TOOELE Prep tennis TRANSCRIPT teams S begin region T C play S See B1 BULLETIN THURSDAY August 30, 2018 www.TooeleOnline.com Vol. 125 No. 26 $1.00 County detention center nears inmate capacity STEVE HOWE federal prisoners and 46 out of according to Tooele County STAFF WRITER Salt Lake County, according to Sheriff Paul Wimmer. More than two years ago, Tooele County Sheriff Lt. Ray Since the jail is divided the Tooele County Detention Clinton. into different classifications Center didn’t even have 100 The Tooele County — maximum, medium or inmates. Detention Center, built in 2011 minimum security — no sec- But on Wednesday, the for $25 million, was designed tion should ever be completely jail had 227 inmates, with an to hold 277 inmates. full, Wimmer said. If an inmate additional two expected to If the inmate population gets into a fight or needs to be FILE PHOTO transfer in later in the day. The reaches 240 inmates, it’s likely The Tooele County Detention Center, built in 2011 for $25 million, is nearing capacity with a growing population inmate population includes 69 nearing capacity, however, SEE CAPACITY PAGE A7 ® of federal prisoners and inmates from Salt Lake County. Renewable energy looking at Timpie, Rowley for projects County RDA approves study for possible reinvestment area for solar energy sites TIM GILLIE contractor that develops green STAFF WRITER energy projects and sells the The Tooele County energy that is generated to Redevelopment Agency has tech companies that require a approved a preliminary step percentage of their power to be for the formation of two com- green-generated,” said County munity reinvestment areas commissioner Shawn Milne, west of Tooele Valley that may who is the chairman of the become sites for large-scale county RDA board. solar energy system projects. Community reinvestment The County RDA, which areas are the latest public is comprised of the Tooele tax increment financing tool County Commission, approved authorized in 2016 by the state resolutions designating sur- Legislature. They replace rede- vey areas for the proposed velopment project areas. CRAs Horseshoe and Elektron use real and personal property Community Reinvestment tax generated by growth from Project Areas during an Aug. within a project area to finance FRANCIE AUFDEMORTE/TTB PHOTO 21 meeting at the County redevelopment activities. Interstate 80 traffic congestion at exit 99 in Lake Point is expected to continue with UDOT announcing a bridge replacement project has been Building. The Elektron Community postponed until next year. “Both project areas are for Reinvestment Project Area solar energy systems to be I-80 bridge construction won’t finish developed by a third party SEE ENERGY PAGE A6 ® until 2019; UDOT studying options STEVE HOWE has appeared inactive for several Black Rock bridges, which run over STAFF WRITER weeks, is in the settlement phase, Beery Union Pacific railroad lines, is still in National suicide For Tooele County commuters curi- said. There will be additional work on the design phase, according to Beery. ous about the Utah Department of the project this fall, but isn’t expected He said the project team is reviewing Transportation’s bridge construction to be finished until late spring or early alternative designs and their projected prevention hotline projects on Interstate 80 — hurry up summer in 2019. impact on traffic. and wait. In April, a single lane was closed on The original design for the railroad Neither the overpass bridge at Exit westbound Exit 99 during construc- overpass bridges called for the two idea hatched in Utah 99 on I-80, nor the two railroad over- tion. There were single lane closures bridges to be constructed adjacent to pass bridges near Black Rock, will be in both directions of I-80 on the Black the existing structures. The existing completed this calendar year, according Rock bridges, which began on May 30, bridges would be demolished and the “Little Utah idea” originated with state to UDOT spokesman Tim Beery. The to patch the bridge decks and fill pot- new bridges would be slid into place, $30 million project began this spring. holes. Senator who represents Tooele The overpass bridge project, which The reconstruction project on the SEE BRIDGE PAGE A7 ® TIM GILLIE of West Valley City and West STAFF WRITER Jordan. When President Donald Introduced in the U.S. Trump signed a bill earlier Senate in May 2017, the this month that will lead to a National Suicide Prevention national 3-digit number for Hotline Implementation suicide prevention and mental Act asks the Federal health services, a state senator Communications Commission who represents part of Tooele and the Substance Abuse County shed a tear. and Mental Health Services The National Suicide Administration to recommend Prevention Hotline the best national three-digit Implementation Act, spon- number for a national