Guest Post by Lee Schussman, Eden, UT
The Ogden Valley Planning Commission met last night and REJECTED the proposed CUP for a helicopter-landing pad at the Red Moose Lodge in Eden.
The helicopter operators and the Red Moose Lodge now have 15 days to appeal to the Weber County Commissioners to try to get them to reverse this rejection.
The Weber County Commissioners will have to make a final decision re granting a CUP for landing and taking off of helicopters from the center of Eden’s residential and business center
Last year, with no legal permit, the helicopters flew in and out of “downtown” Eden (up to 22 times a day!) Soon, at Ogden Valley Planning Commission meetings, dozens of citizens spoke against a helipad in this location; and any more signed Aubrey Carver’s petition against the Eden helipad. This year, with many concerns still unanswered, a CUP for the helipad has been once again requested.
If you have an interest in this issue, it is time to make your opinion known. Please consider doing the following NOW:
1. Go to the Ogden Valley Forum web site. Scroll down to the posting of January 28, 2011 titled “Letter to Planning Commission Re Helipad.” If you agree with those points, please take the time send a quick e-mail to:
Shelly Halacy, Administrative Assistant to the Weber County Commission. Her e-mail is shalacy@co.weber.ut.us.
Express your concern and opinions, and request that Ms Halacy forward your e-mail and concerns to all three County Commissioners.
2. Go to the Ogden Valley Forum web site. Scroll down the right side to the web link to “Weber County Commissioners”. Visit that site and stay current with their agenda and up-coming meetings and consider attending and participating.
It is unknown if the County Commissioners will make accommodations for any further public input at future meetings re this issue, so please take a few minutes and e-mail NOW. Also, please contact any like-minded friends or neighbors and urge them to stay vigilant and actively participating in the soon-to-be-made County Commissioners’ decisions, as these decisions will affect us all for years in the future.
My head is spinning! Do you mean the Weber County officials finally rejected a greedy money maker and stood up for the people of Ogden Valley on an issue????? This can't be, the moon will be blue soon. It is indeed a cold day in hell.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a proponent of the helicopter, but would like to know; 1) what the average number of flights were taken. 2) Was the "up to 22 times a day" 22 round trips, or 11 round trips. 3) What time do they start, what time do they end.
ReplyDeleteIf there's one thing I've found in reading this forum, its that the writers take careful liberty in their wording to embellish their arguments.
That is what the Forum is for Fly Guy. Free expression and exchange of ideas. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteFly guy, does it really matter if it was 11 or 22 round trips? Either in an 8 hour period is too much.
ReplyDeleteAl has a point. This is a residential area that these copters will be flying over, not an airport. Make these skiers go to Ogden Airport if they want a helicopter.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, seems like you are the one slinging something. Who decides what is correct or not, You? Hah, you don't even have the guts to put your name on your post.
ReplyDelete@Fly Guy, the best way to understand all the facts is to either attend the meetings or read the minutes of the meetings posted on the counties web site. If I recall correctly there was an instance in the late winter/spring of 2010 where 11 round trips occurred from the proposed location. As to the times, it varies but was between sun rise and sunset.
ReplyDeleteI have been surprised that petitioner has not been better prepared at the hearings and address the issues up front. IMO his lack of preparation came across as he was not overly concerned.
Thank you. That's a much better response than the infantile "get out of the kitchen" when you're slinging the feces, not prepared to answer specific questions and thinking that somehow you're being persuasive.
ReplyDeleteThis issue notwithstanding (as I said, I am not a proponent of the helicopter) I come to this blog to follow the goings on in the valley, but like many I get frustrated at the one sidedness and the lack of respect given to those who ask questions.
This place is a bathroom wall for adults...no wonder people remain anonymous. The moment someone offers an opposing viewpoint, the writer is instantly shut down by a small herd of bullies who storm the site.
ReplyDeleteFor a biased viewpoint: CALL 1-800-OV-FORUM!
