Two important dates for Emerald City political wonks
There are a couple of community/governmental events coming up this week, which ought to be of special interest our gentle readers; so we thought it would be useful to provide reminders here:
First, our Emerald City Planning Commission will be again this week considering the Mixed Use Ordinance which has been on the table since earlier this year. In that connection, we have uploaded the latest revision, which can be viewed in PDF format here. We also provide a link to the latest Planning Commission Report, which provides background regarding the latest proposed MU ordinance language. We invite interested readers to carefully examine these two documents, and plan to attend the Wednesday March 7, 2005 Planning Commission meeting, which will be held at 5:00 p.m. in the Emerald City Council Chambers.
We got word earlier in the week that Boss Godfrey and his developer wanna-be croney Chris Peterson were spotted touring the Mt. Ogden Golf course Thursday last, with a "very famous" (but un-named) golf course designer in tow. There's certainly no predicting what The Boss of US All will "pull" next. In the wake of the Bootjack stealth transaction of last December, we lumpencitizens need to remain on our toes. We sincerely hope the council chambers will be packed on Wednesday night with concerned citizens, (trusty pitchforks and torches in hand,) to provide a gentle reminder to the Planning Commission that the vast majority of citizens in our community won't be happy with a gated community in the middle what was once our beautiful open space.
We'd also like to provide our readers a reminder of the public event calendared for the following evening, Thursday March 8, 2007 from 5-8 p.m., wherein The Emerald City Council will host a Transportation Horizons work session in the Council Chambers.
The council has initiated this work session, independent of the administration, to inform both themselves and Emerald City residents of transportation needs and opportunities. The Council is encouraging a strong public attendance. Residents attending the meeting will have the opportunity to speak with presenters and Council members before and after the work session. The work session will feature knowledgeable presenters from several organizations.
A Weber County Forum Tip o' the Hat to our Emerald City Council, for initiating this investigation into transportation alternatives. Many of us believe Boss Godfrey has dropped the ball in the public transportation arena, and it's great to see the council taking the initiative. For more information, check out the council's most recent press release. We hope everyone will plan to attend.
Our readers' intricate and always-intelligent analysis is invited. We'd especially like to hear from those folks who may have already run through the latest Mixed Use Ordinance language with their trusty fine-toothed combs. Please let us in on what you think about this latest revision.
The floor is open.
Update 2/5/07 9:55 a.m. MT: One of our gentle readers has forwarded to us a letter sent by the Smart Growth Ogden organization to its local membership. Although the letter somewhat overlaps the general information we have already provided above, we nevertheless take the liberty of publishing it here, inasmuch as it provides an additional helpful overview and analysis of the proposed Mixed Use Ordinance which will be the main subject of Wednesday night's Planning Commission agenda.
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33 comments:
Rudi,
Thanks for the notice about these two important events.
In my humble opinion, citizens will make a better impression if they leave their torches and pitchforks at home. Still, these events are well worth attending.
According to the Planning Commission agenda, the Mixed Use ordinance isn't scheduled until 7:50 pm. But it might be wise to arrive somewhat earlier than that, in case they go through the earlier items more quickly than expected.
Taking a lesson from the earlier marathon the PC held, I suggest we all eat a good supper and bring water bottles with us!
Rudi was just having a little fun about the torches and pitchforks, but we should go armed with facts!
You're so valuable to the rest of us, Dan, because you do possess facts!
Did the taxpayers of Ogden City pay for the "very famous" golf course expert AND, can anyone tell me why the naem is such a secret?
Sad Times at the WSJ
Well, I've finally gotten to see the recent much-touted WSJ article on Ogden as ski-company hub. [The copy-righted story by Reed Albergotti is dated
March 3, 2007.] It is a truly embarassing piece of journalism [politely so called].
The story says that central to Ogden's plan to become an outdoor sports manufacturing hub "is a controversial proposal for an overhead gondola" which
"would carry skiers from Ogden up to the secluded nearby Malan's Basin ski area."