suicide sored Sen. Orrin Hatch and prevention and mental health Congressman Chris Stewart, crisis hotline. was signed by Trump on Aug. It also asks them to examine 14. the overall effectiveness of While sponsored by Hatch the current National Suicide and Stewart, a 3-digit suicide Prevention Lifeline and hotline was a four-year dream Veterans Crisis Line, and to for Utah state Sen. Daniel recommend ways to improve Thatcher, R-West Valley City. the current system. FRANCIE AUFDEMORTE/TTB PHOTO Thatcher represents Tooele The bill further asks the Mounds of rock and soil next to Exit 99’s bridge at Lake Point await a new bridge over Interstate 80. UDOT now says the project won’t be City, East Erda, Pine Canyon, finished until next year. Two new bridges east of Black Rock also won’t be installed until 2019. along with Magna and parts SEE SUICIDE PAGE A9 ® INSIDE BULLETIN BOARD B5 CLASSIFIEDS B8 Tooele City will Developers Few reasons to HOMETOWN A10 host Labor Day work to revive watch dog film OBITUARIES A8 Music Festival Broadway Hotel ‘Alpha’ SPORTS B1 See A4 See A2 See A7 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT BULLETIN THURSDAY August 30, 2018 Developers still optimistic about Broadway Hotel project MARK WATSON since the market crash in STAFF WRITER 2008,” he added. Developers continue to The company proposes to work with Tooele City on a restore the hotel with about plan to revitalize Broadway 30 apartments and to rede- Avenue between Utah Avenue velop the other properties and Vine Street. with about six new residential The Tooele City Council buildings that would include passed an ordinance on six new apartments in each Aug. 15 to amend provisions building, for a total of 54 new relating to the mixed-use and redeveloped dwelling Broadway zoning district. units. According to the ordinance, The Tooele City Planning AmericaWest Investments, Commission forwarded a LLC, wants to restore the positive recommendation to Broadway Hotel and several the City Council on proposed other blighted properties changes to the zone for the in Newtown on Broadway project during its Aug. 8 Avenue. meeting. “The project plans have not Tooele City Attorney Roger changed substantially over Baker said he was one of the the past decade,” said devel- first individuals to see the oper Soren Simonsen in an proposal for this project back e-mail response. “It remains in February 2004, accord- essentially a workforce hous- ing to minutes of the Aug. 8 ing project, involving the meeting. renovation of a historically Baker said the project had significant building, and con- gone through several market struction of new housing on corrections that had made adjacent property.” funding difficult. He indicated the project He said the new overlay bogged down in 2007 and zoning ordinance for the early 2008 because housing Broadway District would markets in Utah and across allow for the necessary flex- TTB FILE PHOTO the United States crashed. ibility to help the project to go Soren Simonsen talks about his plans for the Broadway Hotel in Newtown. Simonsen is part of a partnership working on getting financing to build Simonsen said financing forward as a unique, historic houses in vacant lots neighboring the hotel. Simonsen would also like to renovate the boarded up, dilapidated hotel. for the project is still rela- part of the community that tively complex, with some has experienced a decline. 0 feet after approval by the widths can be reduced from ments to better contribute to of the Broadway Hotel and remaining hurdles to jump. The ordinance amend- planning commission. 9 feet wide to 8 feet, 6 inches the livability and long-term adjacent properties. He said The projected cost is $8 mil- ment is for the Mixed-Used • An increase in maximum wide. vitality of the neighborhood, the actual recorded property lion, according to Simonsen. Broadway District only, and density to go above 16 units In their proposal materi- according to the proposal. ownership is through an affil- “If we are able to get the does not apply to other areas per acre. als presented to Tooele City, In addition to the hotel iated subsidiary company that required financing in place, in Tooele City. • Existing building heights the developers indicated that property on the west side of was set up when the property our current schedule is to Six of the main changes to shall be permitted above the Broadway Heritage Village is Broadway Avenue, the proj- was first purchased. close on the financing loans the zoning for the Broadway the maximum height limit of a proposal to redevelop and ect includes development of Simonsen and others are in late 2018 or early 2019, development include: two stories. The Broadway help revitalize a blighted and two parcels to the south of minor partners in the project. with construction begin- • A maximum size lot Hotel is three stories high.