Powder Mountain zoning blocked
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Thursday, January 3, 2008 | 
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Marshall Thompson
Standard-Examiner staff
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By Marshall Thompson
Standard-Examiner staff
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By Marshall Thompson
Standard-Examiner staff
HUNTSVILLE -- The Huntsville Town Council has unanimously passed a resolution opposing a zoning application that would turn Powder Mountain into a massive four-season resort.
The Ogden Valley Planning Commission approved the application in December and sent it up to the Weber County Commission with a list of 19 conditions.
Among other things, the measures cap the density and require developers to build a secondary access road to the resort.
Despite the conditions, the Huntsville resolution, which Councilman Richard Sorensen hand delivered to Commissioner Craig Dearden, states that the council "adamantly opposes the petitioners rezone request due to the overall negative impacts on Huntsville Town and the entire Ogden Valley."
The requirement of a secondary road is of particular concern to the council, Sorensen said.
During planning commission meetings, the Powder Mountain developers discussed the possibility of building a road that would head east from the resort, through a private conservation easement, down South Fork canyon and into Huntsville.
"We would oppose a secondary road that goes through South Fork because that puts the traffic right in our back yard," Sorensen said. "We would love to see the road going through Cache Valley."
Cache County officials and Powder Mountain representatives have stated on several occasions that there will be no access road from the Cache Valley side.
"I can see no benefit to Ogden Valley residents from the rezone proposal that Powder Mountain has provided," Sorensen said. "There can be no positive outcome."
The Powder Mountain developers have not seen the resolution, but will be looking into it, said spokeswoman Lisa Davis James.
In response to the Huntsville council's concern about the road, she said Powder Mountain had not made any decisions about where to place the second access.
"The discussion regarding a secondary road to that area has been going on for a few years and it will likely go on for a long time," James said. "Powder Mountain will be one voice at the table, and just one voice."
She said in the end, Cache and Weber counties will have to make any final decisions about roads.
Sorensen said he hopes the Weber County Commission would carefully consider Huntsville's input.
Dearden could not be reached for comment, but fellow Commissioner Jan Zogmaister said the commissioners would look closely at the Huntsville resolution before making a decision. She added that the commission is still gathering information.
"Right now we're reviewing the conditions set by the planning commission," Zogmaister said.
"It's a lot of work, but this is a big deal and you would expect a lot of work to be involved."
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