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Show The Ogden Valley news Your Community Newspaper June 1, 2010 PRSRT STD POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 11 EDEN UT POSTAL PATRON EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 HUNTSVILLE-84317 OGDEN CANYON- 84401 HCR 843AO Project to Close North Ogden Divide Through Mid-Summer Months The Utah Department of Transportation and Weber County announce that North Ogden Canyon Road, also known as the North Ogden Divide, which carries traffic from Liberty to North Ogden, will close for up to two months this coming summer to accommodate safety improvements being made to this heavily used roadway. UDOT and Weber County are working together on a project to replace the existing concrete barrier with a guardrail, and to widen the roadway over a 700-foot section on the east side of the Divide. New signs and striping are also planned for this section, as well as rock scaling to remove any loose rock with the potential to fall onto the roadway. The planned closure is necessary to speed construction as much as possible to minimize long-term impacts to the public. According to Marjorie Rasmussen, UDOT project engineer, construction will begin around the first of July. She said it is anticipated that all construction processes will be finished in August. “UDOT and Weber County recognize the burden this places on area residents, but our desire it to get in, complete this work, and then get off of this roadway as quickly as we can,” she said. “We recognize the importance of this roadway to the Ogden Valley, and ask for the patience of its residents while we complete these badly needed safety improvements as quickly as possible,” Rasmussen added. Access to traditional camping and hiking access points on the roadway will be maintained to the beginning of the construction zone. However, motorists are reminded that turnaround points are limited and that no vehicles will be allowed to pass through the construction zone for any reason once work begins. Ogden Valley residents in Liberty and Eden are encouraged to use SR-39 through Ogden Canyon as a detour route into the Ogden area. Foxes in Eden. Photo by Jim Huddle. Community Being Asked to Weigh in on Controversial County Decision on Powder Mountain Development By Shanna Francis Weber County Commissioners will take public comment at a public hearing before making a controversial and far-reaching decision on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Powder Mountain Developers and Weber County that has the potential to dramatically change the complexion of Ogden Valley. The meeting will be held in Ogden at the Weber County Commission Chambers, 2380 Washington Blvd., at 6:00 on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. The MOU was drafted by Powder Mountain developers and owners after legislators at the Utah State Capitol refused to allow a bill onto the floor for a vote that, if passed, would have allowed Eden residents caught up in an incorporation effort by the developers to opt out of the scheme. Instead, they encouraged Powder Mountain representatives, homeowners, and the county to “work it out,” and come to a resolution of the issue after strong-arm lobbying by Powder Mountain representatives stalled the bill before it could be voted on. The resulting MOU is controversial to many Valley residents and visitors who see the proposal as a gross abuse of the democratic process. Powder Mountain owners have been accused of manipulating the political system in order to circumvent current law and ordinances established by the county so they could reap the financial benefits from higher density. Critics argue that if the Weber County Commissioners approve the MOU that is now on the table, the current zoning ordinances that have held property owners and other developers to a three-acre-minimum lot size per building unit will, basically, become null and void—opening the flood gates to law suits and a break down in the ordinance that has held much of the growth in the Valley at bay. Other developers who want to increase density would have to buy open space in a transfer of development rights—something Powder Mountain owners don’t want to do. The bargaining card for Powder Mountain owners is their offer to cancel incorporation efforts. In exchange, they are asking the County to increase density levels above that allowed under current zoning, and what was previously approved. Dissatisfaction with these numbers provided the incentive to incorporate. Incorporation would put the decision-making reins back in the hands of Powder Mountain’s owners, allowing them to decide on how much and what kind of development to place at the resort site, which includes almost 8,000 acres and whose boundaries flow down from the top of the mountain to the foothills above Eden and Huntsville. In January of 2008, residents in the lower valley learned through a news report about the move by Powder Mountain to incorporate after a new law was passed by the Utah State legislature—House Bill 466—that relaxed rules for incorporation. The law was thrown out the next year by the legislature. The incorporation effort initially included POWDER MTN cont. on page 7 Ogden Valley Balloon Festival Postponed to 2011 Organizers cite RAMP up time, unfavorable economic conditions and date conflicts Organizers of the 2010 Ogden Valley Balloon & Artist Festival voted today to postpone the event to mid-August 2011, citing unfavorable economic conditions, timing with sponsors and grant funding, as well as issues with the event dates. The board, which consists of community volunteers, had hoped to recruit a dedicated person to solicit corporate sponsors. When that person did not materialize through outreach efforts, board members felt that the results required from this effort could not realistically be achieved. This year’s chairperson Gladys Mundelius commented, “We all dedicate hundreds of hours organizing the event, and none of us could take on the additional responsibility.” Timing was also a