RCT Online News: 2021-05-09

Saturday, May 15, 2021

While House Bill 294 ends the statewide mask requirements in most places on April 10th, it also stipulates that the K-12 school mask requirement does not end until June 15. Therefore, all schools throughout Utah are required to continue the expectation that masks be worn by order of the Governor’s office and the Utah Department of Health.

Although differing opinions about masks exist, a school district board of education has no legal authority to alter the mask expectation before June 15. The Board, the Superintendent, a principal, or a classroom teacher do not hold the authority to change the mask order. Concerns regarding mask issues should be addressed to state officials.

Many teachers and community members have received the vaccination. However, state guidelines require that all adults and students continue to wear a mask while at school, on school property, at on and off-campus school functions, and while riding a school bus.

Sincerely,

Rich School District

National Oregon/ California Trail Center to Open

Opening May 28, 2021

Open: Wednesday - Saturday 9 am to 3 pm

Closed: Sunday - Tuesday

The NATIONAL OREGON/CALIFORNIA TRAIL CENTER, located in MONTPELIER, IDAHO, offers visitors a unique and entertaining interpretive indoor adventure; simulating an actual wagon train experience of the 1850s. Re-enacted entirely within our comfortable center, this interpretive experience features historically accurate interpretive areas and live actors. Patrons will go back in time to visit a gun shop, mercantile, ride in a covered wagon and spend time around the evening encircled wagon train at the Clover Creek Encampment.

The National Oregon/California Trail Center and the City of Montpelier, Idaho are located on the historic Oregon/California Trail, mid-way between Jackson/Yellowstone and Salt Lake City. Our hotels, restaurants and location are within the beautiful Bear Lake Valley and offer the tourist traveler a unique vacation stopover.

Step Into the Days of the Oregon Trail by taking our simulated Wagon Trail Adventure. You and your family will become members of a simulated wagon train headed west and be guided by our live cast of pioneers whose dialogue and stories will make the adventure come alive! Sign up at our front desk.

The Center also offers spacious and clean restrooms, the Peg Leg Smith Trading Post gift shop, exhibits , Rails and Trails Museum, the Allinger Community Theatre, an original art exhibit of Oregon Trail paintings by Idaho artist Gary Stone and the beautiful murals of artist-in-residence John Wayne Cook. This will be an experience you will never forget!

Sunday, May 9, 2021

Eighteen Wheeler Philosophy

Leading Ladies

By Mel Hansen

The 3 important loves of my life.

My pretty little wife, Gwenda, middle…my Mother, Noreen, left…my Mother In Law, Glee, right.

To me….these three could’ve been movie stars. Beautiful in their youth…even more so with age.

These 3 are remarkable! Each one basically raised their children on their own. They taught them the valuable things that will get them through life by example…and with Christ like love. They are adored/honored….extremely loved!…by their grandchildren.

They are great examples of womanhood and motherhood.

I believe I can speak for my Dad, my Father in Law…in saying how blessed we became when these beautiful women became the…Leading Ladies…in our lives. They’ve loved/supported us in spite of ourselves. They are the main reasons we’ve gained any measure of success in our lives.

They have helped make us better men.

I love…I’m grateful…for these three ladies with every beat of my heart.

Happy Mothers Day to all you remarkable ladies. Mother’s are truly one of the greatest gifts of God.

Evening at Bear Lake

Painting by Lauriann Wakefield

Public Hearing on RV Park Development

GARDEN CITY, Utah May 5, 2021. At a packed public hearing for Planning and Zoning, Sun Development spokespersons outline rough proposals for the a RV park and recreational community. The Garden City council room was filled to capacity and there were people standing in the parking lot outside. For over an hour everyone who wanted to ask questions or speak to the proposal were each given two minutes to speak at the public hearing.

Most had the same concerns, water, sewer capacity, road traffic, congestion and a change of the community from a small cohesive community to becoming a commercial resort with few full time residents.

The P&Z made no decision on the proposal saying that there was not enough information to make a decision about changing the zoning and planned use for the area to a commercial area and RV park.

