Author Archives: Fairpark Community

Hoyt Place Zoning Change

At the August Fairpark Community Council meeting, Dave Robinson of SS Consulting LLC gave a presentation about a proposed zoning change at 845 W Hoyt Place. At the September meeting this proposal  will be further discussed and a vote will be taken as to what the Community Council recommends to the planning commission for this change.

Currently the zoning is R-1/5,000 (low density), which allows for building single-family homes on a lot with a minimum size of 5,000 square feet. This zoning requires a 20 foot front yard, and the building can only cover a maximum of 40% of the lot.

The new zoning being proposed is SR-3 (medium density) Special Development Pattern Residential District, which would allow the following:

  • single family detached houses on 2,000 square foot lots;
  • two family dwellings on 3,000 square foot lots;
  • single family attached houses (up to a maximum of 6 homes in a row) with each on 1,500 square foot lots;
  • The zoning requires a 10 foot front yard, and the building can only cover a maximum of 60% of the lot for detached homes, and 70% for attached homes.

Both zoning codes allow accessory dwelling units, and the maximum building heights are the same (28 feet for a gabled roof, and 20 feet for a flat roof).

Drive Safely as it gets Darker

Daylight Saving Time ends every year on the first Sunday in November. This means it starts to get darker earlier. As we set our clocks backward by one hour in most areas of the country, here are some tips for driving at night.teen-driver-safety-8

1. Reduce your speed and increase your following distances.

2. If there is any doubt, turn your headlights on. Lights will make it easier for other drivers to see you.

3. When following another vehicle, keep your headlights on low beam so you don’t blind the driver ahead of you.

4. Avoid glare from oncoming bright headlights by watching the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide.

A full list of night driving tips can be accessed here.

Salt Lake City Rolls Out Rain Barrel Initiative to Build on Free Water Check Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 3, 2015

Contact: Stephanie Duer, Water Conservation Program Manager

801-483-6860

SALT LAKE CITY— Residents and media representatives are invited to join Mayor Ralph Becker and the Salt Lake Public Utilities Department on Friday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. at 180 T Street for an announcement of the City’s new Rain Barrel Initiative and a demonstration on use of the barrels at a typical residence.

The initiative is designed to encourage and assist customers in making efficient use of the area’s shared, and limited, water resources.

The 60-gallon rain barrels will be available for purchase at cost ($68) by households within the Salt Lake City Public Utilities’ service area that have participated in the free Water Check Program by completing a sprinkler audit. The Water Check Program is offered through Salt Lake City’s partnership with Utah State University and the Metropolitan Water District, and provides information about growing healthy, attractive lawns while using less water.

“The new rain barrel program, launching in connection with our long-running Water Check Program, helps provide residents both the tools and knowledge to make responsible water-use decisions,” said Mayor Becker.

Jeff Niermeyer, Department of Public Utilities Director, said the Rain Barrel Initiative is an excellent addition to an already robust City water conservation program. The Initiative will be incorporated into the Water Check Program, which already provides value to the community and ongoing research on landscape water use patterns.

“Linking our initial rain barrel offering to the Water Check Program gives us the framework and opportunity to evaluate how rain barrels help achieve conservation goals,” said Niermeyer.

To purchase a rain barrel, eligible households should contact Stephanie Duer, Water Conservation Manager, at 801-483-6860 or by emailing stephanie.duer@slcgov.com. Barrels will be available beginning September 4, on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information regarding the Rain Barrel Initiative, Water Check Program or other water conservation initiatives, visit www.slcgov.com/waterconservation.

Dirt2Table: Fall Planting and Fruit Leather

dirt2tableThings can be very busy for the gardener during August. What with keeping up with the zucchini and canning the tomatoes it is sometimes hard to find time to make a fall planting of fast maturing and cool weather crops. But you will be glad if you do. What I planted a few weeks ago includes Spinach, Lettuce, Cilantro, and Carrots. I didn’t plant any peas, but there still might be time for all of these types of cool weather crops. The last two fall seasons stayed frost free until at least mid October here in Salt Lake City, so it might happen again this fall.

Besides fall plantings I wanted to mention Fruit Leather. While being a little overwhelmed by all the peaches off of one tree and making Jam, I decided to try making fruit leather. I simply pureed the peeled cut peaches and then slowly cooked them to thicken the puree. Then I added honey to make it extra sweet. Finally I poured the jam like peach puree onto parchment paper covered dehydrator screens and put into the dehydrator. If you don’t have a dehydrator then put the parchment onto baking dishes and bake at 200 F. overnight.

For more information on fall planting, see the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s Fall Planting Guide or Mother Earth News.

Happy growing and eating!

Education Corner: Back to School Tips

edcornerIt’s that exciting time of year – back to school. New clothes, new haircuts, new backpacks filled with school supplies, new teachers….. Along with the excitement comes a degree of stress for both parents and children.

