Update on Bison Creek Ranch

When the VCRD Trustees learned late last week of Bison Creek's Stream Alteration request, a letter was sent from the VCRD to the Utah Division of Water Rights (UDWR). That letter, and the concerns expressed by several nearby landowners to the UDWR, resulted in an on site meeting scheduled by the UDWR yesterday morning. At the meeting were representatives from the UDWR, the Utah Division of Wildlife, the developer, his engineering company, the VCRD and several landowners. Although invited by the UDWR, the Corps of Engineers chose not to attend.

The purpose of the meeting as stated in a letter from the UDWR was for Barry Swartz of Bison Creek "to clarify certain points regarding the various drainages involved and their relationship to the development." And that "this may be a good time for adjacent property owners to have their concerns addressed."

Mr. Swartz and Gardner Engineering reviewed the project using maps which included among other things the location of streams, springs, irrigation ditches, bridges, culverts, boardwalks and trailways. There were many questions asked and answered concerning the following: location of the streams and springs to be altered, the percent of wetlands impacted by the project & how calculated, why the boardwalks through the wetlands aren't included in that calculation, whether all bridges will be outside the wetlands, the approach to be taken to prohibit trucks from driving through wetlands during project construction, precautions taken so lot owners do not impact wildlife, mosquito abatement, ownership & responsibility for the roads, lakes, wetlands & sewer treatment facility, source of water for homes, lawns, lakes, wetlands & to replace lake water lost to evaporation.

The answers provided were not always ones we wanted to hear. The developer referred back to being given approval from the Corps of Engineers on many items. One such item is the exclusion of the boardwalks in calculating the percent of wetlands disturbed by the project. Per the developer the boardwalks are designed within the Corps's accepted parameters so as to be excluded from the measurement.

The developer did say that because of concerns received by the Corps late last year from Valley residents on the overall percentage of wetlands included on Bison Creek property the acreage was recalculated and more wetlands added to the project. (A minor win for our side.)

The representative from Division of Wildlife commented that they had asked for those lots in the upper portion of the development to be pulled back because of an endangered species of bird in the vicinity. This reduction of lot sizes was agreed to by the developer. (Another minor victory.)

Some attendees made recommendations based on personal experience to increase the size of the culverts to be used. The UDWR representative mentioned they would also like to see the culverts enlarged and half piped. At first Mr. Swartz agreed to enlarge the pipes, but then backpedalled and said he would do "whatever the State and Corps wants."

When the meeting was adjourned the UDWR rep asked the developer to show him certain areas of the project. We were not included in this discussion.

Sharon Zini
VCRD Secretary

Rock Crushing in the Valley

I did not attend the OVPC meeting on Tuesday 6/26 I have been informed that the proposed zoning change to allow rock crushing in MV-1 zones was denied.

We can expect this decision to be appealed to the County Commissioners. You are encouraged to write to your the Commissioners and voice your opinion concerning this issue.

Ron

Ogden Valley Planning Commission Meeting tonight!

The Ogden Valley Planning Commission Meeting will be held tonight:

June 26, 2007

4:30 Pm

Weber County Commission Chambers
Click Here for the agenda

Letter to Sen Hatch, Bennett and Rep Bishop

This is a copy of the letter Sharon and I sent to our Federal Representatives
about the Bison Creek Ranch development and their recent request for Alteration of
the streams on their development property. They all received indivdual letters.and we felt
that since the US Army Corps of Engineers was involved in the original permit process at Bison
Creek, our Federal leaders may be able to assist with any review.


June 22, 2007

Dear Senator Hatch, Bennett and Rep Bishop

The purpose of this letter is to draw your attention to an issue in the Ogden Valley that is of major concern to ourselves and other local residents.

Approval has been granted by the Weber County Planning Commission for the development of Bison Creek Ranch, including a sewer treatment facility adjacent to Highway 39. While the initial application for the Bison Creek development involved a permit approval by the US Army Corps of Engineers, it appears that the Bison Creek developer did not identify three streams on the property in their initial application.

