OCR Text |
Show Page 2 The Ogden Valley News Volume XXX Issue VII November 15, 2023 The Ogden Valley News Staff: Shanna Francis Tel: 801-745-2688 Cell: 801-791-4387 Email: slfrancis@digis.net Jeannie Wendell Tel: 801-745-2879 Email: crwendell@digis.net crwendell@msn.com Opinions expressed by advertisers, columnists or letters to the editor are not necessarily the opinions of the owners and staff of The Ogden Valley News. Please note that The Ogden Valley News does not endorse or guarantee the professional qualifications or licensing of businesses or business owners and contractors who may advertise in this publication. Those who engage or contract with advertised or highlighted businesses or contractors are personally responsible for reviewing and determining for themselves the qualifications and licensing and insurance requirements of each advertiser where and when appropriate. Guidelines for Letters to the Editor Letters should be 300 words or less. Letters must be signed and the address of the writer submitted. The Ogden Valley News reserves the right to edit or decline printing of any submissions. Announcements Sought As a community service, The Ogden Valley News will print local birth, wedding, obituary, anniversary and missionary farewell & homecoming and Eagle Scout announcements free of charge. We invite residents to send their announcements to: The Ogden Valley News PO BOX 522 EDEN UT 84310 If you would like your submitted items returned, please send a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. The Ogden Valley News, while respecting all property received, will take no responsibility for lost or misplaced items. Please remember to keep a copy for yourself. Invitation for Articles The staff of The Ogden Valley News welcomes the submission of articles by our readership. We invite you to submit local historical accounts or biographies, articles pertaining to contemporary issues, and/or other material that may be of interest to our readers. We also invite you to submit to the paper, or notify the staff of local events. Awards that have been earned by the reader, family members, neighbors or friends are also sought. While the staff of The Ogden Valley News invites the submittal of information and articles, we reserve the right to select which material will be considered for publication. All material, to be considered, must be submitted with the full name, address and telephone number of the person submitting the material. The Ogden Valley News’ liability on account of errors in, or omissions of, advertising shall in no event exceed the amount of charges for the advertising omitted or the space occupied by the error. The Ogden Valley News does not endorse, promote or encourage the purchase or sale of any product or service advertised in this newspaper. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Ogden Valley News hereby disclaims all liability for any damage suffered as the result of any advertisement in this newspaper. The Ogden Valley News is not responsible for any claims or representations made in advertisements in this newspaper. The Ogden Valley News has the sole authority to edit and locate any classified advertisement as deemed appropriate. It also reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Note: The contents of The Ogden Valley News are copyrighted. To protect this publication and its contributors from unlawful copying, written permission is required before any individual or company engages in the reproduction or distribution of its contents, by any means, without first obtaining written permission from the owners of this publication. The deadline for the OVN December 1 issue is November 18. Letters to the Editor Valley Residents, Wake Up and Resist! I was born in Park City in 1949, a 4th generation Parkite. Though the mining economy had declined, the town was a delightful place to live. Everyone knew each other and there was cooperation at every level of community affairs. We were proud of our mining heritage and unlimited, sublime recreational opportunities All that began to change when skiing came on in 1963. First, we had an influx of hippies, who loaded lifts and occupied unused housing. Then it was artists who did much the same and wanted to paint our picturesque town. Some industrious locals operated small ski lodges, opened other small businesses, and built a few condos. About 1980, the big money started to come in. Deer Valley was built, national chains arrived, and housing prices went through the ceiling. Someone thought we needed the Olympics, and that was the end of our community as we knew it for the first hundred years. An effort was made towards historic preservation, but that was squashed by unrelenting, rapid development. Developers obliterated virtually all our mine structures and artifacts, which pretty well destroyed our heritage. Since the surrounding mountain was owned by the mining company, we thought we had some protection. But then it (UPCM) was bought out by developers! Next, the local resorts, somehow, came under the control of VAIL...! This is only a very brief summary. But today, Park City and the entire area, is overcrowded, overhyped, overpriced, and, basically, unlivable, except for the very rich. Ogden Valley residents must do much more than we did to fight development and rapid population growth, and facilitate preservation and conservation. Wake up and resist! Paul Williams, Eden