Note the implication that the Malan's Basin ski area already exists, that it is not simply a gleam in Chris Peterson and Mayor Godfrey's eye. But it gets worse. Nowhere ---nowhere --- in the article does it even mention that the plan calls for two gondolas...one from downtown to WSU and another gondola to which riders would have to switch from WSU to Malan's Basin. You can read the entire article and find not even a hint that "the gondola" will not carry people from downtown to the non-existent Malan's Basin resort, but will only carry people to a second gondola, which will then carry them to Malan's Basin. Great reporting, WSJ. By comparison, the SE's Schwebke [who has often been criticized on this blog] is a Pulitizer-prize contender. [I have to wonder if the WSJ reporter visisted Ogden, or conducted his research exclusively by phone and fax.]
The WSJ story does mention that the plan relies on selling some "hiking land" to Chris Peterson for development. Some hiking land. That's it. No mention of the golf course. No mention that the "hiking land" involves selling the city's largest park and the largest remaining parcel of city-owned open space on the benches to Peterson for residential development. Just "hiking land."
It is interesting that the story quotes Mr. Kurt Geiger on why his company came to Ogden. Not for the gondola. Geiger says before Descente moved to Ogden from Denver "clients hardly ever visited." But "since relocating to Ogden," Descente has had "nearly 200 retailers" stop by. That and "lower overheads in Ogden" has permitted the company to allocate more resources to marketing and has boosted sales, the WSJ reported.
I note [though the WSJ did not], that the 200 visitors to Descente in Ogdan came without either of the two proposed gondolas... or even without the one the WSJ mentions... having been built. Imagine that.
This is a puff piece. The WSJ seems to have interviewed no opponents of the plan and to have relied on advocates of it to characterize the objections of the other side. Certainly no opponents are quoted.
Faith and begorrah, this isn't even
"he said she said" journalism. I think we all owe Mr. Schwebke, who at least gets quotes from both sides for his stories, an apology.
Secrecy and urgency are numbnut's MO.
Good Work, Curm!!
Why don't you send your post as an email to the Letters section of the WSJ?
You could add some facts that should make the paper sit up and take another look at our great ski capital, Geigers and Godfrey!
Schwebke has been doing a much better job lately. If he would dig and ask questions, we would all appreciate it.
My above post was a reply to Armysarge about Godfrey.
Curn - where can we find the article to which you referred?
Since when is any one surprised about the WSJ's lame reporting? This is a case of press release journalism, something the WSJ does frequently with these kind of stories. If it takes place any where but NYC or the other financial capitals, they very rarely have a reporter actually visit the site of the story. If you want them to cover the "other side of the story" you have to send them your own press release. The inaccuracies in this story, if there are any, came from whoever sent them the press release from which the story was written. The WSJ is in the money game, not the accurate news reporting game.
I'd like to remind everyone that the Council will be honoring Officer Ken Hammond and his wife, Sarita for their heroic actions of Feb. 12th and Acting Sgt. Eric Young for his extremely brave action Feb. 13th when he tried to save a young child trapped in a house fire. I think it would be a great tribute to them if those who could, attended Council meeting at 6:00 PM and showed their appreciation of these outstanding young men who are among "Ogden's Finest" serving Ogden. These recognitions are on the agenda right at the first of the meeting after the approval of the minutes.
Sorry, I overlooked answering your question, “Anonymous” who posted March 2, 2007 at 12:29 PM. I've been pretty busy with the Eagle Scout Dinner on March 14th, and taking care of my grandchildren so that I haven't had much time to read the blog or respond to posts. Anonmyous, your answer: I don’t know for sure, but I doubt that Council member Wicks knew and told some of the other Council members who the principals of Boot Jack LLC were before the Board voted on the sale. I was surprised to learn that it was Chris Peterson in January and I had the distinct feeling that some of the other members were, too.
I hope to see you all at the Council Meeting Tuesday night, Planning Commission meeting Wednesday night, and the Transportation Work Meeting Thursday night. Don't forget that the Wasatch Front Regional Council, UDOT, UTA, the Chamber of Commerce and some of the City Staff will be there to answer your questions before and after the Work Meeting at 5:00 PM. Whew! What a busy week!
Mrs. Jeske: Do you kwon teh source of the funding for the "expert" golf course person? Do you kwno why the name has to be a secret? Is the council EVER going to make ANY attempt to rein in this mayor???