The Bison Creek developer initially denied the existence of these springs, but has recently filed an application for an alteration permit for these now acknowledged streams and tributaries with the Utah Department of Natural Resources -Division of Water Rights.

This omission would make the initial Bison Creek Ranch request incomplete since their Joint Application stated that only 0.48 acres of watercourse and wetlands will be affected by this project. We request that the Army Corps of Engineers do a complete reanalysis of this application as it may now exceed 0.50 acres. If this is the case, a different Army Corps of Engineers permit would be required.



Your assistance is requested to insure that the US Army Corps of Engineers review and recalculate the percent of watercourse and wetlands now affected by this development.


Sincerely,


Lawrence J. Zini Sharon A. Zini

Public Hearing for Rezone in Huntsville

A public hearing is being held on June 19, 2007 at the Weber County Commission Chambers to discuss a rezone request that was denied by the Weber County Planning Commission in April.

The County Planning department is also against the rezone, but the petitioners have appealed to the County Commission.

This is of particular interest to those in Huntsville since the property is in very close proximity to Huntsville's water source and the resultant increased density could have a very negative impact on the water source. It would also be precedent setting for adjacent properties.

Be sure to attend this important meeting.

Richard Sorensen
Huntsville

Here is the information from the Counties web site:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the Weber County Commission will hold a public hearing on
June 19,2007,
at 10:00 a.m, in the
Commission Chambers, 1st Floor, Weber Center, 2380 Washington Blvd.,Ogden, Utah,
to consider rezoning property in Section 2 Township 5 North Range 2 East from Forest F-40 to a Forest F-5.

Copies of the proposal may be reviewed prior to the hearing in the Weber County Planning Commission Office, Suite 240, in the Weber Center.

By Board of Commissioners of Weber County Jan M. Zogmaister, Vice Chair

ATTEST: Alan D. McEwan, CPA Weber County Clerk/Auditor

Bison Creek Files To Alter Spring Creek

Bison Creek has filed with the office of the Utah Division of Water Rights to Alter tributaries to Spring Creek.

The Camel got his nose in the tent - what next?

Comments must be made before June 18, 2007.

Here are some details:

Application to Alter a Natural Stream No. 07-35-0022 (SPRING CREEK
TRIBUTARIES (3)) has been filed in the office of the Utah Division of Water
Rights. Your comments are requested so we can evaluate any impacts caused
by the project.Click Here to see the application and documentation

If we do not receive comments by that date, the department will assume you
have no input on the proposal outlined in the application. If you have any
questions or comments, contact: Judy Mattson
or phone Judy at (801) 538-7414.

Bonus Density Awards

Letter to the Weber County Commission From Larry and Sharon Zini


We request that the Weber County Commission give serious consideration to removing all Bonus Density Awards for future development in the Ogden Valley. These Bonus Density Awards are a significant factor in the accelerated growth in the valley.

We are not advocating abandoning the Transfer Development Rights (TDR) concept in the Valley. We feel TDRs are an important component for the open space development concept.

If Bonus Density Awards are retained by the Weber County Commission, we recommend that:

1. The Weber County Commission reject the proposed TDR ordinance that provides additional bonus density units for TDRs purchased by developers. This ordinance would, in effect, increase the total Bonus Density Awards to 40%.

2. Maximize bonus density units at 20%, based on the original developer plan, exclusive of any TDRs purchased.

3. Consider reducing, and eventually eliminating Bonus Density Awards over the period of the next five years within the Ogden Valley.



Larry & Sharon Zini

Bison Creek Ranch Appeal Tuesday

The Valley Citizens for Responsible Development have filed a second appeal regarding the sewer system at Bison Creek ranch and will present their case to the county commissioners on Tuesday. Certainly the commissioners have already made up their mind to support the developers, so we can expect another rubber stamping session. We can only hope they will provide the opportunity for community input, and further hope they will listen.

Be there:

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

10:00 AM

Weber County commision chambers

Be there and inform your neighbors

Valley Citizens for Responsible Development (VCRD) Meeting May 24th

The next Valley Citizens for Responsible Development Meeting will be held:

May 24th, 2007

at the Huntsville Library,

7:00 pm.

