OCR Text |
Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, December 23-25, 2020 A-3 The Park Record COUNTY SEAT CITY EDITOR: ALEXANDER CRAMER 649-9014 EXT: 15712 | COUNTYNEWS@PARKRECORD.COM Henefer wilderness to close Public access to end Jan. 1 to aid wintering animals ALEXANDER CRAMER The Park Record The Henefer-Echo wildlife management area is set to close on New Year’s Day to provide respite for wildlife during the harsh winter months, according to a statement from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The DWR closes seven management areas in northern Utah every year and is planning to reopen them on April 10. People who obtained a late-season cow elk hunting permit for the Henefer-Echo area may still hunt there from Jan. 1 to Jan. 24, according to the DWR. Aside from that limited hunting opportunity, all public access is prohibited until the spring, according to the statement, “even taking a leisurely walk.” The closures aim to preserve animals’ energy over the winter months and prevent them from having to flee from human contact. COURTESY OF THE UTAH DIVISION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES the developer and town officials sought the annexation. That process included seemingly tailor-made legislation passed unwittingly by the state Legislature to allow this type of annexation for the first time, as well as a tight timeline and relative lack of public input that gave the impression the application was being rammed through. But as the dust settles, it remains to be seen whether the substance of the plan will draw as much ire. Many town residents have indicated in interviews and public comments that they wouldn’t mind seeing the type of amenities developer Nate Brockbank has said he plans to build. If the development were built, it would be a boon to town finances. In 2020, the town received no sales tax, according to minutes of a recent town council meeting, leaving it to rely largely on property taxes and building permit revenue. According to a fiscal note prepared by town officials attached to the referendum materials, the town would gain $12 million worth of infrastructure and buildings if the development were built, including a new town hall, and it would earn nearly $15 million in taxes and fees over a 20-year period. That would be partially offset by roughly $9.5 million in service costs. Fiscal predictions are difficult to calculate, but town officials indicated one reason they sought to annex the land is to expand the town’s tax base. Officials have indicated they expect building-permit revenue to decline as the town is built and fewer permits are issued. Hideout resident Tom Sly, who signed the petition seeking a referendum on the annexation, said he was turned off by the divisive process and hoped that the six-month pause would encourage more public conversation about the project. “I think we deserve to get more clarity, both from the developer and the town,” Sly said in an interview earlier this month. “What this is really going to mean, what it’s going to mean for us (and) for our community.” Sly said that there were certain aspects of the project he found appealing, but that the project’s merits were largely lost in the discussions about legislative maneuvering. “Aside from way too much residential, there were some neat things in there,” Sly said. “Take a step back and say, pretty cool stuff. Some pieces of it I’d like to have. But, again, it’s at what cost?” Neighboring officials have warned that annexing the land over Summit County’s protests could put a chilling effect on regional collaboration at a time when many say regional planning is sorely needed. “It’s theirs to win or lose, that’s what I can say,” Sly said of the developer’s opportunity to convince town residents of the plan’s merits. “But I don't think that strong-arming politicians and pushing things through the legislature ... are the way to do it.” Wanship man became combative and drove away. Deputies pulled the vehicle over after a short pursuit and cited the man for DUI. A woman reported that her car was broken into while it was parked at the Round Valley trailhead on Highland Drive. The thief stole her purse and its contents, and one of her credit cards was later used for around $1,000 in fraudulent charges at Walmart. Deputies indicated they would seek surveillance footage. Deputies responded to a Pinebrook home for a report of domestic violence between a mother and her 18-year-old son. Deputies indicated the two had separated before they were notified, that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to arrest either of them and that the Summit County Attorney’s Office would screen the case for charges. Thursday, Dec. 17 A mother reported that her ex-husband had kicked their 14-year-old daughter while the daughter was at his house. The 45-year-old Hoytsville man told deputies the teen was trying to leave his house when the incident occurred. Deputies indicated the teen did not have apparent injuries, that the Summit County Attorney’s Office would screen the case for charges and that the case would remain active. Deputies responded to the Kimball Junction transit center for a report of a drunk man disassembling a piano and attempting to use it to store alcoholic beverages. Deputies indicated the man appeared to be highly intoxicated and that the piano was damaged. The 