Army:
Your public library should have copy of the WSJ available.
RESORTS
Breaking Into Snow Business
To boost tourism, a Utah town courts ski makers along with vacationers
By REED ALBERGOTTI
March 3, 2007; Page P4
OGDEN, Utah -- During a walk around this former railroad town, Mayor Matthew Godfrey points out a key part of Ogden's plan to become a premier center for outdoor tourism: an abandoned cannery with rotting wood floors and boarded-up windows. In a few months, it will become home to some of the biggest brands of the ski industry, including Salomon and two other units of Helsinki-based Amer Sports.
"There is no Silicon Valley for the ski industry," says Mr. Godfrey, a 36-year-old former technology executive. "Why not us?"
Ogden, a city of 82,000 perched on the edge of the Wasatch Mountains, wants the same thing as many other Western communities: a piece of the growing outdoor-tourism market. But Odgen is taking an unusual approach. Instead of just courting vacationers, it's also going after companies that make skis, snowboards and other outdoor gear. So far, it has gotten more than 10 brands to move to town, including Nidecker and Descente.
Central to both sides of the town's strategy is a controversial proposal for an overhead gondola. The gondola -- which is estimated to cost $35 million to $50 million and would be funded by the developer -- would carry skiers from Ogden up to the secluded nearby Malan's Basin ski area. The project's supporters hope it could eventually be extended to Snowbasin, where the 2002 Winter Olympics held downhill events and saw Bode Miller win a silver medal.
Ogden officials, particularly Mr. Godfrey, say the plans are the town's best hopes for a renaissance. Their pitch to the ski-and-outdoor companies: an opportunity to get in on the ground floor with relatively cheap real estate in an up-and-coming resort area, which makes it attractive for executives, retailers and other customers to combine vacation and business. If the gondola project is approved, these companies can also take potential wholesale buyers up to the nearby slopes to try out gear. The mountainous location also ties into product credibility -- companies like Patagonia have seen the benefits of associating themselves with picturesque, rugged areas.
On the tourism side, the outdoor businesses will have a vested interest in seeing the town's profile as a destination rise, says Kurt Geiger, vice president of Descente North America, an outdoor-clothing maker. In this view, passionate outdoors types might visit Ogden, in part, to see where their snowboards and high-performance jackets are made. Some companies are planning to open showrooms in downtown offices for commercial and retail customers.
Mr. Geiger says during the 10 years Descente was based in Denver, clients hardly ever visited. In just over two years since relocating to Ogden "we've had nearly 200 retailers who just dropped in," he says. That, plus lower overheads in Ogden -- which has allowed them to spend more on marketing -- has helped boost sales, he says.
But perhaps even more critical to the future of the town is that these companies could become allies in the battle over the gondola plan, which is being spearheaded by developer Chris Peterson. It has divided the city on whether public funds and resources should be used to help fund a project, which critics say doesn't solve the community's mass-transit issues and benefits a private developer (the construction of the gondola would be funded by a housing development, built in part on hiking land that the city would sell to Mr. Peterson).
The idea of a gondola link from Malan's Basin to Snowbasin has also failed to gain support from Earl Holding, the head of Sinclair Oil and the owner of Snowbasin resort -- who is also Mr. Peterson's father-in-law. Clint Ensign, head of government relations for Sinclair Oil, says that the company studied the feasibility of a gondola link and thinks that it's too difficult and costly. (Mr. Peterson also says he has no plans to connect the two resorts.)
If the plans come to fruition, "Ogden can be one of the best, most convenient high-adventure communities in the country," says Mr. Peterson, who has the support of the town's new ski businesses. Descente's chief operating officer, Bob Geiger (the son of Kurt Geiger), is the head of the pro-gondola group, Lift Ogden.
For now, Ogden's tourism draw is mainly as a cheaper -- though less convenient -- alternative to Park City. Ogden hotels offer ski packages to Snowbasin and Powder Mountain, both within a half-hour drive. There is also cross-country skiing and snowshoeing along the Wasatch Mountains.