Your attendance and support is appreciated.

Please invite your neighbors.

No Incentives Necessary to Attract Developers to Ogden Valley

When we contemplate the beauty of our valley and the year around recreational opportunities it provides, one must wonder why we find it necessary to provide bonus incentives for land developers.

In other areas of the country where we have lived, an area with the advantages of the Ogden Valley would have land developers standing in line to present their development proposals and what they could contribute to the community. It has been our experience that land developers have agreed to build schools and recreational parks—at their own expense—just for the opportunity to have their plans approved!

In our valley, we offer bonus density incentives for land developers, and with the new proposed ordinances under current consideration, the writers have proposed that we should increase these bonus density provisions. The most egregious of these provisions is in the proposed ordinance relating to TDRs. If passed, it would double the bonus units from 20% to 40%, and will significantly increase density to the original plan for each development. While the TDRs may be a good option for some local landowners, the Weber County Commission should remove bonus density provisions attached to the proposed TDR ordinance (See Title 37, 37-3A, Ogden Valley Transfer of Development Rights).

In addition, we believe there is no reason to provide for any bonus density awards to make our valley an attractive investment for developers. The Weber County Planning Commission should consider changing the current ordinances, i.e., Chapter 22B, Cluster Subdivision Special Provisions, to reduce, and ultimately, remove all of the bonus density incentives for Ogden Valley.

We encourage everyone in the Valley to read the new ordinance proposals and contact their Weber County Commissioner to let them know how you feel on this issue. They will vote on these ordinances soon.

We should all assist in managing the growth in the Valley with active participation and oversight of both the Ogden Valley Planning Commission and the people who appoint them—the voter elected Weber County Commission.

Larry and Sharon Zini,
Huntsville

Valley Citizens for Responsible Development (VCRD) Meeting May 10th

VALLEY CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC MEETING

THURSDAY, MAY 10TH, 2007

7:00 PM

HUNTSVILLE LIBRARY.

PLEASE ATTEND AND INVITE YOUR NEIGHBORS.

Here's a summary of the discussion from the last meeting of VCRD:

Explained the results of the Board of Adjustment decision regarding calculation of home ensity in wet land areas. The Board supported the developer. The Army Corp of Engineers still needs to make a final determination.

Report on the status of our membership and finances.

Discussion included:

l. A need to have more visibility in Ogden Valley by having Eden, Liberty
and Huntsville Town form alliances with VCRD. Also a need for more publication in local and Salt Lake City newspapers.

2. We all should make contact with the County Commissioners via mail, email and telephone calls to voice our concerns. The County Commissioners have the final say in the decisions.

3. Discussion on the "Truth In Taxation" law of l985. More information will be provided in the future.

4. Discussion on the proposed Valley Ordinances.

5. A need to have the county provide notices to the citizens impacted by
development. Currently it isn't the best.

6. Discussion on Middlefork Canyon and plans by the Fish and Game.

7. Other business and discussion.

Leon Fielding and Dennis Shaw met with the Huntsville Town Council last week and requested an alliance with the Town. A motion was submitted and passed approving this alliance.

THE NEXT PUBLIC MEETING IS THURSDAY, MAY 10TH, 2007, 7:00 PM, AT THE HUNTSVILLE LIBRARY. PLEASE ATTEND AND INVITE YOUR NEIGHBORS.

Disclaimer: The Ogden Valley Forum is not officially affiliated with VCRD, but serves as a sounding board for all and fully supports VCRD in their efforts for Responsible Development.

Huntsville Town Approves Cooperative Alliance with Valley Citizens For Responsible Development

Taking a positive stand in support of Responsible Growth in Ogden Valley, the Huntsville Town Council approved this motion during the May 1, 2007 meeting:

I move that Huntsville Town form a cooperative alliance with the Valley Citizens for Responsible Development (VCRD) with the intent of assisting and working with VCRD in their efforts to insure responsible growth and development in Ogden Valley.

The council voted 4-1 in favor of the Alliance.

We look forward to working with VCRD.

Richard L. Sorensen
Huntsville Town Council