Smart Growth 1/12/07 Letter

January 12 2007

Dear Friends,

The Ogden City Council has asked the public to comment on the Chris Peterson development proposal. Comments should be received before Tuesday, January 23, when the Council will consider a resolution outlining steps toward possibly approving the proposal.

As a reminder, the Peterson proposal includes the following elements:

• Construction of a 4.5-mile, city-owned "urban gondola" from downtown Ogden to the foothills above Weber State University;
  
  
• Sale of the Mt. Ogden Golf Course plus 60 acres of adjacent city-owned park land (including much of our foothill trail system) to Peterson, for development as a gated residential area;
  
  
• Sale of 130 acres of WSU property (above Skyline Drive) to Peterson, also for gated residential development;
  
  
• Construction of a new resort on Peterson's mountain property in Malan's Basin, accessed by a second passenger gondola plus a separate construction tram and/or one or two unpaved roads starting in Taylor and/or Strong's Canyon.

Maps and detailed descriptions of these projects are available on our web site, www.smartgrowthogden.org. Smart Growth Ogden has urged public officials not to endorse or facilitate these projects before Peterson provides further details. We generally support keeping public park lands in public ownership, and we have endorsed the concept of a UTA-owned streetcar system, instead of a gondola, between downtown and the WSU area.

In order for Peterson's projects to move forward, the Council would have to take a number of steps including adopting new zoning ordinances, amending the city's General Plan, annexing Peterson's mountain property into the city, approving a development agreement with Peterson, and authorizing various city expenditures. The resolution to be considered on January 23 outlines these steps; a draft of the resolution is posted on the web at www.ogdencity.com/.

Recent news reports have hinted that Mayor Godfrey and other supporters of the Peterson proposal may be having second thoughts about some of its aspects. However, the mayor insists that the majority of Ogden residents support the urban gondola. Yet he has also rejected the idea of a public vote, even in a nonbinding referendum, on the project he calls the biggest thing to hit Ogden since the railroad.

Now is a time when public input may be especially influential. Please contact the City Council before January 23 and express your views. And if possible, please attend the meeting on the 23rd at 6:00 pm on the 3rd floor of the municipal building. You can reach all of the Council members through the City Council Office at:

2549 Washington Blvd., Ogden, UT 84401. 629-8153 (phone); 629-8733 (fax); citycouncil@ci.ogden.ut.us (email).

You may also wish to contact one or more Council members individually:

• Jesse Garcia, chair, Municipal Ward 1, 2668 Grant Ave. #9, 84401, 603-8522, jesseg@weberhs.org
  
• Amy Wicks, vice chair, at large, 2826 Quincy Ave., 84403, 627-3399, amywicks@yahoo.com
  
• Dorrene Jeske, at large, 1056 E, 425 N, 84404, 782-5827, jeske4ogden@comcast.net
  
• Rick Safsten, Municipal Ward 4, 4499 Fillmore Ave., 84403, 392-2842, rcsafsten@juno.com
  
• Doug Stephens, Municipal Ward 3, 1131 16th Street, 84404, 393-9796, dougstephensone@hotmail.com
  
• Brandon Stephenson, Municipal Ward 2, 473 Hiland Road, 84404, 399-1419, joystu1@juno.com
  
• Susan Van Hooser, at large, 5134 Iroquois Way, 84403, 479-8915 citycouncil@ci.ogden.ut.us

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important decision.

Muke Vause
Mary Hall