Suture Ogden's wounds
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t wasn't exactly by the hair of his chinny-chin-chin, but incumbent Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey won a narrow victory when provisional and absentee ballots were finally counted Tuesday. By anyone's definition, it was not a mandate.
But it was, however slim, a victory for the policies Godfrey has pursued the past two terms. Given the close vote, though, we believe it's also an opportunity for Godfrey to do some fence-mending with his critics. The mayor should view this near-political-death experience as motivation to work more closely with the city council over the next four years.
And the same goes for the council.
Ogden is deeply divided, and the principal wedges keeping the two sides apart -- the pro-Godfrey and anti-Godfrey factions -- have been the bitter battles over development of The Junction on the old mall site, and the proposed sale of Mount Ogden Golf Course and Weber State University land as part of a resort to be built at Malan's Basin.
It seems to us much can be learned from those two experiences. And the lessons can help the city's leaders repair their rifts and move forward on the many challenges that still face Junction City.
Regarding The Junction, opposition centered on city/redevelopment agency subsidies to kick-start the development. And while that's always a risk, it's paying off so far: The Megaplex Theaters are busy, and the high-adventure Salomon Center is always crowded. Now office buildings are taking shape, as well as condominium and retail projects.
Where once there was a dirt lot, now there is commerce and vibrancy in the downtown core.
As for the Malan's Basin resort and associated land sale proposals, it can be better analyzed by splitting the issue in two. Most people are generally supportive of landowner Chris Peterson's right to build a four-season resort on his property. If he can obtain the permits from county or city planning commissions, he should be able to pursue his dream.
But the mayor misjudged public animosity regarding his enthusiastic support for Peterson's desire to purchase the Mount Ogden Golf Course and 150 acres of university land on which to build homes to finance construction of his resort. It placed Godfrey in the odd position of promoting Ogden as an outdoor "hub" close to open space and unsurpassed recreational opportunities, while at the same time advocating the building of more rooftops on some of that prime open space. That part of the plan never clicked with most Ogdenites, and Godfrey waited so long to bail on the plan that it nearly cost him re-election.
Even though Godfrey has since pledged not to sell the golf course and surrounding city-owned park lands and trails, there remains an oozing wound associated with the two-year battle over the Malan's Basin resort and proposed downtown-to-Weber State gondola, which was to have been funded in part by the sale of the golf course. Critics of the project -- and even those undecided -- were attacked by a cadre of gondola/resort fans. Contrary to common sense and principles of free speech, they urged revocation of tenure for WSU professors who would not support the sale of land or the urban gondola, and accused others who withheld judgment until a detailed plan was offered of being anti-Ogden. It was ridiculous.
That, in turn, prompted gondola/resort opponents to respond in kind with all manner of accusations about conflicts of interest and corruption, none of which ever were substantiated.
It was an especially odd battle, since no detailed plan ever has been presented to the city or county -- to this day. All the animosity and name-calling was for nothing, it turns out. But the damage was real, and repairing it will be a slow and difficult process.
That's the considerable task now facing Godfrey and the Ogden City Council: To continue moving the city forward, but in a more harmonious fashion. What good will it do to finish resurrecting Ogden from its doldrums if the city's residents are still at each other's throats?
Junction City can be more unified. History will smile on the leaders who achieve this goal. It can be done. It must be done. Ogden deserves nothing less.
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