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Show I UMMIT 50 ' Vol. Friday, December 24, 1999 68 No. 52 Coalville, Utah 84017 County Budget Merry Christmas Joy And Peace in the New Year! Proposal Discussed PAMELA ROBBINS Bre Editor The Summit County Commissioners met with individual department heads. County Auditor Blake Frasier, and interested residents who attended Monday evenings meeting in preparation for the upcoming 20(X) year budget. Some department requests were met while others were tabled for yet another future wish session". The projected budget includes the following totals: SI 1,366.000.00 from taxes. SI.IS7,(XX).(X) in licensing and permits. S2.394.000.00 for 00, Fines-S- 5 1 2.000.00 Intergovernmental income, Miscellaneous-$266,(XX).00 and $18,791,273.00. One of the main changes in the works is the fact that there w ill be no dollars going into an established taxability fund, into which approximately $300,(KX).00 to $400,000.00 goes each year. The change was made tax and to make sure there partly because of the loss' of the would be no tax increase for the residents of the County. Employee raises took a loss from their requested amount in that they will receive a 1 cost of living raise and a 3 merit increase if they meet the established requirements. The building department will see one new inspector that will be used mostly by The Canyons project and funded by the project. An additional inspector will not be joining the team, as it was felt there was not enough permits being issued to grant the request. The Summit County Sheriffs Dept, will be growing to include two new deputies in the department, although they requested three. In the health department, one person will soon be moving to the position of Assistant Director. One more environmental specialist will be hired as well. Also, a full time nurse will be hired mid year. Summit County Animal Control will be moving one of their pan time staff to a full time employ ee, instead of getting the two requested. Fces-$2.443.0- asps fly-ov- er EOUiLAYQRKS 1TPAIE Little Cason Judd communicates his Christmas Thoughts to Santa. Yes, Santa I really do believe in you." Happy Holidays from the Summit County Bee. Planning Commission Recommends Rczone For Promontory BY JAN ROWLEY Kama Cormpumlefll Amidst the controversy, the questions, the lingering concerns, and the pressure to make a decision by the end of the year, the Eastern Summit Planning County Commission voted to positively recommend rezoning the 6500 acres previously known as The However, the commissioners were pushed to make a decision before the end of the year and choose what seems to be the lesser Star Point Ranch, to accommodate Promontory, The vote was 6 to I at the planning commission meeting held Tuesday, December 20. The Summit County Board of County Commissioners will con- of sider the planning commissions ject, recommendations and are expected to make a decision at their December 27th meeting. Planning Commissioners felt that Promontory, the proposed 6500-acr-e resort golf community, located east of interstate 40 and north of 248, was a better alternative than Star Point Ranch's potential 2700 units, which has had the county involved in a legal battle for several years. While they agreed that Promontory was more consistent than Star Point, a number of commissioners had a tough time saying it actually was consistent with their general plan. In order to authenticate thei( rezone approval, legal counsel for the county suggested the planning commission adopt a motion stating the development was consistent with their general plan, or change their general plan to include 2nd home' communities. This project is bringing us closer to the outline-o- f the general plan, but 1 cant say is it consistent with it it's not," said Commissioner Frankie Commissioner Donaldson said, We need to protect the small rural character of the area. This project scares me. 1 am worried about the future for our kids. Lewis Marchant. 4 of The first motion failed the 7 commissioners were unable to say Promontory was consistent with the objectives of their general plan. Their inability to do this would have invalidated their rezoning recommendation. However, after some discussion, and clarification the second motion passed 3-- 2. Commissioner Marchant, who voted against the rezone, said Three words of our code jump out at me every time I look at this and small town character. they are Anyway you look at it, this development doesn't fit." evils. two Although Promontory, with its 885 2nd home residential units, 790 bonus units, up to 5 golf courses, equestrian center, 2- - 90 unit hotels and 120 cottages seems like a massive pro- it seems better is and less than Commissioners want to make sure the project becomes the second home project the developers say it w ill. The impact on the county will be less. Commissioner Arlin Ovard stated, This project was sold to us as a 2nd home community and that needs to be the way it stays. If it becomes something different, we all have problems. In trying to keep the econd home focus. Commissioners discussed the 25 primary and 75 secondary makeup of the project. They felt 25 primary homes was too high a ' percentage. Doug Gearry pro- said, The We are the Star Point tectors of twenty five percent split Summit means 418 Ranch's potential 2 7 0 0 primary units. In his County of the benefits. Commissioner Earl McNeil pro- ject, prior to the on vote the rezoning. Commissioner Earl McNeil said. We are the protectors of Summit County. Although we'd like to lock the gate and not let anyone else in we can't. Eastern Summit County is part of America and property owners have the right to develop their land. McNeil also suggested cutting back the size of the project. Density is a big concern, he said. He suggested 1 unit per 10 acre, tv 1300 units might be more appro- priate. Doug Dotson, Planning Director had identified 260 units he felt might not fit because of their location near ridgclines and in view sheds. It was agreed that the 790 bonus units should be conditioned on the developer meeting a number of requirements, including proving the project is a 2nd home