James Hanzelka, one of the citizens at the meeting summed it up; " The P&Z board basically tabled the discussions pending a review of the legal issues raised, completion of the traffic studies and the other studies in process. They rightly felt there just wasn't enough information to go forward at this time with a rezone.

Commission member House also pointed out that this seems to be a rather dramatic shift in the current zoning for the area and is an issue in terms of compliance with the basic city documents."

Hanzelka added, "Another thing that became abundantly clear is that this is expected to be a high end property, not affordable housing. In fact the company expected to bring in 50-60 additional workers that would further stress the already limited supply of affordable housing in the area."

Letters about proposed RV Park Development

May 1, 2021

Garden City, Utah

Attn: Mike Leonhardt, Mayor, Dan Kurek, Planning Commission Chairperson

RE: Proposed Sun Communities Development at Bear Lake

Dear Mayor Leonhardt and Commissioner Kurek,

We’re writing this letter to express our opposition to the proposed Sun Communities development in Garden City that will be heard at the Planning Commission meeting on May 5^th.

The negative impacts that the proposed 500-lot RV project would cause are both numerous and obvious. Sadly, you simply cannot “undo” a mistake once it’s been made, so we encourage you to proceed carefully and to fully consider the consequences of a development of this scale.

Our opposition to the proposed project is based on the following:

1. Incompatibility with the existing Master Plan for Garden City.

Nowhere in the City’s current Master Plan do we see information that would lead us to believe that a 500-lot RV Community is desired, or that a project of that scale has been anticipated or provided for with regards to city infrastructure. (water, sewer, ingress, egress, traffic, safety, etc.)

2. Improper Zoning

Zoning is intended to help ensure that development is consistent and compatible with the uses of other properties in the area. The subject 110-acre property is not currently zoned to accommodate the proposed project nor is the proposed project compatible with the uses of other property located around it.

3. Location

We oppose the location of the proposed project due to the significant negative impacts that it would have on the area. To our knowledge, neither an environmental impact study or an economic impact study has been completed regarding the proposed project.

4. Traffic Congestion

The plat map for the Sun Communities project shows that the primary entry point for the project would be located on Hodges Canyon Road. In addition to the existing traffic on Hodges Canyon Road, the City’s current master plan shows that the proposed Paradise Parkway (Buttercup Lane Bypass) would bring a significant amount of additional traffic south from US 89 and dump it onto Hodges Canyon Road just west of the proposed project. That traffic, coupled with the additional traffic created by the proposed project, would have to somehow get back to US 30 before proceeding either north or south. Obviously, that situation is simply not feasible as it would result in serious safety issues and cause absolute gridlock at and/or near the intersection of Hodges Canyon Road and US 30.

To our knowledge, no UDOT-sanctioned traffic study has been completed regarding the quantification of the proposed project’s impact on traffic and safety.

5. Water & Sewer

The proposed project would cause significant impact on the City’s already-strained sewer and water capacities. City services have been repeatedly interrupted in recent years due to capacity issues. To our knowledge, no study has been completed as to the proposed project’s impact on city water and sewer capacity.

In conclusion, we ask that you deny the developers application for approval. This is simply the wrong project in the wrong location.

Sincerely, Phillip V and Connie R Olsen, Bear Lake Property Owners, Shorelodge Estates

As the water operator for Bear Lake West I can attest to the fact our water resources are struggling to meet demand in the summer. So is Fish Haven Sewer District. This spurt in growth is a nightmare for us utility operators trying to do more with fixed resources. The only options are to consider each application carefully and make the developers pay for utility expansion and capacities....and even then resources for supply of water and sewage treatment have their limits.

As homeowners in Garden City, we strongly oppose the trailer park proposal and ask the planning committee to say no to this development. The entire area around Bear Lake has already grown too big and we do not need another project to utilize our water and place an undue burden on the sewer system and cause more demand on our lake and other resources. There has been so much development take place over the past few years to include hundreds of rental properties and we residents do not support the additional growth in our pristine valley. Please vote "NO" on this application.

Thank you, Stephen and Caroline Pope