GACC Minutes
November 1, 2006
Sweet Library – 7:00 pm
Conducted by Steve Mecham

Minutes by Jaynie Brown

Board members present: (Call me if you were there and your name was omitted)

Trish Orlando, Michael Hughes, Jaynie Brown, Phil Carroll, Steve Mecham, Wayne Green, Jim Jenkin, Denton Taylor, Jill Van Langeveld, Thella Mae Christensen, Ruth Morgan, Judith Locke, Lester Aoki, Dave Jonsson, Shane Carlson, Kat Kivett, Carlton DeTar, Walter Jones.

Welcome by Steve

REPORTS:

CITY COUNCIL: Eric Jergensen: Planning Commission is looking at alterations in the compatible in-fill recommendations. Church of Jesus Christ LDLS is planning reconstruction in Blocks 74, 75, 76 (ZCMI and Crossroads Mall and Social Hall Avenue). Issues coming to City Council are changes in height and the sky-bridge. We have not yet heard firm proposals. Not supportive of proposal by the Administration to ban all smoking on all side-walks, parks, etc. To me there is a balance in respecting people’s right to smoke, verses the desire of people not to be bothered by smoke. We really have to remember that there isn’t a “them” and an “us.” We are all fellow members of this great City. Who has rights to use a City Park? All of us. When the activity in the park harms the health of another, then we have to begin to look at the balancing. There is plenty of room in a park where you can go to have fun and not be in the way of having to avoid people’s smoke. To ban it entirely makes no sense. If you start banning things, then where is the line? We need to do more education to help people realize the dangers of smoking.

PLEASE GO VOTE FOR PROPOSITION 3. THE CITY DESPERATELY NEEDS IT.

LIBRARY: We’ve been having great crowds to our Story Time and it is really fun. We do once a week. We have two different age groups. Please join us.

We also have discount tickets through our Community Exploration

We also give out vouchers where people can get discount tickets to events like the Symphony, etc.

All City Libraries will be closed on Nov. 10th for a Staff meeting.

We close early on Thanksgiving Eve at 6:00 pm and will be closed on Thanksgiving.

The last week of November we will have the Model of the City Creek Center – Downtown Rising here in the Library for review.

Detectives McKinner and Peterson brought our crime statistics for the Avenues.

OCTOBER: 75 Total Offenses

15 - Simple Assaults

14 - Larceny-Thefts

10 – Burglary – Residential

9 – Vandalism

6 - Larc-Car Prowl

5 – Recovered stolen vehicles

4 - Burglary

3 – Drugs

2 - Lac-Car Strip

2 – Rape

2 – Sex Offense

1 – Weapon Offense

LEGISLATURE: Scott McCoy and Ralph Becker

We just had a Special Session of the Legislature – looked at Tax Bills.

The flat tax passed and the quarter-cent tax for transit also passed.

QUESTION: How can we keep sales tax from being used for highways, and have all highways be constructed by gas tax?

RESPONSE: We are opposed to have sales tax be used for highways. We have been trying unsuccessfully to get that changed. The tax bill says one-quarter of that tax increase should go to purchase land for commuter rail etc. The primary benefit is that without it we will not see the development of south Trax line extension. I hold my nose and vote for it because it is better than not getting the southern Trax line. We are trying to have highways paid for by gas tax.

QUESTION: What percentage of our taxes goes for roads?

RESPONSE: We have about $230 million from sales tax going to roads. From all sources, $1.1 billion, this includes federal dollars, gas tax, etc.

QUESTION: How much do we raise in gas tax per year?

RESPONSE: Don’t know. Give me your number and I’ll find out and get back to you.

COMMENT: I’m adamantly opposed to toll roads. How do you feel?

RESPONSE: I think it is a grey area. We are looking at it. There are benefits in having those who use the road pay for it.

MAYOR’s OFFICE - Gwen Springmeyer:

Remember to vote. You can even vote ahead of time.

She handed out City Calendar, which is also on-line. Lots of fun activities.

City Offices closed on Nov. 10th.

Beginning on the 12th is Holiday Season. Jewish Community Center on the 12th.

Lights -- Tree-lighting ceremony at Temple Square the day after Thanksgiving.

Holiday Present to the public - Holiday Free Parking downtown. Free but time-limited: 2 hours. Then you must move your car or you risk getting a ticket.

December 1st is the Holiday Craft Sale at the Art Barn Finch Lane and east of Reservoir Park.

New Year’s Eve is on a Sunday, so they will have Saturday and Sunday events, so you can celebrate either day or both days.

“Archie Comic Book” highlights the downtown city Library. They are excited about it. Look for this comic book.

