Ogden Valley News | 2005-07-01 | Page 3

Volume XII THE Issue XI OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 3 July 1, 2005 Editor’ s View Current Recreational Element of General Plan Biased— Fails to provide information for alternative solutions to growth management in Ogden Valley 2 the supposedly “Recreational” plan has turned, primarily, into a growth management effort, specifically geared toward directing future dollars toward already established recreational communities to enhance economic profits. While the idea and effort of adopting a better alternative than currently exists to handle inevitable growth in Ogden Valley to minimize social, environmental, economic, and aesthetic impacts may be desirable and worthwhile, why is this effort being disguised as a “Recreational” plan? And one should consider why growth management has become the primary focus instead of the relevant matters related to resort and recreational development. If growth management has become the real issue, then consultants BIO-WEST have failed to educate and present to the public all the current options or tools available to our community in a manner that residents can understand and openly debate the merits of. tool in any planner’s growth management toolkit is the option of a TDR program—or growth management and control through the Transfer of Development Rights. While only one of many options, this is the tool that is being highly publicized and recommended at recent public hearings addressing the Recreation element of the Ogden Valley General Plan currently being developed. About the only linkage I’m finding between the emphasis on growth management through the use of TDRs being pandered, and the original intent of developing a Recreation Plan is the maps that have been generated by consultants showing receiving areas for development within these current commercial recreation areas of the Valley— ironically in the most sensitive areas of all— on top of Powder Mountain, which Forest Service and Natural Resource Conservation Service officials have frowned on due to multiple conservation concerns associated with watershed and wildlife habitat—to name only a few; the Wolf Creek area, which state officials recommend be protected from development because of the area’s importance as noted and mapped by the state of Utah as a prime aquifer recharge area; and Snowbasin, a another prime watershed and wildlife habitat area. As residents of Weber County and its leaders consider the adopt “Recreation” element to the Oigdeti Valley Master Plan, there are several following points I hope will be kept in min More and more, the importance of looking beyond small myopic and isolated concerns is being acknowledged. No longer is it rational or effective to look exclusively at manmade boundaries drawn on maps. Fo: example, watersheds, transportation corridors, wildlife corridors, smog and pollution, and other health and safety issues are rarely, if ever, confined to these arbitrary borders. Thus, when considering growth management in Ogden Valley, shouldn’t the broader context of Weber County be considered? As a mountain valley vital to Weber County’s water supply and current and future recreational opportunities, and the Valley’s limitations on development defined by inadequate transportation and capital infrastructure necessary for high density growth, why isn’t downzoning being considered as a means of protecting these assets for the health and safety of the community? Why aren’t sending areas being considered west of the Wasatch Front—even within Ogden City 5 For months now, Ogden Valley Residents, “stake holders,” county administrators, planning staff, and consultants have working on trying to complete a final revision of the Ogden Valley General Plan Recreation Element for eventual adoption by our Weber which has been dying a slow and agonizing death as infighting between the county and the city lingers on. Wouldn’t it make more sense to develop a win-win partnership to bring growth and development back to Ogden where it belongs, and where the infrastructure is already developed while at the same time protecting and maintaining the assets vital to its future success—a clean water supply, and continued quality backyard recreational opportunities. When maps showing growth projections under current zoning were shown to an audience of about 100 Ogden Valley = attending the public hearing on Jun the Ogden Valley Library, a ealleatie aM audible outcry reverberated throughout the auditorium, and individual public comments were unanimously made against the outcome possible and probable under current zoning. While TDRs may alleviate some future problems and the ugly scenario attendees witnessed as they gazed at maps outlining this growth, there are no guarantees that the implementation process will succeed or endure the rigorous, highly ed =a costly process of adoptinga TDR p While TDR programs are often highly t‘puted as an effective method of preserving farmland, open space, and natural resources, the reality is, according to a study by Ohio State University, they are usually only successful in urban areas; there are only a few successful TDR programs in rural areas. And remember, developing a TDR program involves the distribution of development rights that equates to the distribution of wealth, and the distribution of formulas that raise equity issues at least as severe as those involved in rezoning an wnzoning. According to the Ohio state study, “TDR For more information, contact travel agent Patricia A. Burback CRUISE & LAND TOURS SPECIALIST [phone] there have been some visible successes, there have been many places where the schemes fail for one reason or another. These programs can be costly and difficult to administer compared to typical zoning. . So while policy advocates push transfer EDITOR’S VIEW cont. on page 8 LANDSCAPING by Terra Designs, Inc. eo A portion of all ticket sales donated to Ogden Eagles to benefit the Christmas Box House > programs may not provide the type of protection that a community might expect and may not provide the equitable distribution of the wealth that the landowners might expect. It has been argued that the only equitable basis for the distribution of development rights is in proportion to the losses landowners suffer due to change in land-use controls. Based on the current .. . TDR programs operating around the country, it is questionable if TDRs can satisfy those losses except in very limited and specific circumstances.” Why is it already being taken for granted by BIO-WEST consultants that high density receiving areas will be allocated in current resort areas? representative from BIOWEST stated that high density development in these areas is necessary in order for the resort communities to survive in a ll: s highly competitive resort m What a telling remark! Is this the teal wereason for this extensive planning exercise? To provide a means for Powder Mountain and Wolf Creek to substantially increase their allowable density so they can capture the potential economic gains they’ve been actively pursuing but failing to obtain under current 3 acre minimum zoning requirement so they can compete in a highly competitive market? 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