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Show Volume XXX Issue IX The Ogden Valley News Page 3 December 15, 2023 Editor’s View Guest Commentary Dismayed, But Not Surprised How Committed is Schultz to Water Conservation? While the Weber County Commissioners’ vote to approve zoning changes to open the door to the proposed Eden Crossing high-density development was not surprising, it surely was dismaying. It wasn’t surprising, because out-of-thespotlight deals, with little to no public input and involvement, have been taking shape for several years to bring us to where we are today—a zigzag routed sewer line intended to service John Lewis’ planned developments to the tune of millions of tax-payer dollars, and, possibly, Nordic Valley, too. I’m pretty sure the new sewer line was built to accommodate Nordic Valley’s forthcoming commercial sewer effluent, also, which could eventually cross the ridgeline and drop into Osprey Ranch’s system. All the new water and sewer studies recently undertaken by our commissioners (and paid for by taxpayers) were undertaken in an effort to show the need for piped water and sewer. Many other moving parts have been undertaken, too, to accommodate this massive enterprise, some tied to Weber Basin’s canal project, federal ARPA funds benefiting, in part, Lewis, Wolf Creek Water and Sewer Improvement District, and others who are all playing a role in this broad, long-term, densely interwoven web of a plan. This is not democracy at its best. I’m dismayed by the Weber County Commissioner’s December 5 decision in support of actions opening the way for Eden Crossing because it was so blatantly wrong, making a total mockery of the public process and good, sensible planning. For the Weber County Commissioners to put forth a sham public hearing—not in good faith but just because it’s required by law—to make literally hundreds of people think that their hours and hours of time, effort, and expended resources to willingly educate themselves and bravely participate in the, often, daunting public process, and to get their hopes up when they see that, surely, no rational person would vote to approve the proposed Eden Crossing because it is completely irrational was more than an egregious enterprise. To me, it was also unethical. To me, it made a mockery of the valued American public process and indicated an extreme lack of regard and respect for the constituents of our elected commissioners. It is my perspective, having studied urban planning at the graduate level at the University of Utah, everything about the proposed Eden Crossing zone change that was approved by the commissioners flies in the face of sound land use planning, which I would assume, every average resident of Eden could plainly see. Thus, the tremendous outcry regarding this farce of a plan. What is wrong with the Eden Crossing proposal? • It boils down to spot zoning—a large planning no-no. Good planning dictates that you don’t stick a large high-density commercial center out in the middle of AV-3 zoned property. • By approving the zoning change in favor of the proposed Eden Crossing development, I believe the commissioners violated their fiduciary responsibility as elected officials who are to serve and work for the overall best interests of their constituents (versus a single developer and possible personal interests). • The approval vote was a bold defiance of the Ogden Valley general plan, which states that no new commercial development should be approved until existing commercial space is used up and the public is in support of additional, new commercial space. Eden already has five commercial nodes with none of them anywhere close to being built out! Most of Eden’s existing commercial areas can’t even get off the ground, such as the commercial centers at Wolf Creek, Powder Mountain, New Town Eden, Old Town Eden, and the one at the end of Stringtown Road. Even Nordic Valley has struggled for years. How many restaurants and businesses have you seen built or, if built, go under in each of these village nodes? Plenty. Even so, the commissioners thought we needed another commercial center! And this begs the question: Why do you think they (the commissioners) think what they think is better than what 3,000 people think who signed a petition against Eden Crossing, and what the hundreds of other people think who showed up wearing red, in person or online, to express their disapproval of the Eden Crossing proposal? Who are the commissioners kidding? Eden already has plenty of commercial space—most of it sitting vacant. There is no way Eden Crossing, which isn’t even located in a designated commercial village node outlined in the general plan, should have been approved, except to benefit a developer at the expense of an entire community. So why was it approved on December 5? Even with a boatload of documented facts provided to the commissioners as to why the petitioner had no legal expectation of having such a boondoggle development project approved, they