| Show Park ar 0 or r Parking ar In Lot o. o S. S Ashley Sumner Stunner Contributing Writer At a recent Planning Commissions meeting for the city of Sandy residents remained staunchly divided over the proposal by the Boyer Land Development Company to rezone the Gibbons and Reed Gravel Pit in order to accommodate a Super Wal-Mart Wal and a Lowes Lowe's hardware store The gravel pit located at approximately 1000 East and South sits just minutes from the Sandy Campus All around us we see urban sprawl Penny Smith a Sandy resident who lives just blocks from the proposed site of the new development remarked With this parcel of land we have an opportunity m. m ty An opportunity for what depends on who you askI askI askI ask I dont don't live by the gravel pit but I drive by all the time Jeff White a Sandy resident began his plea to the Commission I 1 dont don't like my wife having to drive so farto far farto farto to get to a Wal White among others at the meeting who support Boyers Boyer's building plans at the gravel pit lives above Highland Drive on the east bench of Sandy several miles from the site Save Our Communities a local activist group strongly opposes Boyers Boyer's attempt to rezone the gravel pit They believe the gravel pit would better serve Sandy as a Large located centrally-located regional community park and believe that Sandy of all places DESERVES and can afford a REAL park like Sugarhouse Liberty and Murray parks as expressed on their m. m At the meeting Save Our Communities reps pled to the Planning Commission not to change zoning for the gravel pit calling Wal-Mart Wal and Lowes Lowe's box Big stores that would simply blight all surrounding surrounding surrounding sur sur- sur- sur rounding competing stores The group and residents who live in the surrounding neighborhoods also voiced concerns about traffic The average increase of traffic surrounding surrounding surrounding sur sur- sur- sur rounding Wal-Mart Wal is around cars a day which will effect commuters access to the nearby hospital and students who attend the Sandy campus Despite Save the Communities best efforts some meeting attendees still felt that all this was tion At one point I could have sworn I saw chicken little leave the room Remarked Doug Roper a Sandy resident who also added We should seriously consider the zoning variance The focus of the meeting centered on whether Sandy should put a park in the gravel gravel grav grav- el pit or let Boyer develop on the land Some however thought neither side had the right answer Resident Craig Schuler said that Sandy doesn't need another park but also doesn't believe Boyer should be able to use the land either Unlike Salt Lake Sandy doesn't have havea a church to bail us out Schuler said in regard to the financial implications of either choice The meeting which ran from to 1100 in the evening ultimately lead to the decision to hold another meet meet- ing Commissioners felt they needed more information I before committing to any any action For more information on upcoming meetings and the status of the zoning legislation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion visit |
