Developing Healthy Communities

What kind of communities should we be developing in Utah? I heard a fascinating discussion on that topic on Thursday. I serve on the Envision Utah Steering Committee, and heard presentations by two developers, Shandon Gubler of Avedea, LLC, and Danny Mason of Goodboro, who are champions of large-scale, mixed-use, “traditional” communities.

Both developers are involved in the kind of communities encouraged by Envision Utah. But to fulfill their visions they’ve had to fight through a great deal of misunderstanding, regulatory roadblocks, and financing challenges. Both developers are building large communities, mostly in southern Utah, with a variety of quality housing choices, mixing high-priced and low-priced dwellings, single-family homes, and condos, duplexes and four-plexes, all in the same neighborhood, sometimes on the same street.

Shops, restaurants, housing, schools, churches, parks, recreation, and offices are all within easy walking distance. Density is high, homes have porches, streets are narrow, and home set-backs are short. In some of the developments, architecture is reflective of the Harvard/Yale area in Salt Lake City.

The developers argue that this type of neighborhood is far healthier than the typical sterile suburb we’re used to in Utah. Quality standards must remain high, but such communities attract people of all income levels and ages. Singles and older people mingle with young couples starting out, and middle-age people with teenagers. The variety of people, home sizes and income levels mean there is less “keeping up with the Jones’” and less peer pressure to go into debt for a boat or new car. Children see more diversity and every family is not just like their family.

The communities are highly walkable. Everyone is close to parks, shops, restaurants, the Post Office and church. People walk more and mingle more with neighbors. Streets are safer. Mason cited a study showing that children in walkable European communities take on average 7,000 more steps a day than children in U.S. suburbs.

To build such a community is extremely difficult, in some cases literally against the law, Gubler and Mason said. Many Utah municipalities don’t allow such a variety of housing types in the same neighborhood. They don’t allow such high density, or retail and housing to mix, or shorter set-backs or narrower streets. Many current ordinances demand cookie-cutter conformity, so we get tract homes that all look alike and no one goes anywhere without getting in a car. Financing for mixed-use development is difficult because lenders aren’t accustomed to this kind of community and bank appraisers don’t like different housing types to be mixed together.

Gubler and Mason encouraged Envision Utah to work with Utah counties and municipalities to develop planning and zoning regulations that facilitate mixed-use communities. Utah is going to grow, Mason said, and we should “grow with grace.”

Thousands of Utah Exporters

This week's edition of Taking Care of Business says an estimated 2,300 Utah businesses sell products or services overseas and 83 percent of the exporters are classified as small to medium-sized companies. It's estimated that half of all U.S. small businesses will be involved in international trade by 2018.

Washington Watch

Hatch, Huntsman: Lift Moratorium
Sen. Orrin Hatch calls "on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to lift a moratorium that essentially bars the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from leasing land for commercial oil shale development. During his testimony, Hatch also presented a letter from Utah Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr., who asked committee members in the letter to lift the oil shale-lease moratorium, calling it a 'matter of great importance for Utah and the nation'" (see press release and related Associated Press story).

Chamber Candidate Forum

The Salt Lake Chamber, in conjunction with the Utah Foundation's Utah Priorities project, is sponsoring a series of Candidate Forums featuring key political races. The first forum is scheduled Monday, May 19, noon to 1 p.m., featuring House District 24 candidates Rebecca Chavez-Houck (D) and Joe Jarvis (R). Place: Eccles Board Room, Salt Lake Chamber 175 East University Blvd. (400 South), Suite 600. The hour-long format will be 15 minute opening statements from each candidate followed by 5 minute rebuttals. The remaining 20 minutes will be used for open Q & A to either or both candidates from the audience. Click Here for a complete list of the proposed candidate forum schedule.

Today in Political History

May 16, 1991:  Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.

May 16, 2001:  Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen is indicted on charges of spying for Moscow.  (Source:  NY Times)  

Wise Words

“The upward course of a nation's history is due in the long run to the soundness of heart of its average men and women.” 

-- Queen Elizabeth II (Source:  Think Exist) 

Utah History Spotlight

Calvin Lewellyn Rampton

Cal Rampton was one of Utah’s most popular governors, serving three terms from Jan. 4, 1965, to Jan. 3, 1977. He was preceded by George Dewey Clyde and succeeded by Scott M. Matheson. He died Sept, 16, 2007, at age 93. As a moderate, centrist Democrat, Rampton fit into the conservative mold of Utah politics.

Rampton lost several races before his political luck changed. He lost three races for the state Senate, a race for the state Democratic Party chairmanship, and a national committeeman contest. He also lost the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in 1962.

Rampton wasn’t expected to win when he first ran for governor in 1964, but Barry Goldwater led the Republican Party to defeat that year in Utah as well as the rest of the nation, and Rampton defeated Republican Mitchell Melich. Once in office he became popular, with a knack for conciliation and a pro-business/development stance. He was re-elected easily in 1968, defeating Carl W. Buehner, and even more easily in 1972, defeating Nicholas L. Strike. (Utah History to Go)

National Politics

Best Stories From . . .

-- Associated Press: "California's Supreme Court declared gay couples in the nation's biggest state can marry -- a monumental but perhaps short-lived victory for the gay rights movement ... Thursday's ruling could alter the dynamics of the presidential race and state and congressional contests in California and beyond by causing a backlash among conservatives and drawing them to the polls in large numbers."