Kids.gov , a service from the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, offering all sorts of resources for students, parents and teachers, has an article with 10 tips for parents to help with the transition from summer to school year. Topics include communicating with teachers, health, easing into the school routine, time management , communicating with and listening to your kids, and much more!

The site is also translated into Spanish.

Keeping your property safe

Hello everyone!

Summer is almost at an end and school is starting back up. These are busy times, but I would like to pass on a view reminders and suggestions to help keep your property safe while you enjoy the coming months. Please remind your neighbors of these suggestions as well.

We have seen a lot of people in the city still leaving property in their vehicles. It doesn’t take long for someone to walk up and break into the vehicle to take your stuff. People are often leaving iPods, phones, laptops and even firearms in their cars. It is often difficult for us to locate these missing items. The best thing to do is leave this stuff at home or take it with you. If you have to keep something in the car then lock it up in the trunk where it isn’t visible.

While you are away is a good time for criminals to play. Remember to lock your doors and windows to your house. That alone is a very good deterrent for many criminals. Click the link to look at other home security ideas http://slcpd.com/community/home-security…. Obviously this doesn’t stop everyone so take steps to have your property well documented in case something ever is stolen. Taking pictures or even a video is very helpful. Lastly, be sure and document serial numbers. I can’t tell you how many times people have something like a game console stolen and they haven’t documented the serial numbers.

Take care and stay safe.
Detective Richard Chipping

SLC Police Department

Hot Times in the City

Every year, Fairpark Community residents look forward to summer vacations, camping, family reunions, picnics, and Labor Day. Summertime, however, also brings fires and injuries due to fireworks and outdoor cooking. We want to encourage summer fire safety in our community with helpful information obtained through the Salt Lake City Fire Department.

Think about emergency preparedness. Your ability to get out of your home in the event of a fire depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning. Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Choose a safe meeting place outside the house. It is a good idea to keep a bell and flashlight in each bedroom

What can you do to prevent outdoor fires? Remove all dead plants, trees and shrubs. Reduce excess leaves, plant parts and low-hanging branches. Replace dense flammable plants with fire-resistant plants. The choice of plants, spacing and maintenance are crucial elements in any defensible space landscaping plan.

Fire Safety Tips

  • Install smoke detectors and change the batteries once a year
  • Post emergency numbers near telephones
  • Have a safe fire escape plan and practice with your family
  • Be careful cooking. Put a lid on a grease fire and reduce heat.
  • Matches and lighters can be dangerous. Educate children.

For more safety tips, sign up for emergency alerts or visit the SLC Fire Department Website.

Prison Relocation Decision

The Prison Relocation Commission voted unanimously on August 11 that a new state prison be built near the Salt Lake International Airport, at about 7200 West north of I-80.

Salt Lake City Councilman James Rogers, District 1, joined Mayor Ralph Becker in a press conference just after the decision was announced, on the proposed site for the new prison. (source: Salt Lake City Council website)

We are troubled to learn that the Prison Relocation Commission has chosen Salt Lake City as their recommended location for a new Utah State Prison. Despite the vocal and constant opposition from our community and information Salt Lake City has provided that this site is unsuitable for this use, the Commission has recommended moving the prison to our City.

By moving the prison out by the Kennecott tailings in west Salt Lake City, the State will have ignored the opposition by our residents and elected leaders.

Salt Lake City will continue to fight today’s decision, and we look forward to working together with Salt Lake City’s legislators to pursue all options to prevent the prison being built. This State prison would be a new, additional burden, removing taxable property and potentially adding costs.

The Salt Lake City Council hand delivered a letter to Governor Herbert, stating the city’s continued opposition to the relocation of the state prison.

The Salt Lake City Council remains opposed to relocating the Utah State Prison from Draper to Salt Lake City. Simply put, there is at best, a questionable use of public funds based on the poor analysis done by the PRC’s consultants. The economics of that information led to the decision to locate in Salt Lake City, which is therefore inherently flawed.

The challenges addressed in the letter included

  • building a foundation in an area with a high water table and on unstable soil that runs 125 feet deep in places.
  • the need to address the Boo-acre landfill at 7200 West.
  • the cost burden to citizens with the $559 million to build a new prison,building the prison’s foundation which will cost more than $6o million, an estimated cost of between $31 million and $64 million to run utilities to the prison site; $30 million to buy the land; and between $6 million and $8 million to: build temporary roads accessing the prison from 1·80 to s6oo West and North Temple

Finally, questions were posed to the Governor with a request for acknowledgement of the magnitude of the investment it will require to build a new prison.

What company relies on so-year financial projections to make decisions? What company in Utah accurately predicted its financial position today in 1965? Wouldn’t a better calculation of cost effectiveness measure cost savings over the time it takes to pay off the construction bonds?

The Mayor and City Council will continue to actively oppose this measure in the hopes that the decision will be reversed.