Working Together for the Future of Ogden Valley The Ogden Valley is a special place. Most of us probably agree on this much. For some, it’s special because it represents possible economic gain and untapped development potential, tax revenue and growth. To others, it is special because of its quiet, rural, and small-town lifestyle and beauty. Can these two views co-exist? Does there have to be only a winner and a loser? I freely admit that I’m more aligned with seeking to protect the reason our family chose to live here—the Valley’s beauty, and rural and quiet character, but I am not opposed to all development. Many great people and some small businesses have moved into the Valley over the years. Lately, however, I must admit, it feels as if those aligned with preservation are getting pushed aside as mere ill-informed complainers, and I fear that only the minimum requirements are being pursued in order to push what is now unprecedented change onto the Valley. Let’s be clear, the design, or at least the consequence of these efforts is to drastically alter the landscape and nature of the Valley. Instead of both residential and commercial growth, which is measured and naturally occurs over time, the proposed changes coming to light are not limited to five-lot subdivisions but, instead, are shockingly transformative and, in my view, deserve much more collaboration and input beyond a planning commission meeting or the long past adoption of a “master plan.” Instead, meetings between developers, government, and community leaders and advocates, and perhaps even get-togethers with neighborhoods most affected would be most welcome, where parties can listen and learn from each other. Granted, a recent meeting was held at the Ogden Valley Library in Huntsville, but I understand the agenda was scrapped at the last minute. Hundreds of residents showed up, but no county commissioners attended, and no public comment was taken. Instead, the meeting consisted of several easels placed around the room purporting to dispel “myths” as though a presentation was planned to convince the locals of the already decided changes coming their way. County staff that did attend, answered individual, one-on-one questions, which was appreciated; however, time and capacity severely limited this, and it limited public engagement disallowing everyone to be heard, and to hear county responses to these public questions. To be sure, public hearings would have been held regarding the master plan and some past proposals many years ago, but if we’re honest, often, such does not put the populace on fair notice, only legal notice. And, even then, any notice with a vague or limited agenda item, that may change multiple times up to 24 hours prior to the meeting, presents some problems. As for “growth,” not all of it is “inevitable,” as is often repeated. Sure, some growth is, but growth in the Valley is limited or tempered because of lot sizes, septic tanks, its location, and certain zoning and planning ordinances. In contrast the extreme type of growth being pushed now, is not inevitable. Instead, this type of growth or demand is artificially created and marketed. When we allow for much higher density, roads two to three times the current width, and run them through quiet neighborhoods, as well as install sewer systems, and build multistory apartments and other buildings, etc., we create the growth. It’s intentional. As changes may come, no doubt they will be used once they are here. I likely will use them, too—if I can still afford it. But such should not be the standard. Property rights are important and must be respected, but such are not unlimited. It is perplexing that we choose to live in a community because it is separated from the city, but then we commence efforts to turn it into one. These commercial areas are being called “villages” to soften the blow, but they are cities nonetheless, and there is concern that these changes don’t preserve the character of the Valley but, instead, look to change or “update” it. I live in the Valley because it is removed from the “conveniences” of the city, and precisely because it’s not next door to a theatre, shopping mall, box store, or main street and hightraffic roads, etc. Certainly, affordable housing is an issue everywhere, but turning the Valley into a Vail and building a few hundred apartments as part of it will likely only create the most expensive apartments in the county. We have seen certain areas of the Valley marketed as “more park and less city.” Yet, inconsistently, that very effort creates the opposite. The system only works when the government is the skeptical guard dog. It is not unusual for developers to begin discussions with government planners and leaders years before execution of their plans. These meetings often are not public and need not be reported or open to the public. Naturally, associations or even shared visions often result from this interactive process. There is nothing illegal or nefarious about this, but the citizen often is not brought into the process until LETTER TO EDITOR cont. on page 10 For All of Your Holiday Gifts! 10,000 sq. ft. of house plants, succulents, and herbs. Special gift baskets with $100 gift card purchases. Open year-round ~ Many gift options! Winter Hours Open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Saturday 6484 S. 2000 E. Uintah (Ogden) l 801-479-6060 l ValleyNurseryUtah.com |