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Show Editorial Since when should, jmst a few penalize rigluts of tinonsaiid-S Since when should only one or two families control the fate of 70 or 80 neighboring property owners? This is being done today with the decision by the Bountiful City Council to "put on hold" at least until spring any plans for widening and improving 500 South Street between Main and 500 West. No, Bountiful City Counc.il is not to blame. It had no other choice but to postpone proposed construction. The work can't be done until all property owners with land bordering 500 South sign an easement utility strip. And there are still a few "holdouts" those who will not sign because of fear that Bountiful will come back a few years in the future and "seize" this deeded land without proper compensation. compensa-tion. As long as there is only one holdout, the project can not be completed -- not even started, explained City Manager Tom Hardy. So who suffers? Every motorist in Bountiful who at any time travels 500 South is being jeopardized. And the remaining 70-plus property owners own-ers who want the street widened and improvements installed are the ones who are penalized. It doesn't seem fair. Bountiful City officials have compromised, leaned over backwards, back-wards, and did everything possible to make the project feasible. And they are not charging the property owners - those who will really benefit from the expansion - one single dime. The project will cost an estimated $250,000 - all of which would be surplus city funds and state aid. There is no tax increase necessary to pay for the project, the city manager emphasized. But because of fears that city officials will not keep their word (about the easement) and because of personal concerns among a few property owners, the proposed street-widening project is being scrapped. The project will remain dormant until all easements for utilities utili-ties and improvements can be obtained by the city.. "We can't afford (as a city) to purchase the easements, and it wouldn't be right to purchase one or two easements and expect all the others to deed without compensation their property easements," said Mr. Hardy. He went on to explain that the only easement needed from the property owners is five feet wide for utilities and about two feet for widening of the sidewalk. The easements would be used only for those purposes, he said. In return, the city would pay - with some state aid - the full amount to widen 500 South and about 10 feet enough to provide two fast-lanes of traffic each direction with a collector lane for left-hand turns. Without left-hand turn lanes, 500 South is notorious for rear-end rear-end and left-turn accidents. This section of 500 South is one of the most heavily traveled streets in the city - and has the highest ratio of accidents per miles driven than any other street, according accord-ing to police accident records. For years Bountiful motorists have complained about the congested, dangerous conditions of travel because the street is so narrow. Now that the city has offered to widen the street and improve the utilities, there are a few who live in the area refusing to go along with the project. Now motorists have an opportunity of being provided with a wider, safer route to travel - with no additional tax and no extra burden to local property owners except to deed a few feet of property so that the work can be done. The question remains: "Is it right that only a few land owners should control the fate of 500 South Street?" Davis County Clipper does not believe that a few families should be allowed to stand in the way of progress which would eventually provide all residents with a much safer street upon which to travel. We commend all those who have worked so diligently to provide a wider, safer 500 South. We invite you, our readers, to respond to this and any editorial edito-rial that appears in this newspaper. Please type double or triple-space triple-space your response and mail or deliver to the Davis County ' Clipper, Letter to the Editor, 76 South Main, Bountiful, 84010. |