Public Works Director Scrambles to Stay Abreast of City's Rampant Growth

FRONT PAGE A1 www.tooeletranscript.com TUESDAY Jewish congregation meets to celebrate faith See B1 TOOELETRANSCRIPT BULLETIN March 25, 2008 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 114 NO. 89 50¢ Land prices holding despite market slowdown by Doug Radunich also now going for around STAFF WRITER $5 to $6 a square foot, and back in ‘05 or ‘06 it was Though the double-digit only $4.50 a square foot.” annual increases of recent Griffith said because years are no more, land land is still comparative- prices in Tooele County ly cheap in Tooele Valley, continue to hold despite it will remain as a more a sluggish market for new attractive market for land home sales, according to buyers than the Salt Lake area real estate agents. Valley. Tooele Prudential “In places like Draper Real Estate broker Vicki and Herriman, which are Griffith said even though both part of our compe- the volume of home sales tition, you get quarter- have slowed in Tooele acre lots for $250,000,” Valley over the past year, she said. “You can’t really the volume of residential buy a five-acre parcel of land sales has not expe- land out there either. We photography / Troy Boman rienced as much of a have so much more land major decrease. She said to offer out here, and I’ve Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation’s Smelter and Refinery, just miles from Tooele County, ranks as the second-largest polluter according to EPA data from 2006, Tooele County’s land pric- seen most of the growth with toxic releases of more than 17 million pounds. That number, however, is down almost half from the more than 30 million pounds reported in 2005. es increased dramatically happening in Tooele over the past 25 years, County and not in Tooele with the major increase City.” occurring in Erda, where Michelle Warner of land is very valuable and Prudential Utah Real primarily undeveloped. Estate in Grantsville said “Twenty years ago, the volume of land sales is Toxic releases declining five-acre lots in east Erda down, but prices are still Still, 86 percent of all pollution in Utah is were selling for $25,000, relatively steady. released by companies inside or near county LOCAL AREA TOXIC RELEASES while 10 years ago they “For a while, land prices were $50,000,” she said. were doing nothing but (2) ( ) = Ranking Statewide 58 by Sarah Miley respectively ranked fourth, fifth (2) Kennecott Smelter & Refinery “Now they’re going for a going up, but now we’re STAFF WRITER and sixth in the state for toxic 54 EnergySolutions/Envirocare minimum of $250,000 to seeing softenings and releases — released a combined 50 (2) US Magnesium $260,000. They have gone adjustments on prices just Tooele County ranks as the sec- 12.4 million pounds of toxic sub- 46 (3) Clean Harbors - Grassy Mountain up because people have because it’s not as much ond-highest county in Utah for stances into air, water and land. 42 Clean Harbors - Aragonite continued to want to pur- of a buyer’s market any- toxic releases, with three of the That total includes waste stored chase land out here. We’re more,” she said. “People 38 (4) Source: EPA 2006 Data top six polluters in the state call- in landfills. 34 so close to Salt Lake and are having a harder time (2) (2) ing the county home, according In contrast, in 2005 those 30 have plenty of water avail- being able to afford a piece to data from the Environmental same three companies gener- (2) (2) able.” of residential land, and 26 (4) (3) Protection Agency’s annual ated nearly 30 million pounds of (2) Griffith said she has seen they are paying attention 22 (2) Toxics Release Inventory report. toxic releases. a major jump in county to all the national doom 18 However, pollution from those Over the past eight years, com- Millions of Pounds (5) (5) (3) land prices in only the and gloom circulating in 14 three companies combined in bined toxic emissions released (3) past two or three years. the news. Some landown- (5) (7) (6) (3) (6) 10 (5) (4) 2006 was less than half of what it from Tooele County companies (6) (5) (4) (7) “Back in ‘05 or ‘06, a ers may still think they (5) (5) was in 2005. have generally followed a down- 6 (7) (6) (5) five-acre parcel in east can sell their land for top (15) (14) EnergySolutions, US ward trend. EPA data shows 2 (6) Erda would cost only dollar, but I think several (8) (11) Magnesium and Clean Harbors (20) (23) (22) (27) (14) (13) (12) $85,000 to $125,000,” she Grassy Mountain facility — which SEE TOXIC