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Show The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 14 Volume II, Issue VII 1 April 2000 Government/Planning News Cantanzaro Proposal Finds Closure By S h anna Fr ancis A d r awn out and much public i z e d planning pr oposal c ame to a c o n clus ion at the hands of the We b e r County Commissioners at t h e i r Mar ch 22 mee ting. C omm i s si oner Cain voted to approve a p e t i tion by Ron and Lisa C a nt a n z a r o of Hunts ville to re zone a p a r c e l of pr oper ty at the southw e st cor ner of Snowba sin R oad a n d H ighway 39 from FV-3 to CV- 2 i n or der to build a commerc i a l d evelopment. Ea r lier in the month approxim a t e l y 70 r es idents of the Va lley g a t h e r ed in a cr owded c ommiss i o n c ham ber to vo ice the ir opini o n f o r or agains t the pe tition t h a t a sked to r ezone the se ve n a c r e p iece of FV- 3 (Forest Valle y Zo n e ) pr oper ty to C V-2. The p u r p o se of the FV-3 z oning desi g n a t i on is to, “pr ovide an area f o r r e s idential developme nt in a f o r e s t s etting at a low de nsity, as w e l l a s to pr otect, a s muc h a s p o s si ble, the natu ra listic envir o n m e nt of the de ve lopment.” Th e n ew CV- 2 ( General C omm e r c i al) des ignation, the most l i b e r a l f or the Valley, a llows for a w i de r ange of c omme rc ia l u se s, i ncluding but not limite d to t h e a t e r s , r etail s ale s, offic e supp l y, h ealth clubs, c ar re ntal a g e n c ies , and dr ive thru resta ur a n t s. A conditional use permit c a n b e obtained f or suc h things a s c a r s ales , tav erns, liquor s t o r e s , mobile home sa le s, h o t e l s, and s uper ma rkets. Th e petitioner s a sked for the s e v e n - acr e par cel to be re zone d t o a c com modate an 80,000 s q u a r e f oot com me rc ia l de ve lo p m e n t. O ppos itio n to the pla n w a s o ver w helming. C once rns w i t h t h e pr opos al included siz e, o p p o n ents claim ing the de ve lopm e n t would need to draw outside t r a ff i c f or econom ic support; the p o o r p lanning pr actice of allowi n g s tr ing develo pment, with c o m m er cial bus iness a ll along H i g h w ay 39 f r om Snowbasin Ro a d to the Che vron sta tion; p a s t s e w er s ys tem failure s and s y s t e m inadequacies; failure of a l a rg e com mer cial developme nt f i t t i n g in w ith the Va lley maste r p l a n ; incr eas ed canyon tra ffic r e l a t e d to a des tina tion commerc i a l c enter ; and a la rge commer- cial c en t er p l aced acro s s t h e stre et fro m o n e o f t h e b u s i es t Forest S erv i ce cam p g ro u n d s i n the stat e— h o w m an y p eo p l e wa nt to g et away fro m i t al l , an d go ca mp i n g acro s s fro m a s h o p ping a nd b u s i n es s cen t er? A loc al p o l l was t ak en t h at questioned ap p ro x i m at el y 3 0 0 Valle y res i d en t s reg ard i n g t h ei r support fo r o r ag ai n s t t h e d ev el opme nt. Ou t o f 3 0 0 res i d en t s questioned , o n l y fo u r res i d en t s polled were i n fav o r o f t h e de ve lop m en t , 1 3 were u n d eci d ed, a nd t h e rem ai n i n g 2 8 3 were against i t . T h e C o m m i s s i o n al s o re ce ived n u m ero u s e-m ai l s , fa xe s, p h o n e cal l s , an d l et t ers re questin g a d en i al t o t h e zo n i n g change . De spi t e cl ear co m m u n i t y s u p port to d en y t h e p et i t i o n , an d We be r Co u n t y ’s l eg al co u n ci l that C omm i s s i o n ers h ad n o l eg al obliga tio n to ap p ro v e the re quest, Web er C o u n t y C o m m i s sioners v o t ed t o ap p ro v e t h e de ve lop m en t , t h o u g h o n a s m al l er sc ale. T h ey ap p ro v ed 3 . 