57-yearold Las Vegas man was arrested on suspicion of intoxication and criminal mischief and was found to have an active arrest warrant out of South Ogden. A man reported his skis and poles were taken from where he left them unsecured for several hours, near his vehicle at the Canyons Village base area. Deputies indicated the case would be closed for lack of information about a suspect. Park City, Utah JOIN US ONLINE CHRISTMAS EVE! Hideout referendum is set Special June vote could undo town’s annexation plans ALEXANDER CRAMER The Park Record The Hideout annexation has been put on hold for the winter after residents gathered enough signatures to force a vote on the measure. Hideout Town Clerk Alicia Fairbourne said the special election is scheduled for June 22, when residents can choose whether to accept or reject the ordinance the Town Council passed in October to annex 350 acres of Richardson Flat for development. The annexation attempt has been freighted with controversy since it was first announced publicly this summer. While neighboring governments have vigorously opposed the measure with public statements and lawsuits, the only opinions on the issue that will matter come June are the registered voters who live in Hideout. Developer Nate Brockbank is seeking to build a large, mixeduse development on what is now undeveloped land in Summit County. The Town Council voted 3-2 to annex the land, with Brockbank and multiple councilors at the time advocating to let voters have the final say on the project via referendum. Public opinion appeared consistently and overwhelmingly opposed to the process by which SHERIFF’S REPORT Employees of a Snyderville Basin hotel called Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputies for help removing several problem guests who had damaged property and smeared feces on walls, according to a report from the Sheriff’s Office. Staff members of the hotel, which is on S.R. 224, requested help after the guests damaged a mattress and a couch in a guest room and a child had spread excrement on the walls of multiple rooms, according to the report. The staff members reported that the credit card the family tried to use was declined. Deputies contacted the guests and notified them that they had to leave, and the report indicated the guests did so after they took a reasonable amount of time to gather their things. Deputies notified the guests, including 58- and 37-year-old women and a 43-year-old man from Georgia, that they were banned from the hotel. According to the Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement personnel responded to several other calls between Monday, Dec. 14, and Sunday, Dec. 20, including a drunk man disassembling a piano to store alcoholic beverages and a Salt Lake City woman out on bond returning to once again accost her ex-boyfriend in Kamas. Sunday, Dec. 20 Deputies indicated that organized retail crime groups had been very active over the previous few days. A group of five to six men and women overwhelm store employees, distracting them while others take large amounts of merchandise. Deputies responded to a report of a driver passed out behind the wheel of his car on West Hoytsville Road. The caller reported he tried to help the driver when he saw the car parked in the middle of the road, but the 59-year-old Saturday, Dec. 19 An employee at an Outlets Park City store reported that a thief stole several items with the help of several other people. The employee indicated she recognized the thieves from a previous case and would follow up with additional information. A 25-year-old Texas man was transported to a Salt Lake-area hospital after falling at a construction site where he was working. Deputies indicated the man slipped on ice while working on a parking structure in the Canyons Village base area and that he injured his arm and shoulder after falling approximately 6 feet. Deputies indicated they forwarded the case to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Friday, Dec. 18 A woman’s car was stolen while it was left running for about 10 minutes outside of a Kilby Road apartment complex. Deputies indicated they listed the grey 2012 Hyundai Elantra on a national database of stolen goods. Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church Monday, Dec. 14 A Salt Lake City woman, free on bond from an aggravated assault days earlier, was once again arrested for offenses against her ex-boyfriend, a Kamas man. The 49-year-old woman forced her way inside the man’s Kamas home and caused more than $3,500 of damage while inside, threatening the ex-boyfriend and his roommate with death. Deputies indicated the woman admitted to stealing items from the home and that they booked her into the Summit County Jail without incident. Candlelight Service at 6 pm www.shepherdofthemountains.org Bring a small Candle to light during the hymn Silent Night Christmas Eve bulletin and zoom link for the service can be found on our webpage Merry Christmas! Please stay healthy and safe this holiday season. Get 53% Off the newsstand price when you subscribe! For an in-county rate of only $56 a year, you can save 53% from the newsstand and receive: • Home Delivery • Park Record E-edition • Real Estate Monthly • All Park Record Magazines Call 435-649-9014 to get your subscription today! Select option 3 when prompted Save even more with a 2 year subscription! |