approved it anyway, with blatant disregard for the people they represent. Are the commissioners so up to their necks in behindthe-scenes commitments, tangled in a web that has been woven so densely, they are too far committed to step out of these commitments? Inspirational Thought Sigrid Undset, a Danish-born Norwegian novelist who 昀氀ed Norway for the United States in 1940 because of her opposition to Nazi Germany and the German invasion and occupation of Norway, poignantly wrote, “When we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans–and all that lives and move upon them.” Another dismaying fact arises from an indepth study regarding the generation of taxes in unincorporated Weber County undertaken by public finance advisors LRB. This study shows that while the upper Ogden Valley is comprised of only 48 percent of the population of all unincorporated Weber County, we generate 57 percent of the tax revenue! Even so, we find that our elected officials are not representing us—the people of Ogden Valley—in planning decisions. This is called taxation without representation! This has been a driving impetus for the incorporation of Ogden Valley, as the people are no longer interested in subsidizing the lower part of the county when we have always had only one seat, if any, on the threemember Weber County commission. And when we do have a commissioner from Ogden Valley, often they still do not represent the voice of the people on most planning issues. This insult is especially biting and caustic. This week the feasibility study recently completed on the economic viability of Ogden Valley becoming their own administrative and legislative entity—their own city—will be released by the state’s Lieutenant Governor’s Office. Let’s celebrate that the results show that, soon, we will no longer have to put up with taxation without proper representation. For the past several years we have been advised on a constant basis about water conservation. The Governor’s Office, the State Legislature, the Water Conservancy Districts, the Great Salt Lake Commission (a new organization established that, so far, has done nothing notable regarding the GSL’s water levels). Now we are made aware of efforts on the part of the Utah Legislature’s Speaker of the House, Mike Schultz, to gain authorization from the State Division of Water Rights to pump up to 181,000,000 (yep… 181 million) gallons of water from an aquifer on the north end of the GSL in order to raise crops in the “West Desert” and provide water to grow alfalfa as well as other uses. Note that Schultz recently railed against Compass Minerals for wanting to pump more water out of the Great Salt Lake. In addition to all this, the State is looking at building a pipeline to pump water from the Bear River to a few new reservoirs for future development in the Box Elder County areas. The total amount of water that is identified in this proposal is 220,000-acre-feet, which equates to 71,500,000,000 (again, yep… 71.5 billion) gallons of water. Granted, this is over a long period of time but, still, it is water that now is flowing into the Great Salt Lake. And, again, a double standard. We are constantly being urged to conserve, reduce our landscaping water consumption, our watering hours, and days that we can water are reduced. And now we are metered on secondary water. But Schultz must think he is above all these efforts as well as those who are proposing 71.5 billion gallons of water for future population growth. If you think the GSL’s water levels are low now, just wait until these special interests get their requests approved. So, maybe we need to take a long hard look at the State Legislature, the Governor’s Office, and the Great Salt Lake Commission (which is costing the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars). We all should be questioning Schultz’s actions and demand solid and truthful answers. Does Schultz want everyone to conserve or just everyone but him? Larry Clark, Syracuse In this season of giving, we celebrate our generous community. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS MATCH DONORS Paul Schick and Beth Mannino Morey and Jody Haymond Taylor and Tammy Satterthewaite Ogden Valley Business Association Randy and Alice Harper Jeff and Jenna Holt Grant and Michelle Ley John and Melissa Lewis Hap and Jo Stephens Brian and Nicole Nielsen Peterson Builders Philip and Gail Coleman Kay Hoogland and James O’Brien John Lund Elizabeth Yost Magleby Construction Doug and Sandi Jackson FRIENDS OF THE MATCH Dennis and Diane Shaw Dave and Sharon Holmstrom Joe and Betsy Jennings Lars and Paula Fryland Diamond Peak Mtn Sports Brent and Kelli Hintze Jeff and Melissa Harrison Joyful Smiles Dentistry Brandi Lierd Paul Taylor Ann Hannoy Michelle Christie Diane Schulz Paul Bordelon Annjanel Allen We are SO grateful to the many donors and sponsors who enabled CFOV to give to local nonpro昀椀t organizations in 2023. You, too, can show your love for Ogden Valley. Year-end donations welcome. www.cfov.net |