2 2 ac re s fo r rezo n i n g wi t h p erm i s sion to b u i l d a 2 7 , 0 0 0 s q u are foot buil d i n g . Durin g t h e m eet i n g , C o m m i s sioners s p o k e ab o u t a co m p ro mise so l u t i o n . In a p u b l i c statement b efo re t h e m o t i o n t o approve, C ai n ad d res s ed t h e audience s t at i n g s h e fel t t h at t h e approval o f a s cal ed b ack p l an would fit wi t h i n t h e s co p e o f t h e commun i t y ’s co m m erci al n eed s . A Huntsv i l l e To wn s h i p P l an n i n g C ommis s i o n m em b er as k ed t h e C ounty C o m m i s s i o n ers t o co n side r a C V-1 zo n i n g , wh i ch i s a le ss in t ru s i v e, n ei g h b o rh o o d commerci al d es i g n at i o n v ers es the high er i n t en s i t y C V-2 . C o m missione rs fai l ed t o acco m m o da te this req u es t . Afte r an i n i t i al m o t i o n t o de ny the zo n i n g req u es t at t h e Ma rc h 8 C o m m i s s i o n m eet i n g , the motio n fai l i n g t h ro u g h l ack of support b y h er m al e co u n t erpa rts, C o m m i s s i o n er C ai n d i d an about fa ce an d m ad e t h e m o t i o n to a pprov e t h e zo n i n g req u es t as amende d . C o m m i s s i o n er B u rt o n 2 nd the m o t i o n , an d t h e m o t i o n ca rrie d. THINK OF THE FUTURE The Ogden Valley Land Trust a non-profit organization For more information call (801) 745-2048 Petitioners Win Battle to Regain Public Ownership of Powder Mountain Trail By Shanna Francis At a F eb ru ary 2 4 h e a r i n g i n Di s t ri ct C o u rt , Defendants Web er C o u n t y an d R u l o n J o n e s as k ed fo r d i s m i s s al o f a s u i t b y P et i t i o n ers o v er t h e P o w d e r M o u n t ai n l an d s al e. I n s t e a d , J u d g e M i ch ael Ly o n g a v e P e t i t i o n ers u n t i l M arch 2 2 t o f i l e i n fo rm at i o n t o s u p p o r t t h e i r cl ai m t h at t h at t h e s t a t u t e o f l i m i t at i o n s i s i rrel ev ant t o t h e i r cas e. At t h e h eari n g J u d g e Ly o n s u s p en d ed h i s d eci si o n o n t h e d i s m i s s al o rd er, p en d i n g P e t i t i o n er ’s ab i l i t y t o fi n d a n d p r e s en t i n fo rm at i o n i n d ic a t i n g t h a t t h e co u n t y d i d h av e i n p l a c e ru l es req u i ri n g p u b l i c n o t i c e b efo re l an d s al e d eci s i o n s w e r e m ad e. P et i t i o n ers a n d t h e i r at t o rn ey R o b ert B . S y k e s p r o v i d ed t h e n eed ed i n f o r m a t i o n , an d n o w are awai t i n g a r u l i n g b y t h e J u d g e o n t h e req u e s t f o r d i s m i s s al o f t h ei r s u i t t o r e g a i n p ro p ert y l o s t i n a 1 60 - a c r e l a n d s al e. P et i t i o n ers fo u n d t h e i r i n f o r m at i o n i n Ti t l e 1 7 Ch a p t e r 2 7 S ect i o n 3 0 3 o f t h e U t a h S a t e C o d e, t h e C o u n t y L an d U s e a n d Dev el o p m en t an d M a n a g e m e n t Act , wh i ch g o v ern s c o u n t y l a n d u s e act i o n s . Acco rd in g t o P e t i t i o n ers , t h i s s t at e l a w r e q u i r e s t h at t wo h eari n g s b e h e l d , w i t h 1 4 d ay s p u b l i c n o t i c e b e f o r e each s ch ed u l ed h eari n g , p r i