Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[SLC Projects]

Millcreek city? We have enough little cities. How about having those small townships apart of Salt Lake City? Adding another 63,000 residents to SLC's 189,990+ residents would push it well over the 200,000 mark. I'm sure it's not a simple as that, but more wishful thinking on my behalf.

[Stenar]

I've read in the newspaper in the past that SLC has been interested in annexing Millcreek, Olympus Cove and Magna, as SLC's western boundary is also the eastern boundary of Magna.

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

The question needs to be asked, does the city and it's leaders want to annex that area?

We as residents may want the city to do so, but the city may not want the added expenses. Purchasing of facilites now owned by the unified fire and police, purchasing county library branches, having to increase the police force and firemen, additional council members, increased street maintanance, garbage service. I have no idea if the city has done a cost benefit analysis, but I would assume that at some point they have.

I don't have a problem with these areas incorporating, it simply allows them to have more control over what happens in their neighborhoods, and I don't see that as a problem. I would assume they will stick with Unified Police, unlike Cottonwood Heights who choose to have their own.

[Comrade]

I literally live a stone's throw away from the border of this city. I guess you can say I'm on the extreme southern border between SugarHouse & Millcreek. The area, as you can see, has a hole right in the middle where Salt Lake City owns property (Brickyard). It's ridiculous Millcreek and Canyon Rim aren't part of Salt Lake City ... but I'm also one who supports annexing South Salt Lake into the city, so, take that for what it's worth.

[Stenar]

I'd support South Salt Lake being a part of SLC also, if only to get rid of the ridiculous name South Salt Lake, among many other reasons.

(North Salt Lake had considered changing their name a few years ago, and I was lobbying all of their city council members to change their name to Orchard Hills. I guess they like the lame moniker of North—and South for SSL—because it means they're next to the capital city, though.

I've also lobbied WVC in the past to change their name to Lake Valley instead of West Valley. There are so many West Valleys around the country, you cannot imagine. How generic can you get? Lake Valley is also quite generic, but at least it's more pretty sounding and ties the city in with the GSL.)

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

I literally live a stone's throw away from the border of this city. I guess you can say I'm on the extreme southern border between SugarHouse & Millcreek. The area, as you can see, has a hole right in the middle where Salt Lake City owns property (Brickyard). It's ridiculous Millcreek and Canyon Rim aren't part of Salt Lake City ... but I'm also one who supports annexing South Salt Lake into the city, so, take that for what it's worth.

[Old&New]

I remember hearing about this series on here, but I hadn't actually seen it until now, so I thought I'd share...

Salt Lake City's "The Little Chocolatiers":

• Video Link

• Video Link

Hatch Family Chocolates:

• Video Link


I'd would love it if they also sold their chocolates on Main Street...

[livedowntown]

I like the WV change. "West" valley just begs the question west of what? West Valley City, to ever become a great place, needs to not be based on being simply west of SLC but needs to have its own unique identity.

As for South Salt Lake I would be grateful for any change that would just destroy that awful eyesore for a city hall that they have.

Originally Posted by Stenar

I'd support South Salt Lake being a part of SLC also, if only to get rid of the ridiculous name South Salt Lake, among many other reasons.

(North Salt Lake had considered changing their name a few years ago, and I was lobbying all of their city council members to change their name to Orchard Hills. I guess they like the lame moniker of North—and South for SSL—because it means they're next to the capital city, though.

I've also lobbied WVC in the past to change their name to Lake Valley instead of West Valley. There are so many West Valleys around the country, you cannot imagine. How generic can you get? Lake Valley is also quite generic, but at least it's more pretty sounding and ties the city in with the GSL.)

[Comrade]

Remember when West Valley decided to rename itself Best Valley?



West Valley reminds me of a region name and not a city name.

[TedBell]

Originally Posted by Comrade Reynolds

Remember when West Valley decided to rename itself Best Valley?

Seriously? LOL! I've lived here for 15+ years and I don't remember that. I've always thought WVC was home to gangs and illegals. I'm glad they are cleaning up their image, rebuilding the mall, new development around TRAX, etc.

