The $47 Million Dollar park bond would add an additional $5.73 onto the average property tax bill. The money would go towards completing the Jordan River Parkway, Building a connector into the Bonneville Shoreline Trails System, and creating three regional parks and buying additional land in Magna.
Overall the reaction to the proposal is positive. However, upon completing the episode I received an email from a concerned citizen who suggested some problems with the plan.
I am against the parks bond and I understand that you are going to
have a county seat program Sunday on the subject.
I would like to make sure that all sides are considered. I know that
Jeff Salt and others are threatening a lawsuit but I would like to
point out the other problems in the proposed bond. I alone testified
against the bond proposal in front of the County Council last month
when it was first approved. If you need background shots, I suggest
next to the freeway where the trees were cut on 17th E. or Hidden
Hollow.
These are the reasons to beware the Salt Lake County Parks Bond:
The Magna Area Regional Park funding ($5.5 million) is for
purchasing property from ATK which was previously used by a solid
rocket manufacturing company. Other solid rocket manufacturing areas
have been discovered to contain dangerous levels of contaminants such
as potassium perchlorate. Funding should not go to buy contaminated
property. The money just buys the property and would require much
more funding to actually create a park and facilities. Buying the
property would put a lot of pressure to spend more money to complete
the park.
The funding for the Jordan River Parkway Trail is the biggest
portion of the bond. The funds could be used to complete the Salt
Lake City soccer field boondoggle instead of being used exclusively on
the trail. Salt Lake City has always expected the County to pitch in
over $10 million to fund the soccer complex and this appears to meet
Salt Lake City’s expectations.
The Parley’s Trail is supposed to get $9 million from the bond. The
brochure that touts the benefits of the bond says that the Trail will
be a paved non-motorized pathway. But the funds are supposed to be
used to help UTA create a path along the Sugar House streetcar.
Combining a streetcar, bikers, pedestrians, children and dogs along a
narrow corridor could create a significant safety issue. Imagine
children or dogs jumping out of the way of a biker and into the path
of the streetcar. Despite what the bond brochure says, the streetcar
trail is motorized!
Other Parley’s Trail funds from the bond proposal will cut down more
trees in Sugar House Park. Mature trees decrease noise and pollution
and create an inviting area for people and should not be cut down.
The noise and pollution from the adjacent freeway is not conducive to
the idea of a quiet and green trail system. The local neighborhoods
north and south of the freeway provide beautiful areas with many
mature trees that are more inviting to walk than the Sugar House Park
next to the freeway that has noisy heavy truck traffic.
The funds for the Parley’s Trail appear to be used for a tunnel that
will result in a big increase in value for property owners across the
street from Sugar House Park. The tunnel that connects Hidden Hollow
to Sugar House essentially gives their property direct access to the
Park. The increase in value is so much that the property owners
should be funding the tunnel instead of asking the taxpayers to pay
for it. Other potential uses for the funds could be for an art
project next to the proposed tunnel. Any funds for Sugar House Park
should be used to plant more mature trees.
A higher priority should be to develop and keep open neighborhood
parks such as at schools (charter schools in Utah can close their
parks to the public). It is important that the citizens of Salt Lake
County make an informed decision when they vote Nov. 6. The parks
bond proposal raises too many questions and concerns and should be
voted down.
For more information about the proposed park bond please check out
http://www.slco.org/parkBond/