Ogden’s open space still threatened

by Dan Schroeder (May, 2009)

Although you rarely hear the word “gondola” these days, the various threats to Ogden’s open space that accompanied the 2006 gondola proposal have not gone away.  Here is a map and summary of the current status of these threats.

East bench water tanks

The most imminent threat is the Ogden City administration’s plan to install three new water tanks on the east bench in the vicinity of Taylor Canyon and Strong’s Canyon. Installation of these tanks will not only directly disrupt natural areas, but also facilitate future development of the east bench. The three proposed tanks are:

Ogden City is proposing to replace these water tanks, and the open space around them, with a larger underground tank and a 350-unit condominium complex.

1. A 5-million gallon tank on city property near the south end of the Mt. Ogden Golf Course, above the top of 36th Street. This buried tank is intended to replace the two large above-ground tanks that currently provide water to much of the east bench. Its cost will be over $5 million, and geological studies of the proposed site have already been completed. Although studies indicate that the city does need additional storage capacity in this area, a less expensive remedy would be to add a smaller tank to supplement the existing tanks. However, the administration wants to remove the existing tanks to make room for a condominium development (see below).

2. A 1.25-million gallon tank located much higher on the bench, in the vicinity of Strong’s Canyon. The city’s engineering study indicates that this tank is not needed to serve any existing water customers; its only purpose is to facilitate new development of the east bench, up to the elevation of the Bonneville shoreline. An exact site for this tank has not yet been chosen. This tank will cost an estimated $1.6 million.

3. A 300,000-gallon tank in the mouth of Taylor Canyon. This tank is intended to augment the water pressure for residents who live near the top of 27th Street, and provide pressure to future development sites on private land in the mouth of Taylor Canyon and above the Mt. Ogden Golf Course. Although the tank site is on private property, the road to access the site crosses National Forest land. The Forest Service is currently conducting the required environmental analysis to retroactively approve this road. The cost of this project is over half a million dollars.

A fourth water project, already underway, is the installation of an upgraded pipeline along the east bench between 24th Street and 36th Street. This pipeline will address most (if not all) of the pressure and fire flow deficiencies in the area. Although this project is seriously impacting some of the east bench trails, these impacts are temporary.

All of these projects are being funded by the increase in Ogden’s water rates that was implemented in early 2008.

Golf course and condominium proposal

Meanwhile, the Ogden City administration recently released a vague but disturbing proposal to completely reconstruct the Mt. Ogden Golf Course, relocate the clubhouse to the top of 36th Street, and build a 350-unit hotel-condominium complex at this location. The proposal also calls for a lighted, commercial snow sports area to be developed in or near Strong’s Canyon. One associated document even mentions that the project may include a gondola terminal. Such a project would destroy some of Ogden’s most popular hiking trails and the natural spaces around them.

This proposal was ostensibly developed by a citizen committee, but abundant evidence shows that the administration had already determined the proposal’s key elements before the committee was assembled. Although Mayor Godfrey promised in 2007 to preserve the Mt. Ogden Golf Course as open space, the latest version of this proposal would entail building condos on a portion of what is now the golf course.

At this time, however, the details of this proposal don’t seem to merit much attention. The project would face some very serious challenges including a shortage of land, excessive slope angles, multiple fault traces, tremendous economic cost, impacts to Weber State University, and the need to amend Ogden’s General Plan. None of these challenges will be met easily or quickly. For now, the Sierra Club’s principal concern is that other city projects, such as the water tanks described above, are being planned with this proposal in mind.

Clearings in Malan’s Basin

This portion of the clearcut route in Strong's Canyon didn't hold snow even in early February.

Late last fall, a crew of workers spent several weeks on the Malan’s Basin property, clearing brush with chainsaws. The cleared spaces are 20 to 30 feet wide, and form two lengthy routes that traverse and descend from Malan’s Basin to the north and south. Apparently, these clearings are intended to convince someone that it will be feasible to ski all the way down from Malan’s Basin to the foothills.

The northern route begins in Malan’s Basin at an elevation of 7600 feet, and descends for a little over a mile to the ridge overlooking Taylor Canyon, just east of Malan’s Peak. From there, an expert skier could descend directly to the bottom of Taylor Canyon and then continue down the canyon to the top of 27th Street (snow conditions permitting).

The southern route begins slightly lower in Malan’s Basin and traverses around the ridge into Strong’s Canyon. After more than two miles, the clearing stops abruptly at the boundary between the Malan’s Basin property and a quarter-section of National Forest land. From there the route is flagged but not cut, continuing another quarter mile to the top of a grassy slope overlooking WSU and the site of the proposed hotel-condo complex described above.

Both of these routes follow gentle grades of 8 to 10 percent, barely steep enough for downhill skiing on packed snow. But they traverse across steep side-slopes where it is currently impossible to use snow grooming equipment (or vehicles of any type). Lengthy portions of both routes face southward, where snow melts quickly after most storms, even in mid-winter.

Chris Peterson, who apparently owns the Malan’s Basin property, has refused to explain these cleared routes to the press. Our fear, however, is that he intends to eventually bulldoze the routes into dirt roads. To do so he would have to transport heavy equipment onto the mountain and obtain a permit from the state. We hope he’ll come to his senses first.

What you can do

If you are concerned about these threats to Ogden’s open space, please contact the Ogden City Council at citycouncil@ci.ogden.ut.us, 801-629-8153, or through their web site. To learn more, contact the author at dvs (at) relia.net, 801-393-4603.

New developments on this and related issues are often discussed on Weber County Forum.

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