Show Antelope Plans Pbs Readied By BETTY FISHER Now after ten or more long years of planning great plans are shaping up for the recreational recreational development of the northern north north- ern rn portion of Antelope Island MEN HAVE VE planned for many years to make this sleeping sleeping sleep- sleep ing ng giant into a tourist destination destina destina- tion lon and some sonic major steps have been een taken in that direction especially es es- during the past year In 1963 the Great Salt Lake Authority was formed and the legislature appropriated for Cor the organization to begin begin begin be be- gin studies and formulate plans for or the lakes lake's development Itis It Itis Its is s to Davis County's advantage that hat a Davis County man William William Willam Wil- Wil i liam lam S. S Holt Syracuse is the chairman of the Great Salt Lake Authority THAT appropriation started the ball rolling on what might eventually become a gi gi- gi- gi gantic mineral industrial and recreational development And thanks to Mr Holts Holt's leadership leadership leadership leader leader- ship the progress on the development development development de de- de- de of Antelope Island is i far ahead of the work estimated ed by the state two state two ye years rs ago Its It's been just a year since the State Road Commission began began be be- gan a survey to build a road out from Syracuse to the northern northern north north- i ern tip of Antelope Two months later they reported to the Great Salt Lake Authority that it would be another two years before they could get started to build the road BUT MR HOLT is a man manof manof manof of action and two years seemed like too much of a delay delay delay de de- de- de lay to him Theres There's a clause in inthe inthe inthe the bill which reads that the Great Salt Lake Authority is authorized to seek assistance assistance assistance assist assist- ance from federal or local governments governments governments gov gov- in planning and de de- de the uses of the Great Salt L Lake ke Mr H Holt lt put this clause into action when the State Road Commission announced the delay de lay Jay building in-building in hr building he road He went to the Davis County Commissioners Commissioners Commissioners Com Com- missioners and asked them for help So on Jan 15 two backhoes backhoes backhoes back- back hoes began scooping up a road roadbed roadbed roadbed bed from out of the mud flats was to be constructed BY WORKING around the clock while the ground was still till frozen they were able to nearly complete the five and a half mile road bed out to where they hey hit water which is within a mile and a half of the island island Since then both state and county road crews have been hauling gravel out to the site to o create a solid gravel surface on which a more substantial surface may be built later THIS THEN has been the giant step that has always been the he bottleneck in former plans pl for or development of Antelope Is- Is land and Just last week the tentatively ten ten- approved a biennium budget of for fOT the next two years' years use They plan to spend approximately of it on Antelope Island developments developments developments devel devel- alone and the other on the rest of the lake improvements WITH THIS new appropriation tion they plan to start the following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing developments in this order order order or or- der during the next two years build roads develop marinas and bathing facilities both for fresh water and salt water activities activities activities ac ac- ac- ac and a visitors' visitors center We also hope to interest some private concern to invest in development development development de de- de- de of a hostelry of some sort on the island William S. S Holt Molt chairman of the said But first the land must be purchased from the Island Ranching Co which now owns the bulk of the acre is is- is land At one time the offered offered offered of of- the company 20 per acre for or some acres or a total of for the northern por por- tion This the company rejected reject reject- ed so now the attorney general proceedings to acquire acquire acquire ac ac- ac- ac quire 4 acres for development development development develop develop- ment under the direction of the OF THIS TIllS acres some acres would be obtained from the ranching company The state already owns an 80 acre tract acres wh which ch was formerly owned by the federal government near the beacon light has been turned over to the Great Salt Lake Authority and the three and a half acre Egg Island just off the northwestern northwestern northwestern north north- western tip of Antelope Island would not have to be purchased IN MY OPINION this Egg Island is one of the most inter- inter See Sec Antelope Plans 2 Antelope Plans Continued from Front Page esting aspects of the development development development develop develop- ment of oC the island especially in the lie spring months of April through July when the marine birds are hatching Mr Holt said RECENTLY a preliminary master plan and a page 16 feasibility report was WilS presented to the Davis County Commissioners Commissioners Commis Commis- concerning future developments developments de de- of the island The plans would v possibly take several several sev sev- eral crill decades to develop so right now the completion of the road to get to the island is of the lie uppermost concern Then the developments could follow Callow one after another Over the tIle years according to the preliminary preliminary pre pre- pre pre- master milster plan such things as a golf course heliport heliport heli hell port airstrip pioneer village active games area areil g guest u e cst s t ranch trailer parks picnic areas western livestock pas lure ture dance pavilion and a tramway to at least one of the most panoramic view points could eventually be provided MOST OF these develop develop- ments would have to be provid provide provided ed cd by private enterprise But the lie many surfaced roads leading lead ing to the beaches and various lookout points would have to be supplied ed through state and county road funds State funds would also account for some other primary developments such as landscaping and water supplies Although there is an ample water supply for stock raising some sonic facilities for water storage storage storage stor stor- age would have to be provided and additional supplies from wells or piping from the mainland mainland mainland main main- land would have to be gained BUT BUr IT IS encouraging that the work has been started an and maybe in our lifetime we will see this sleeping giant come to life thanks to tho the formation of the Great Salt Lake Authority and such people as its ils cha chairman chairman chair chair- r- r man William Holt |