To the creators of the site: if you don't want anonymous posts, don't allow them in the first place.
WARNING! This message will self destruct before you can say, "I love Ogden Valley most!"
Fly Guy is as dumb as a mud fence. The kitchen remark was obviously about the forum, not the subject matter.
ReplyDeleteActually Im sitting here scratching my head at how this didn't get approved. They are proposing there site where of all the valley is the most populated for business's. And to say "Weber County officials finally rejected a greedy money maker and stood up for the people of Ogden Valley." I know this family personally..they are from the valley they dont have all the money to just get things passed and approved. There small time just like the rest of us. I however do have alot of experience at how "Weber County officals dont stand up to greedy money maker's." Case in point...I live right next door to the proposed Green Valley Academy. This organization does have a little more cash than the folks with the helipad. And all they had to do was threaten lawsuits against the county and the commissioners themselves and guess what it got approved!! Even with the commissioners strongly opposing it they didn't know what to do but approve because of the threat of lawsuit. Or maybe if the helipad wasn't so close to the Ogden Valley Planning Commissions house's it would have been approved. One question I had was why Mrs. Carvers Cove was not asked what her peak operating time of the year is? The helipad's is end of January to end of March, roughly 2-3 months. And I dont know why Mrs. Carver was so worried about her guests being annoyed with this, from what I'm told she packs up and goes to Arizona in November and comes back in April or May sometime. This could be wrong but I do know both these business's peak operating times are different. I mean really we live in the valley. A valley that is huge with recreation. I feel a business like the helipad supports the "recreation" we have in the valley. It probably would have helped Mr. Moose Lodge and gave him a little more business and he would not be having to sell right now. We do have to have an openmind about some growth in the valley. If I lived downtown I could understand a troubled youth school like green Valley going in but not a helipad. But up here just the opposite. I really think we messed up here. We didnt allow the helipad that would have brang revenue to the valley and it would have put a minimal imposition on the folks around. But then they approve Green Valley Academy that will trully impact the residents. Trust me I've done so much research on the impact of Green Valley verses the Helipad it's not even funny. So in closing I would say maybe the Helipad bunch could offer a trade with there proposed site and they can be next door to me rather than this treatment center. And the treatment center could take there site. We all really need to think about what our valley represents and the business's that make sense and the ones that dont..
ReplyDeleteSundance, most of the people don't want a Helicopter coming into the valley with the noise levels and added commercial growth. Who is to say it will be the last Helicopter service? What would stop another company from bringing larger passenger helicopters in here? If you can rationalize one, you can rationalize more. This is not an airport facility, it is a residential community valley.
ReplyDeleteAll we ever hear is how much money and jobs something will bring. Many living here don't have an interest in that level of increased growth in Ogden Valley.
Right... I understand what your saying but your taking a small business and and saying it could turn into an airport? And Tom id you attended the OVPC meetings you would know this is a contional use permit for Diamond Peaks and noone else. All sorts of larger companies cant just use it. Evenutally there will be all sorts of things here in the valley with the way the zoning laws are. In the future we can limit these business with a smart growth plan. Like getting the zoning laws more up to date and making sure the valley grows in the ways we want. For now I think we all should support local business's and local residents trying to start business's or bring more business to the valley. Because like I said we are in the recreation community. This type of business makes sense here rather than a Troubled Youth facility.
ReplyDeleteSundance, once the Camel gets his nose into the tent, it will difficult to stop they rest from coming in. The problem with your approach is that many people have been trying to limit the growth up here for years without much success. The Weber County Commission trashed the long standing 3 acre limit that has been enforced for 15 plus years to give in to the Powder Mountain expansion. We don't want any more of that, so people fight on every issue before we turn into Park City.
ReplyDeleteI understand the need for a helicopter during emergencies, but most would dislike the idea of regular noise (that cannot be removed from the machine)at the benefit of a select few.
ReplyDelete