Encourage you to contact me if you have questions during the month.

HOUSING: Next meeting for the Housing Committee is Nov. 13 at 7:00 in the Library.

CERT – Community Emergency Response Team: Carlton DeTar: We are having a Refresher Course November 18th at 8:00 a.m. at the Fire Dept Training Center on 1600 S. Industrial Road (1845 W.). Call Rick Soltis 355-1664 to sign up. The fee is $15.00.

TRANSPORTATION- Jim Jenkin: Lots of things happening. Downtown Rising, Mountain View Corridor, Kennecott selling off large sections of land, handled by the County, etc. Contact me and I can fill you in if you want to know more.

ELECTIONS for GACC Chair, comments:

Wayne Greene: I would like to address a couple of issues. 1) Establish a procedure of how much money the GACC wants to keep in reserve, and how and we want to spend it.

2) Mobile Watch – it is inactive due to too little participation. We need to get more people involved.

3) LDS Hospital- the Administration promised that the 12 homes they own around the hospital would be put on the market to be used for housing. We want to follow up on that when they move.

Judith Locke: I have been in the Avenues since 1989. I participated in New England in open town meeting format, so much so that I took a broadcasting class and put it over

After I settled in and bought a home I started coming to the GACC.

We have many knowledgeable people who deal with the issues that Wayne was talking about. What we need to do is get more people involved and make educated decisions, so we can make informed votes. That is good for the community and the neighborhood. One of the things I like about the council is that we often deal with neighbor conflicts. On the board, when they come to present to the council, dealing with their issue, we give them the information they need to make a presentation. We try to get two or more opinions. I encourage GACC participation for wise citizenship.

PRESENTAITON ON DOWNTOWN RISING from the LDS Church:

Evans Mark Gibbons from PRI (Property Reserve Inc. real estate arm of the Church)

Bill Evans - Church Public Affairs

? Williams - director of Architecture

Brent Thomas - director of Construction

Includes 3 blocks. The LDS Church owns these blocks: Crossroads, ZCMI Mall areas, and parts of Social Hall Avenue.

We currently have 1,700 (million square feet) msft of office space: reduce it to 1400.

Retail 1200 msft reduce it to 900

Residential – we have none; will add 400 (?) units.

We intend to do extensive recycling and restructuring. Follow Sustainable Design principles. The LEED (Leadership Through Energy Efficient Design) will be followed, and we will take the steel and it will be used as salvage. The concrete will be crushed, reused. We are salvaging interior furnishings as well.

Demolition will begin on Inn at Temple Square, then Crossroads.

We will begin excavating an additional 50 feet for all underground parking. The project will be finished in stages, completed by year 2011.

We will be able to divide the blocks up into 4 blocks with green strips and pedestrian access through the blocks.

Harmon’s Grocery Store will be built on Social Hall Avenue; parking adjacent. About 150 residential units will be built above on Social Hall Ave. Tunnel underneath State Street will be constructed for office tenants.

We will have department store anchors: Nordstrom’s and Macys and a 3rd. Anchor store not yet announced. They will be two levels. Above them will be “for Rent” residential.

Residential Tower where Inn at Temple Square stands will have 150 condos.

We are having even more parking than is required by the City. We will have 9300 parking stalls.

What is the impact on traffic? We have engaged traffic consultants for the best ways to avoid congestion.

What about traffic congestion during construction? We are trying to minimize the construction traffic on 100 south. We hope not to disrupt North Temple.

Where can we park when we want to go to the Symphony? Plaza Hotel and Joseph Smith Building

Nordstrom’s will re-open in mid 2011; we hope sooner. We will not begin demolition of parking nor the retail areas until after Christmas.

We will have a retail area between (?) that tenants will be able to keep running in the peripheral of the office buildings during construction.

Where can we get info? We will put up info on the Downtown Rising Web site. We will also come to the community council when you want us to report.

ERIC JERGENSEN: The City and PRI are going together to hire someone to come and keep people informed.

Pedestrian Connector: The intent is that it is a transparent structure. For 2nd Floor retail to be viable it has to have access between the two malls. It won’t rob street pedestrians.

How can we tie in pubic transportation and light rail tied into this project? We are very pleased that we have light rail right in the middle of it.

EDITORIAL COMMENT BY SECRETARY: I tried to get all the details, but I missed a lot. Go to their website to get really accurate information – I might have put some things wrong. I must say this was really a great presentation, using a PowerPoint, showing the various views as it is accomplished. Very excited to see plans for such a beautiful and vibrant downtown.

ELECTIONS: Wayne Green 2008 GACC chairman.

Meeting adjourned.