Interesting developments in Emerald City this morning, as we learn there have been some over night changes in tonight's city council agenda.
On Saturday we broke the news that the Historic 25th Street District rezoning proposal was back on calender, with councilman Stephens' motion for reconsideration. As of late yesterday afternoon, the situation had grown more complicated than that. A quick search of the Ogden City website reveals that two other council sessions have been added to tonight's council calender:
Special joint Council/RDA study session:
Notice is hereby given that the Ogden City Redevelopment Agency will meet in a joint study session with the City Council on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Work Room, on the third floor of the Municipal Building, 2549 Washington Boulevard, in Ogden City, Weber County, Utah.RDA closed session:
The purpose of the study session is to review agenda items for the Redevelopment Agency meeting and Special City Council Meeting, which begin at 6:00 p.m.; and to discuss Redevelopment Agency business and Council business.
3. Closed Executive Session. Consideration of adjourning into a Closed Executive Session pursuant to the provisions of Sections 52-4-205(1)(d) and (e) of the Open and Public Meetings Law for the purpose of discussing the purchase, sale, exchange or lease of real property. (Adjourn/not adjourn into Closed Session – roll call vote).We link below the full text of Section 52-4-205:
Utah Code 52-4-205. Purposes of closed meetings.
We've been taking calls from various insider sources this morning reporting that there's been a new development in the Windsor Hotel saga, something involving a recent new action by Ogden Properties, Inc., (the project developer). As of now, none of our sources can or will say what's happening... other than "it's really big."
Lacking firm information, we'll launch into to our usual raw speculation as to the reason the RDA Board is planning a closed session, taking the language of Utah Code Section 52-4-205 into account.
1) Has the developer made demand of Ogden City to purchase the Windsor Hotel property, under terms of Boss Godfrey's badly-negotiated Ogden Properties/Ogden City development agreement?
2) Are threats of litigation involved?
Perhaps some of gentle readers can let us know what's going behind the Emerald City scenes with regard to this matter.
And don't forget, folks... The G-train and her motley band of real estate flippers will no doubt show up in force to badger and flog the council again tonight. Word also has it that State Historic Preservation Office Director Wilson Martin will also be in attendance. It should be a good show... something all of our gentle readers who are opposed to the greed-driven Manhattenization of Historic 25th Street ought to attend.
Don't get the cat get your tongues.
Update 10/14/08 11:27 a.m. MT: We've obtained the latest Utah Heritage Foundation opinion on this subject, in the form of a letter, directed to each of our Ogden City Council members:
Kirk Huffaker 10/13/08 letter
Just a little more grist for the discussion mill...