commu- nity. complying with all global principles, showing adequate community benefit, just to name a few. Blazzard said, There have to be considerable benefits to the community to allow for those bonus units. So far 1 have not seen any POOR COPY t units. This will have huge agricultural protection program. Commissioner Geary called rental's proposal, "too little too late. He said, that figures out to be about just $400 acre. I'd like to see it more like SlOtX) per acre and collected at the time of Platt approval, not the building permit." Affordable housing was another hot topic. Commissioner McNeil discussed the economics of the situation. It's all about supply and demand" he said. Limiting the number of homes available drives the price up and it seems to have a cascading etfect. Affordable housing is not a benefit, it's a responsibility. Id like my kids anJ grand kids to be able to afford to live here." Commission Chairman Tom Brown said. "Affordable housing of the a above and beyond the needs impact. project is a huge benefit to the I'm more comfortable with 15, which would be 200 primary homes." Rich Sonntag. General Manager of the Promontory project said they had mitigated the impact if the development does go primary. "I'm not comfortable with less than 25," he said. Eastern Planning Commissioners handed the final decision on the percentage allowed for primary residences, to the County Commissioners by recommending a range of Commissioners also discussed the appropriate amount for a con15-2- 5. version fee, which would be assessed to mitigate the impact of converting a secondary home to a primary one.. The original number of $I0,(NK) seemed low to many of the commissioners. Convening the homes to primary residences will have a great impact on the community, and they wanted to make sure the money was there to cover that. Although they discussed as much as $50.(HH)-- $ 00.0(H). alter much debate, the commissioners agreed to give the County Commissioners another range of $10.(XX)-$20.(XX-) assessed per unit, for the conver 1 sion fee. Agricultural preservation was another important pan of the equation. Pivotal had offered to pay $I5(X) per unit at the lime of the building permit application for an county Brown also said he was very worried about water. Just as when there is no more land, when there is no more water, there is no more water. Two of the most valuable things we have are land and water. There is no comparable value. Countless issues have been raised about the Promontory project over the last few months. They were all crammed into a short unHuint of lime at Tuesday's meeting. It was nearing its 5th hour, before the motion- on the reoning were made and passed. Once the reoning was approved and the meeting came to a - close Commissioner Blazard said. "I dont want to be pushed like that again. Now, we've done the igoning. I want to be able to take my lime with the rest of this project. Several other Eastern Summit County Planning Commissioners wholeheartedly agreed. With the County Commissioners feeling that salt placed on the roads was contributing to the ground water contamination, they made a decision several months ago to lessen the salt in the combination used for clearing the roads during the w inter season. According to Public Works director. LaMar Richins. the new mix is 50 salt and 50 Utelite (sand base), which is a big change from the mostly salt mix previously used. It takes longer to melt the road surface, but the public works employees are continuing their efforts to make the highways as safe as possible for the residents" said Richins. Several residents have been calling in to voice their concern about the new situation facing them, feeling that the change is sure to cause additional accidents on the roads. , iVASTLOBiTKACI The Commission Board, BF1 representatives. Public Works representatives and legal advisors met on Monday to go over the Solid Waste Ordinance Draft w hich lists the proposed regulations for the contract With over half of the new 90 gallon containers out on the street, residents are starting to voice some complaints over them, which, according to BFI representative Brad Mertz is the normal'' response for new situations. "We had the same response when we began in Sandy City and we are now listed in the top three response carriers next to fire and ambulance scrv ice. We expect the same thing here, and by next year. LaMar will be looking like a hero" said Mertz. L- - Y2K Emergency Preparedness BY AI. CTXiPER SpcculTolhc Bee As the official advent of the 21st Century draws near and the dreaded "Y2K" hour approaches. Summit County residents can rest assured that members of the emergency response community are well prepared for the midnight "rollover'. For many months. County Emergency agencies have been anticipating and rehearsing for eventualities which most now agree are unlikely to occur. At the center of Summit County's Y2K planning has been the establishment of an Emergency Operations Center (PCX') in the new Justice Center, where a unified approach to Public Safety Command and Communications has been developed and practiced. Beginning on IVccmbcr 31 and continuing into the new year, the EOC will be staffed around the clock by representatives of law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services. Red Cross, emergency management, utilities, and private industry. Situated side by side with the county dispatch and comd munications center, and backed up by emergency generators, the facility will have the ability to respond quickly to a wide range of possible emergencies arising from even the most unlikely system failures. Please do not pick up your phone and dial 91 1 just to see if it's working. It is. even more than ordinarily, important that these emergency lines be protected for real emergencies." For emergency information call 336-3664 or The Summit County Emergency Operations Center will be online and in communication with State and Federal agencies throughout the rollover period, and will constantly-exchanginbe information with other emergency man- - )jf agers around the country. diesel-powere- 336-366- 615-366- 615-366- 5. |