Downtown, historic 25th Street has been attracting new restaurants. Nearby, the swanky redesigned offices of snowboard maker, Nidecker, have opened with a showroom and retail store. Further down the street, crews are finishing construction on the new Salomon Center. Named for one of the latest big brands to move to town, the recreation center will have an indoor wave pool, a sky-diving wind tunnel and rock-climbing walls.
But the strategy still has skeptics. Though town officials have succeeded in attracting some companies, others are waiting to see if the city council approves the gondola project. "Other companies have intimated that they're interested, but really would like to see the gondola come through," says Mr. Godfrey.
Frank, Good observation about press release journalism. This is largely the mode of journalism today, especially with out-of-story-range newspapers. It's nothing new, as national papers attempt to fill pages with regional and national stories where they have no reporters. Sad thing is they fail to even call any local reporter for updates or elaboration to press rease stories. Search any story with a hint off national interest and you will find a stack of newspapers nationwide regurgitating the exact same story word-for-word. Pretty sickening the depths to which journalism has tumbled. Scott Schwebke only occasionally musters the energy to followup or counterpoint. I encourage him to needle the hell out of story principals and resist the urge to wrap and to be nice in hopes of continued dialogue. Being nice is not part of investigative journalism. Believe me Scott, the mayor and his fools will continue talking. They love the stage. Just keep firing probing questions. The community expects it and that is the audience you should cultivate, not the powers that be.
Army Sarge, I don't know what the funding source for the "golf course expert" is. Last year when I told Bill Cook that I wanted to see a line by line item breakdown of the budget for the Mayor and his office, I was told, "We have an agreement: we don't question the Mayor's budget and he doesn't question ours."
Who knows why everything has to be secret with the Mayor?! I sure don't. You'll have to ask him. I've often said that "I grab and read the paper in the morning to find out what the City is doing."
As stated in our press release last week, the Council is drafting a procedure/policy to help keep us better informed when property is sold in the future. I cannot do much to bring about change without the support of the other Council members so I can't say when we'll see a change. The voters are the ones who determine the makeup of the Council generally, and campaign rhetoric isn't always reliable. I have tried to initiate some changes, and sometimes I have been successful and sometimes I haven't been. The wheels of democracy move slowly.
Would it be possible for the City Council or the Standard Examiner to file a GRAMA request for the Mayor's budget?
Every day that Godfrey remains in office and I learn of another example of his contempt for the CC and the citizens of Ogden, I become more incensed.
Anyone seen today's SE "Letters to the Editor"? Yet another example of Godfrey's stepping all over people trying to improve Ogden for the benefit of FOM. We have only the letter-writer's word at this point, but his story fits with past behavior on the part of the Mayor.
The supporters hope the gondola will eventually take them to Snowbasin???
Is there no shame among these schemers?
Later in the story we read that Earl Holding and Ensign say 'no go'.
Which is it?
Most people in Ogden are not snowboarders and skiiers, looking for the thrill every weekend or oftener. Most of us are just folks trying to earn a decent wage and keep shoes on the kids' feet.
How many Ogdenites consider this town in competition with Park City?
Does Godfrey think this vision of his will get him elected for a third term?
No way, Jose. The scuttlebutt everywhere...stores, restaurants, barber shops (where the political pulse is accurately taken), beauty salons, is that Godfrey is the biggest disaster to ever hit Ogden! He's seen as a liar, unwelcoming to businesses that don't fit his 'plans', underhanded, a cheat, secretive, etc, etc. No endorsement, ringing or otherwise, for this small (in so many ways) man.
Am sure Curt or Bobby printed that article for us so that we could share the glory and honor of Ogden and THEM being in the WSJ. Put it in your scrapbook, the rest of us know it's just PR excrement.
Dorrene, we owe you our gratitude for always taking the high road. We applaud your efforts to change how the Council/City operates. You are needed and appreciated! Don't be discouraged...you have many supporters and admirers.
Thank you for posting.