-- New York Times: "President Bush used a speech to the Israeli Parliament on Thursday to denounce those who would negotiate with 'terrorists and radicals' -- a remark that was widely interpreted as a rebuke to Senator Barack Obama, ... who has argued that the United States should talk directly with countries like Iran and Syria."

-- National Review editorial worries that, for the GOP, "things don't have to get worse to make for a disaster come November, they just have to stay the same."

-- Politico's Jim Vandehei and Mike Allen outline "six ways the GOP can save itself."

Lighter Side

“I don’t want to be seen as anti-hope. On the other hand, I don’t want James Carville to bite me.”

-- John Edwards on why he was conflicted about endorsing Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. He has since endorsed Obama (Politics magazine)

Casual Friday

Fishing Report

Congratulations to Roy Hawk of Salt Lake City. He won the FLW Series Western Division bass tournament at Lake Mead last weekend. The first place prize was a cool $100,000. He caught most of his fish on a chartreuse Lucky Craft shad crankbait. The Review Journal has this report.

Best bets in Utah this week include Strawberry, Scofield, Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell. Most streams are blown out with runoff. Most of our trout reservoirs offer good fishing right now.

Strawberry is ice-free. Reports have been mixed -- very good for some and spotty for others. That's typical for early fishing. Scofield is ice-free and most reports say fishing is good. Lake Powell has hot fishing for striped bass, smallmouth bass and many other species. For detailed information ready the weekly reports by Wayne Gustaveson.

Provo River flows are high, on both the Middle and Lower portions. They are channeling a lot of water down the river and that makes fishing difficult. Use weighted nymphs to get down to the fish. Be careful wading. Weber River has good fishing between Rockport and Echo. Below Echo it is high and off-colored.

Green River is fishing well, but anglers need to be cautious because higher flows are coming. Flows, which have been stable at about 800 cfs, are expected to rise to a whopping 4,200 cfs within the next week or so. That is a massive change. Fishing will be difficult while the water is rising. After it stabilizes at the higher level, good fishing will return for anglers who are floating the river. Anglers wading may have trouble because high, fast water makes it difficult to reach productive spots. Talk to the guys in the fly shops for the latest information. See the complete fishing report on RedRockAdventure.com.

Outdoors Report

-- New records up for grabs at Miller Motorsports Park in the Deseret News
-- Camping on Antelope Island in the Tribune
-- Deseret News investigates winter fish kill at two Utah reservoirs
-- Danger for salt lakes around the world in the Tribune
-- Deseret News on the impact of tourism in Utah
-- Enjoy a desert slot canyon in the Tribune’s Hike of the Week
-- Find out about upcoming events in the Morning News’ Outdoor Notes

-- Check out the Tribune’s Outdoor Notebook  and Recreation Roundup for sports and recreation activities this week

-- For the latest wildlife news and information and the fishing report visit the DWR website

New Films

-- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: Deseret News review

Concerts

-- Deseret Chamber Music Concert, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Gordon B. Hinckley Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, free
-- “Puttin' on the Hits,” the Dance Company, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Friday, 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m., Marriott Center for Dance, U., $7
-- “Istanpitta,” Music of the Sephardic Jews and the Middle East, Saturday, 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 12 C Street, $5
-- Utah Youth Symphony, Saturday, 7 p.m., Abravanel Hall
-- “Armed Forces Day Concert and Fireworks,” Choral Arts Society of Utah and the Utah National Guard 23rd Army Band, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Murray Park Amphitheater, 495 E. 5300 South, free
-- Brady and Carol Ann Allred, Laurel and Blythe Enke, piano, soprano, piano and violin, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall, free
-- “Movie & Movies Pop II — The Sequel,” Salt Lake Symphony, film music, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Libby Gardner Concert Hall, U., $8
-- “The Frog Prince,” Mountain West Ballet, through May 17, Sandy Amphitheatre
-- Organ Recitals, every Saturday, noon, and every Sunday, 2 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall

Theater

-- “The Glass Menagerie” through May 17, Heritage Theatre

-- “Don Giovanni” through May 18, Capitol Theatre
-- “The Miracle Worker” through May 24, Hale Center Theater Orem
-- “Annie Get Your Gun” through May 31, Hale Centre Theatre

-- “Indianapolis Jones” through May 31, Off Broadway Theatre
-- “The Sound of Music” through June 6, Terrace Plaza Playhouse

-- “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” through June 7, Children’s Theatre & School of the Arts
-- “Feelin’ Groovy” through June 7, Rodgers Memorial Theatre
-- “The Mikado” through June 7, Center Street Musical Theatre
-- “The Wizard of Odd” through June 7, Desert Star Playhouse

“The Foreigner” through June 9, Empress Theatre
-- “Cinderella’s Waltz Right Inn” through June 16, Valley Center Playhouse

Museum Exhibits

-- Teapots: Object to Subject Exhibition through May 25, Kimball Art Center, Park City

-- Minerva Teichert:  Pageants in Paint Exhibition, through May 26; Masterworks of Victorian Art From the Collection of John H. Schaeffer Exhibition through August 18 Brigham Young University Museum of Art

-- 84th Annual Spring Salon Exhibition through July 6; Wayne Thiebaud: 70 Years of Painting Exhibition through July 27, Springville Museum of Art

Et Cetera

-- Salt Lake Gallery Stroll, Friday, 6 – 9 p.m, downtown
-- Living Traditions Festival, through Sunday, Salt Lake City and County Building
-- Great Salt Lake Bird Festival, through Monday, Farmington