PAGE A6 ➤ 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 said. “Commercial land is SEE PRICES PAGE A7 ➤ Public works director scrambles to stay abreast of city’s rampant growth by Tim Gillie spring he’ll tackle two more sewer capacity,” Campbell said. road to the Glen Eagle subdi- STAFF WRITER ambitious projects: the com- The expansion of the sewer vision on the city’s west side. pletion of 1000 North and the plant began last year and is Eventually, city plans call for the Cary Campbell is a man who’s expansion of the city’s sewer expected to be completed this extension of 1000 North all the always racing to keep up. As treatment plant. fall. The expansion will boost way to SR-112, making it a major head of Tooele City’s Community The city’s new treatment capacity from 2 million gallons conduit to the Deseret Peak Development/Public Works plant completed in 2001 at the a day to 3.2 million and will cost Complex and Grantsville. The department, he’s spent the last northeast end of the city is near $2.5 million. property owner at the northeast seven years working to ensure capacity. The extension of 1000 North intersection of 1000 North and the city’s infrastructure keeps “We have turned down some to 600 West is scheduled to start SR-36 already has preliminary photography / Troy Boman pace with rampant residential developers that want to start this spring. The city will spend Cary Campbell stands in Tooele City’s garage Tuesday. Campbell is both the and commercial growth. This new subdivisions due to limited about $15 million to extend the SEE GROWTH PAGE A8 ➤ city’s Community Development and Public Works department head. Cycle of domestic violence still entraps many women District announces by Jamie Belnap tries to get close. Memories thing not done perfect in the average how often.” STAFF WRITER still creep into her mind of the house or me looking at him the He added, however, that school make-up day numerous beatings that lasted wrong way. Everyone thought the state of Utah has taken a The night her husband into the night. we had this great relationship, very firm stance on domes- The Tooele County School District will have a threatened to beat and kill her “He’d beat me and choke me but actually I was living in tic violence recently. As such, make-up day for the snow closure earlier this year and then cut her body up into and then I’d pass out, wake up hell.” if an officer arrives on scene on Monday, March 31, according to Terry Linares, tiny pieces is the night Jen left and he beat me again,” said Jen’s story is not uncommon and gathers enough evidence district assistant superintendent. him. It was the end of a six- Jen, a former Tooele resident — both locally and across the to determine that an act of This day was previously scheduled as a qual- year abusive relationship, but who left the city last fall. “It got nation. domestic violence has taken ity teaching day. Elementary schools will follow not the end of the 26-year-old to the point that I could look at “It’s a fairly common situa- place, and is able to identify a the Wednesday early closure schedule. Secondary mother of two’s emotional and a calendar and be able to tell tion within our city,” said Lt. primary aggressor, the officer is schools will be dismissed at 11:45 a.m. There will physical suffering. when his next blow up would Jorge Cholico of the Tooele City required to take action. Action be no pre-school. The remainder of the day will be It’s been three years and Jen be. It was just little things that Police Department. “I know used by teachers to work on third-quarter grades, still flinches when someone would set him off, like some- it happens, but I can’t say on SEE ENTRAPS PAGE A9 ➤ according to Linares. INSIDE WEATHER OPEN FORUM A4 HOMETOWN B1 Wind with 50 percent of showers OBITUARIES A8 BULLETIN BOARD B2 THS netters face Wednesday. Highs in the low demanding schedule 40s to upper 50s. TV LISTINGS B4 CLASSIFIEDS B5 See 10 Complete Forecast: A2 SPORTS A10 ANNOUNCEMENTS B10 A3A3A2 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT-BULLETIN TUESDAY March 25, 2008 Valley Weather Forecast Realtor takes over as head of county Republicans Local Weather by Tim Gillie Tue 57/38 STAFF WRITER 3/25 Mostly cloudy skies early will be- The new head of the come partly cloudy later in the day. Republican Party in Tooele County hopes to increase the party’s base by recruiting Wed 53/34 more people from through- 3/26 out the county to be actively Few showers.

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