[ajiuO]

Lets rename West Valley to Pepper Valley. Then we can just make South Salt Lake and Millcreak part of Sugar House.

Salt lake
Pepper valley
Sugar House

How awesome would that be.. Then would coul rename West Jordan to Flowerville

We will become the seasond valley

[SLCdude]

My parents live in the Millcreek township, and will be voting to create a Millcreek City. It offers better local control and protects the areas from annexation.

Personally, I would much rather have Salt Lake City annex Millcreek township. More tax dollars and population for the urban center it depends on. Growing up in the Millcreek township, It wasn't until my early teenage years that I realized I didn't live in Salt Lake City. Mail addressed to residents of Millcreek are addressed to Salt Lake City, and downtown is a 15 minute drive. Millcreek ought to be a part of Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake should also annex Magna before WVC does. That would be awful.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by SLCdude

My parents live in the Millcreek township, and will be voting to create a Millcreek City. It offers better local control and protects the areas from annexation.

Personally, I would much rather have Salt Lake City annex Millcreek township. More tax dollars and population for the urban center it depends on. Growing up in the Millcreek township, It wasn't until my early teenage years that I realized I didn't live in Salt Lake City. Mail addressed to residents of Millcreek are addressed to Salt Lake City, and downtown is a 15 minute drive. Millcreek ought to be a part of Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake should also annex Magna before WVC does. That would be awful.

I agree on both accounts, but sadly, many Millcreek residents and community leaders see Salt Lake City's politics as too "liberal" or not Conservative/Mormon enough for their tastes, and therefore would fight any attempts of annexation by Salt Lake City. I wouldn't be surprised if this ballot measure was created for the very purpose of avoiding any attempts of annexation in the future.

[Stenar]

Huh. I know a LOT of Millcreek and a few Olympus Cove residents who are very liberal. I never got the feeling that it was at all conservative there.

Originally Posted by Old&New

I agree on both accounts, but sadly, many Millcreek residents and community leaders see Salt Lake City's politics as too "liberal" or not Conservative/Mormon enough for their tastes, and therefore would fight any attempts of annexation by Salt Lake City. I wouldn't be surprised if this ballot measure was created for the very purpose of avoiding any attempts of annexation in the future.

[Lilljemalm]

From some of the comments about Millcreek/Canyon Rim/Olympus Cove, it sounds like your annexation laws are a bit difficult to work around. The real error, however, was probably committed decades ago by not requiring areas to annex themselves into the nearest municipality when originally being developed. Counties are better suited to manage rural areas. Municipalities are better suited to manage urban areas. These townships should've either incorporated or annexed themselves into SLC when the subdivisions were first developed.
It would greatly benefit the entire SLC area if the municipality of SLC had a much larger population. Often to be noticed by outside businesses looking for expansion opportunities, the central municipality of a metro area needs to have a large enough population to attract their attention. I've encountered many businesses (including my own employer) who overlooked SLC because they only saw it as a town of 180,000 instead of a county of 1.1 million or a metro of 2.3 million (SLC-Ogden-Provo). As a side note, my employer now regrets not having looked at SLC much closer and feels stuck in Phx.

[RC14]

I have lived in West Valley my entire life (near Valley Fair Mall and West Valley Central station) and from what I have heard from the people in my neighborhood, I don't think anyone is too attached to the name West Valley. I live in an older neighborhood where most people remember when this area was Granger before it was West Valley. I have heard some people say they think West Valley should have been named "Granger" although; I'm not sure how people living in the old Hunter area would have felt about that.