"The project's supporters hope it could eventually be extended to Snowbasin"
Unfortunately the project supporters ARE NOT snowboarders or skiers. Take last week for example. A gondola to Snowbasin would not be operable most of the week due to high winds, heavy snow loads, avalanche dangers, etc. Mom and pop skier will never be delivered to the top of Porcupine bowl. It is simply too gnarly. No amount of grading and civilizing will make this termination point family friendly. It is expert territory and only on a clear day. Most of last week it was death zone. No one, not Chris Peterson nor the best ski patroller goes up there without avalanche beacon and a partner or three in any kind of mountain weather. Ski areas like Snowbasin and Powder do not admit it but powder days are there bread and butter. They are largely ghosttowns when there is no powder left. Sure, the tourists blow their money on poor sundrenched conditions but the locals, who know the powder, crowd the place when the snow falls.
The Snowbasin connection is absolutely without merit and cannot be reconciled within any responsible budget. Earl Holding came to this conclusion 6 years ago. He is an astute businessman. I would take his word and decision. The man runs an oil and hotel empire. A real business. Unlike the mayor and CP. These guys are business wanna-be's.
"Clint Ensign, head of government relations for Sinclair Oil, says that the company studied the feasibility of a gondola link and thinks that it's too difficult and costly."
These words...
"thinks that it's too difficult and costly."
Excuse me WSJ, they reached their conclusion after an extensive FEASIBILTY study. That goes a ways further than just thinking it is too costly. They went to the trouble of paying for expert analysis and conclusions. This is something Peterson and Godfrey refuse to acknowledge. They know NOTHING about mountain operations and ski area design. They have thrown this idea out for suckers to latch onto knowing most also do not understand the limitations and extreme costs associated with this idea.
Well, couple of items.
Tec, you wrote: Scott Schwebke only occasionally musters the energy to followup or counterpoint. I encourage him to needle the hell out of story principals....Being nice is not part of investigative journalism.
Well, to be fair, Mr. Schwebke is not an investigative reporter. He's a beat reporter, covering Ogden City government for the most part. I too wish he asked more probing follow-up questions of people in power [all parties, all institutions] than often he does, but "needling the hell" out of the people he covers would not be wise for him or any beat reporter covering Ogden City government. And now having see what passes for "reporting" at what used to be one of the premier national papers, the Wall Street Journal... well, let's just say the SE and Mr. Schwebke are looking a good deal better by the comparison. At least to me. I don't know what's going on in J-schools these days, but the J-school people I knew and worked with for three decades would have flunked the WSJ piece in "Newswriting 101." I must be getting old....
Observer 1: You wrote: Am sure Curt or Bobby printed that article for us so that we could share the glory and honor of Ogden and THEM being in the WSJ. If it was either Mr. Geiger who posted the full text of the WSJ article, I think we owe them a "thank you" [and not a sarcastic one]. I couldn't find an on-line source and I tried. A nod of thanks at least, if it was one of them, for posting the full text so we could all see what it actually said.
I still am missing the Geigers on Snowbasin powder days. Last week was the finest and deepest powder of the season. No Geiger to be seen, at least at the front of the JP line on the best mornings. You guys are slackers and sunny day skiers. The real enthusiasts show for the powder. You weren't there and those who were got it. It doesn't wait for you. You have to be there when it's there. Hope you enjoy skiing chop. Those are some of my tracks rattling your ski tips. Should've been there early with your clients. If I was one of your clients and you brought me to a chopped up mess like any average day would be in Malan's, I would never do business with you.
LOL
I love it when leaving Snowbasin at noon on a powder day, after chopping up the bulk of the mountain with the morning crew, watching the eager skiers driving up with smiles of anticipation on their faces. They may get a LITTLE powder. Those in line at 8:30 owned it. People on the fringe of these matters have no understanding of this situation. Fair weather average skiers never taste the ultimate rush of streaming down a tight chute of fresh with NO turns at top speed. There are only a handful of days in a season like this years that offer this experience. You have to be there to get it. Geigers don't get it.
As elections for mayor slowly approach, will more stunts be pulled like the one we saw last week at the Wall Avenue site on a more frequent basis? We all know Mayor Godfrey has been the real champion behind all of this, w/o him this whole garbage of a proposal (what we have it thus far) would likely be dead in the water. Will there be acts of desperation in order to get some of this crap done before his term is up? Who knows if he will run and who will run and who will get voted in, but this cannot go on forever and time might be getting more and more precious.
