Ogden's recreation vision quest
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1 comment [ View ]Grow or die.
That appears to be Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey's philosophy when it comes to branding his city. Shortly after taking office more than eight years ago, he said he wanted to establish Junction City as the outdoor recreation hub of the Western U.S. And he's been relentlessly pursuing that vision ever since, earning fans and making enemies along the way.
Ask him and he'll tell you: Success is messy, and on the road to achieving the goal a few people are likely to have their toes crushed -- like, for example, the city council, with which he has frequently clashed.
We think he could have bruised fewer toes, and have said so. Likewise, the city council -- depending on the personalities involved -- has thrown up obstacles, occasionally unnecessary, to a smoother working relationship.
That's why when we see it, we like to reward positive developments with a pat on the back. Last week, Godfrey said he had a few new ideas for moving Ogden further toward the outdoor-hub goal. And while we would have liked to know precisely what those plans were before he announced them publicly -- we're a newspaper, after all, and we're in the business of trying to present the news before anyone else gets it -- there was a part of us that also applauded Godfrey for withholding the information until he could first present it to the council.
Why? Whether it's lip service or honest-to-goodness respect, Godfrey demonstrated with that gesture that maybe he's willing to bring the council along for the journey toward bolstering Ogden's recreation image by adding the following amenities and/or attractions: venues for swimming, horseback riding, skateboarding, indoor cycling, archery and tennis, and an outdoor BMX track. These, of course, would complement the Salomon Center's rock wall-climbing, indoor surfing and skydiving attractions, along with the Weber River kayak park, amazing trail system and proximity to rock climbing, skiing and in-city water-skiing lake.
Soak that in for a moment: It's a pretty impressive list.
The chief question, as always, is money. How will these items be funded? After that, where will they be located?
The answers are still to be determined. Godfrey will need the council's buy-in, and as many good ideas as he can hope to wrangle when it comes to making these dreams a reality.
Still, we wonder: What's the price tag? And where will the money come from? The manner in which Godfrey and the council approach these questions will ultimately determine the depth of public support. At this point, the right people are talking instead of finger-pointing.
That's a good first step.
You call out our amazing trail system. Yet, many trails and access points are on PRIVATE land. Our elected officials all ran on preserving open space. And what do they do to preserve these trails and access points? NOTHING! Try to keep up guys. We spend money on Godfrey's contractors, and nothing for the things we say we love. And what do you say about it? NOTHING.