o r t o t h e reco rd i n g o f a q u i t c l a i m d eed fo r d i s p o s al o f c o u n t y p r o p e r t y. S e c t i o n 8 0 8 r e q u i r e s four weeks public notice before v a c a t i n g a p u b l i c r i g h t o f w a y. C o u n t y o ff i c i a l s f a i l e d t o d o e i t h e r. Petitioners have been fighti n g c o u n t y o ff i c i a l s w i t h l i m i t e d resources generated through solicited donations and private funds. Eden resident and Petit i o n e r K e n t F u l l e r s t a t e d , “ To spend tax dollars to defend an illegal sale of beautiful recreational land so it can become a private commercial hunting killing field is preposterous. Something is wrong when citizens have to pay twice, through taxation and then legal fees, to provide necessary public representation to right a public wrong.” The Petitioners have gained one victory so far in their battle. A letter dated March 22 was sent t o P e t i t i o n e r ’s a t t o r n e y R o b e r t S y k e s f r o m We b e r C o u n t y ’s attorney Jody Burnett stating that the county now concedes that the 30-foot right-of-way and trail were not included in the quitclaim deed, leaving ownership with the county for public access. Petitioners remain hopeful that, in addition to reclaiming the public trail, soon the remaining 160 acres will also be restored to the public. Weber County Redevelopment Development Agency Signs Agreement with Associated Foods T h e Web er E co n om i c R e d e v el o p m en t Ag en cy a n d We b e r County Commissioners Ken B i s ch o ff, C am i l l e C a i n a n d G l e n B u rt o n an n o u n ced t o d a y t h a t t h ey h av e en t ered i n t o a d e v e l o p m en t an d p art i ci p a t i o n a g r e e m en t wi t h As s o ci a t e d F o o d St o res , In c. As s o ci at ed F o o d St o r e s , I n c . i s p u rch as i n g t h e ex i s t i n g R i t e Ai d wareh o u s e i n F ar r We s t . T h e faci l i t y wi l l b e exp a n d e d b y 3 0 5 , 0 0 0 s q u are feet to i n c l u d e a fres h fo o d s wareh o u se . T h e r e n o v at i o n an d ex p an s i on w i l l c r e at e an o p t i m u m en v i r o n m e n t n eed ed t o s u p p l y A s s o c i a t e d ’s i n d ep en d en t g ro cers . D u r i n g t h e n ex t fo u rt een m o n t h s , i t w i l l b e read i ed fo r t h e rel o c a t i o n o f As s o ci at ed ’s S al t L a k e a n d P ay s o n wareh o u s es . “ We ’ r e excited to be a member of the community here,” said Associate d ’s C h i e f F i n a n c i a l O ff i c e r Neal Berube. Randy Sant, Executive Direct o r o f t h e We b e r E c o n o m i c Development Corporation, stated that “this is a great opportunit y f o r We b e r C o u n t y f o r i t w i l l retain existing jobs, create new jobs, and create one of the l a rg e s t w a r e h o u s e d i s t r i b u t i o n facilities in Utah.” “On behalf of the people in We b e r C o u n t y, w e w e l c o m e A s s o c i a t e d F o o d St o r e s a n d a r e certain this agreement will provide a strong economic partnership,” said Commissioner Cain, c h a i r p e r s o n o f t h e We b e r C o u n t y R e d e v e l o p m e n t A g e n c y. “ We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.” Send a Mother’s Day message to the Ogden Valley News to be printed in time for Mother’s Day. Ten cents a word ~ $3.00 minimum Send your message and check to: The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS PO BOX 130 EDEN UT 84310 |