Mayor's actions halt investors' plans
Monday, March 5, 2007
Although House Bill 365 made sense in most instances, in our case, my partner and I saw a property in need of redevelopment, and through a substantial investment and lots of hard work, we planned on reopening a new restaurant on the Ogden River. We investigated the property personally and found that with our vision we could improve the eyesore that so many Ogden residents had suffered with for years.
We met with Ogden's Redevelopment Agency in advance. It gave us the green light, so we proceeded with the purchase, the clean-up, and the reopening of the restaurant as the first Indian restaurant in the city: India on the River.
In the 3-1/2 months since the purchase, we were denied a business license, and our only legal use for the restaurant is a vacant/abandoned building. Many city officials told us our $2 million building should be leveled, and they offered to do it for free. When we disagreed, the city conceived a temporary ordinance not allowing any improvement to our property.
Mayor Godfrey told us personally that his obligations were to his city, his developers/investors. Maybe when Mayor Godfrey stated, "You should have expected to pay for the previous owner's sins," it was his way of saying that we weren't good enough to develop our own land.
As we awaited the state's decision on HB 365, we also await more actions by the city to steal our property for re-sale to one of its "select" investors.
Michael Moyal
Ogden
It appears Godfrey is in a state of all-consuming ego psychosis. Nothing phases him. Nothing chastens him.
Very dangerous.
And actually Dorrene, Bill Cook doesn't tell you anything. You tell him. What Bill needs is somebody to say to him, "Who do you think you're talking to?"
Getting into the Wall Street Journal isn't so hard.
I have personally had a letter printed there as well as articles in major publications. These periodicals have to fill their space, after all.
Godfrey and Geiger got them to print a press release. Big deal.
Mr. Moyal, that really sucks man! I've been waiting for EVER for a Indian restaurant to open in Ogden. If you ever get to open your restaurant, I will come check it out for sure!
Sorry to come so late to this discussion of the WSJ article.
The reporter actually did visit Ogden, when he was already in town for a short ski vacation at Powder Mountain. I was out of town at that time, but he interviewed me on the phone (for about 45 minutes) a few days later. This was in early February.
I spent a good deal of that time on the phone making sure he understood the essential facts about the Peterson proposal: that there would be two gondolas; that the urban gondola alone would be 4.5 miles long and the ride over town would take 24 minutes; and that the Malan's Basin ski resort would have only 180 acres of decent snow, if it ever gets built at all. I also gave him contact information for a number of other gondola skeptics, including our humble blogmeister.
The reporter acted like he already knew most of these facts, and kept turning the conversation to the ski companies coming here allegedly because of the gondola proposal. He said he had interviewed spokespersons for several of the ski companies and they had made statements to this effect, and he wanted me to respond. But he wouldn't tell me any of their names, nor would he give me any exact quotes to respond to. I thought this was highly unusual and I didn't want to respond to vague paraphrases of statements from anonymous sources.
Anyhow, the reporter certainly had access to the facts. So the distortions in his article are presumably intentional. Since the vast majority of his readers won't know better, he probably thought he could get away with it.
Dear Mr. Moyal,
Please accept my apologies on behalf of our city. It seems that the Godfrey administration has no interest in small business owners; they want everything to be done by the big developers. In fact, the biggest remaining flaw in the Mixed Use ordinance (coming before the Planning Commission this Wednesday) is that it's written with only big projects and big developers in mind.
I'd like to learn more about your property and how the city has treated you. If you feel so inclined, please contact me privately; my contact information is posted here.
I, too, would welcome an Indian Restaurant. I have a good building for it, too. Ask Dan.
An Indian restaurant in Ogden would be a plus, absolutely. Mrs. Curmudgeon fell in love with Indian on her first exposure to it in Seattle last year. Be nice to have a place close... and with a river view to boot? What's not to like?
Mr. Moyal, if you have a brother who can apply to the Administration for the permit dba "Jackboot LLC" you may have more luck. Think about it anyway....
Curm, that would bb HIJACK LLC>
bill c:
[grin]
How about Jack booted thugs?
Little Godfrey in a long black leather trench coat would be just the ticket. You have to admit he does kind of look like Joseph Goebbels. Act a lot like him also.
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