factor. Mundelius continues, “The key to raising funds from corporate sponsors and the various entities that offer grants such as the Weber County RAMP tax is to get the fundraising effort started in the fall for the following year. By postponing this year’s event, our board will be energized to take on this effort come fall. We’re usually exhausted after the August event and need a few months to re-group. That won’t be the case this fall.” Date conflicts with several Valley and regional events caused delays in organizing efforts but on a very positive note, all the organizations attempting to schedule events tried very hard to work together. “That was great to see” noted Mundelius. “We were touched by the efforts our neighbors underwent to try to work through the date conflicts. By getting an early start for 2011, we can publish our dates well in advance to notify other event organizers.” The board is also pursuing teaming up with other Valley organizations to help improve the event and add much needed manpower to the event planning efforts. “If all goes as planned, this breather will result in a really fantastic event in 2011 that offers increased community involvement. “Our board of directors made the fiscally responsible decision. We are a non-profit organization that is fully funded by the support of our sponsors for organizations expenses. We felt the postponement was the only fiscally responsible thing to do. As a non-profit volunteer organization, we simply don’t have the purse to fund the event, which costs in excess of $50,000 to produce.” For updates on planning for the 2011 festival, please bookmark www.ogdenvalleyballoonfestival.com and check it periodically. Monte Cristo Road Expected to Open Memorial Day SR 39, the Monte Cristo road east of Huntsville, remains closed but is expected to open Memorial Day weekend, according to UDOT’s traffic website. For more information about state road conditions, visit www.utahcommuterlink.com/ or call 511. Nordic Valley Firewise Announces Annual Chipping Project The Valley in 2030? New research project out Chipping crews provided by the Utah Division of State Lands, Fire and Forestry will be in Nordic Valley on June 9 -10 to dispose of cleared brush and dead trees. The work crew and the equipment are available through a grant from the Division that requires an “In-Kind Match” from local residents and community businesses. In order to continue community cleanups and the work on a fire break in the forest above the neighborhood, sweat equity matches are required from residents. Anytime you conduct yard work that mitigates fire danger to your property, please turn in a work summary to the Nordic Firewise Committee. You can also turn in receipts for landscaping services or lawn equipment purchased. Work summary forms are available at the Eden Post Office outdoor bulle- tin board or from Firewise street captains. Receipts for contracted work and for tools purchased or rented may also be used for the match. Cleared trees and brush neatly piled next to the road will be chipped during the week of June 7. Please pile branches and trees in the road easement so that they are all facing the same direction. A large sign should be placed on the debris signifying if you would like to keep the mulch for personal use. If you have no need for the mulch, please contact your street captain so that arrangements can be made for another household to use the mulch for ground cover or for composting. Call Nicole Householder at 745-1122 or Carolyn Daniels at 745-6135 if you have questions or need an in-kind match form. of Utah State University looks at alternatives What are the underlying factors governing growth in Ogden Valley? Are there some growth alternatives that make more sense than others? Can these questions be answered in a concise, visual way that I can understand? The answer is YES, and is now available for all of us to study. Masters Candidate Louis Hurst, under the direction of Dr. Richard Toth of the USU Bioregional Planning Department of Utah State University, has leveraged years of excellent work by the University and Dr. Toth. His masters thesis is now available to be downloaded from <http://www.cnr.usu.edu/envs/htm/bioregional-planning> Near the bottom of this web page, you will find “Theses,” and can select the Ogden Valley study to download. The Ogden Valley GEM Committee served as stakeholders to provide Louis background information and to consult on the selection of alternatives. Weber County also provided a small amount of funding for the thesis project. Water Soon to Be Online for Valley Elementary’s Landscaping By Shanna Francis A 15-year-old crashed into the side of the mountain near the spill way in Eden on May 14, rolling several times the Ford van he was driving before it came to rest against the mountain. The accident closed down traffic across Pineview. The victim was ejected and transported to a local hospital, suffering only minor cuts, abrasions, bruises, and a broken arm. The youth was from the Brigham City area. Shown above is Weber County Sheriff Sergeant Ryon Hadley. Facing insufficient water supplies to support the secondary water needs of the 10-acre parcel that is home to the recently opened Valley Elementary school in Eden, the Weber School District contracted with a company to begin digging a well to provide the necessary water to support the landscaping at the school. Valley Elementary principal Tommy Lee stated, “They began digging the well last week, and we were told that it would take about four weeks to complete. Hopefully, we’ll have water for the playground by the middle of June.” A wet spring has been conducive to keeping the grassy playground green. The school hosted its annual Field Day on May 25 on the playfield, the first time the students had been allowed to use it since the sod was rolled out last fall. Administrators wanted to insure that the grass was well established before receiving the heavy A sandhill crane takes flight over Ogden Valley. Photo by Larry Bennington of Eden. playground traffic. |