Incidentally, it is my understanding that West Valley City was created partially because the residents of this area did not want to be incorporated into SLC. I often wonder how things would have been different if it had been incorporated. When I talk to people outside of Utah I always tell them I am from SLC not from West Valley unless they are also from Salt Lake County. I have always had more love for Salt Lake and find more pride in being a Salt Laker then a West Valley resident, however, having grown up here I do care about this area and the image it has in the valley.
On one hand, If WVC was part of SLC the population would be 300,000 not 180,000 (assuming as many people would still want to live here) Imagine what it would be if we also incorporated SSL, Mill creek and Magna. I believe this would give us more than just bragging rights. Having a larger population would make the entire MSA more attractive for business, boost the economy and stimulate more growth, more so than we will probably ever know unfortunately.
However, I wonder if West Valley would have been neglected and become even more rundown.
Ultimately, I find my loyalty to Salt Lake and the growth of the MSA is stronger than my loyalty to WVC and I kind of wish we were one city.

[Comrade]

West Valley could do what Winston-Salem did many moons ago and rename themselves Granger-Hunter. It would be unique and a call back to its history.

Frankly, I don't want SLC to expand too much. I think annexing certain parts of the valley make sense - but I oppose this idea of a vast city eating up a great deal of smaller townships.

The areas I could support SLC annexing are:

Magna
South Salt Lake
Millcreek
Emigration Canyon
Canyon Rim
Potentially Kearns

I know, a few years ago, there was an idea floating around that SLC should just merge with the county and become one, giant city. I oppose that. I think it's important to have a diverse amount of communities in the valley, but I also don't like the smaller, unincorporated areas of the county.

[UTPlanner]

As FutureMayor mentioned earlier, simply having SLC annex these unincorporated areas is far more complex than just having a desire. It takes 51% of all residents to sign an annexation petition. This has to be something started by the residents themselves. SLC would not pay their employees to go door to door across the unincorporated county gathering signatures.

If Millcreek residents want to be a part of SLC they need to start gathering signatures. Personally I think that if this were ever going to be an option, a more likely scenario would be involving the state legislature. (This is something that has been discussed in the past by civic leaders). They could pass a bill that would simply allow the annexation to be on a ballot and have the residents vote whether or not they would like to be a part of SLC. This would be a more simple, cost-effective approach.

Also I was wondering if anybody else saw this article: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/54773018-79/wasatch-apartment-lake-salt.html.csp The picture in the article is not very flattering but I'm pretty sure that it is the south side and not the street side which would be the east elevation, on 400 East.

[stayinginformed]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

Also I was wondering if anybody else saw this article: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/54773018-79/wasatch-apartment-lake-salt.html.csp The picture in the article is not very flattering but I'm pretty sure that it is the south side and not the street side which would be the east elevation, on 400 East.

Hey, just what everyone wished for--a luxury apartment building--during the "I don't like the word transient" argument.

Also some North Temple Pictures:

The Landscaping in front of the newly opened biomat.


The Apartments at 650 W North Temple are coming along quickly.


Look how close the building is to the sidewalk. We need more of this kind of density.


One More.

[Comrade]

Obviously it's complex ... or it would have happened by now. I don't ever expect it to happen. Salt Lake will probably keep its borders for the foreseeable future, whether we like it or not.

I'd wager the only likely option is Magna and that's even unlikely.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

Also I was wondering if anybody else saw this article: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/54773018-79/wasatch-apartment-lake-salt.html.csp The picture in the article is not very flattering but I'm pretty sure that it is the south side and not the street side which would be the east elevation, on 400 East.

I don't know if that's the south facade or not, it seems as if the ground slopes a lot more from N/S than E/W. I sure hope that's not the street front, because that is not very attractive, and having so much garage facing the street doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Another 122 units in East Downtown will really help the density of the city. Again I wonder though, where are all those old three story walk up dwellers going to go for laundry? The removal of the laundrymat takes away a huge piece of walkability for the surrounding apartments. The city can't simply cater to new apartments without taking into consideration the needs of the hundreds of apartments that don't have laundry hookups and may have only one or two machines in the basement.

[delts145]

I've got to think that it's the same type of set-up that you have here with this proposed project on 200 East. I can't imagine that elongated side as being the actual frontage, especially with the large blocks being as they are in Salt Lake.

Brunswick Apartments
Proposed
Location: 245 South 200 East