money? Zephyr: Stories around town say either Hilton or Holiday Inn. Tom: That's easy to confirm. I have talked In the past with the office of Hilton out of California, years ago. They told me that there were factors that govern where a Hilton goes. Percent of rooms filled, and the rate. I dont see either In place now to satisfy what they wanted 8 or 9 years ago. Zephyr: But vou come down to Moab In May or June and vou pay more than In some of the big hotels In Salt Lake Cltv. Tom: What about last month? November through March, 5 months of the year, the fill Isnt up and the rate Isnt up. Whoever Is starting that rumor ought to talk with Hilton. And you can call, I think, Kansas City, for Holiday Inn. Ive talked with them also, but that was even longer ago. Zephyr: Whats going to happen then at the Canvonlands Motel? Tom: I know theres a feasibility study thats been done, and there's a consideration of 75 units there, but theres no building permit Issued to my knowledge. Zephyr: So 75 units would not be a multi-sto- ry building. Tom: If you only had a few rooms on a floor, maybe. Land Is not that expensive In Moab to make multi-sto- ry buildings. You have to have Are protection, you have to have pumps to take the water up for showers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and you have to run an elevator. Theres just too many factors Involved. When land Is expensive you consider multi-sto- ry buildings. But there's too much land In the county for that Whoever Is giving you those rumors is totally off base, and ought to understand financing better. Zephyr: Another rumor: Walmart has already decided to move Into Moab. Tom: I called Walmart about 6 months ago, and they had not made that consideration. They opened a store In Vernal In 1991. are one of the fastest growing They companies, but when the Kuwaiti war came, I understand they pulled In their horns a bit Maybe the decision has been made, but I have no Idea. Have they bought the land? Zephyr: The rumor Is they have an option on It Tom: Well, Id like to see It transferred at the Recorder's office, then Ill confirm those. Zephyr: Golf course development. Where Is the state of that? war was a conslderatlon, to wait That was T0- by the last developer, the Sierra Delta Corporation out of Las Vegas. I need to get back to them. To my knowledge, there has been no forward movement In that Zephyr: Any other Interest In that property out thorn? Tom. There s a lot of Interest, but I don't see any cash money being put up. I have Tom: There are no building permits asking for tall buildings, C-- six-sto- CEDAR BREAKS CONDOS offer a vacation home away from home, for one night or more. 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