UTAH COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
100 E Center St., Room 3600
Provo, Utah 84606
Filed by email to: boe@utahcounty.gov
Gentlemen, I’m the President of the Tibble Fork Recreational Residence Owners Association which is located in American Fork Canyon by the Tibble Fork Dam. There are 38 summer homes in the association that were permitted by the Forest Service back in the 1940’s. The cabins exist and operate under restrictive covenants from the Forest Service and follow all Utah County regulations. The owners typically have deep roots in Utah County and have a love for American Fork Canyon (“Canyon”). Free Saturday afternoons in my youth were spent hiking and driving the mining claim roads of the Canyon with my father and friends. Now in retirement a significant portion of my time is spent hiking and riding in the Canyon.
Our Association wanted to comment on the recent request from a significant commercial developer to expand its skiing operations into Mary Ellen Gulch and onto the top of the Major Evans Gulch ridgeline.
Our comments are as follows:
• The rapid acceleration of requests for development is concerning as the Canyon is a very limited resource and there is no master plan in place to govern how the canyon will be used in the future. The Mountain Accord recently signed to govern the mountain land in Salt Lake and adjoining counties is an example of how commercial development should be anticipated and controlled and we urge Utah County to follow a similar process to plan appropriately for the future of this wonderful Canyon.
• The developer’s admission that they don’t have “concrete plans” for development of the lands it controls should be a significant concern for the Board. Given the developer doesn’t have a plan, or is unwilling to disclose their plan for the future of the lands they control, it would be reckless to allow piecemeal development. If they have a transparent plan for development it should be presented for comment and review. We fully respect private ownership of property and if the plan fits into a master plan for the Canyon then approval at some future date following adequate disclosure and review would be appropriate. The full ownership and control of properties of the commercial developer should be fully disclosed as part of their application.
• Prior to approving additional development in Mary Ellen Gulch and Major Evans Gulch a review should be done of the impact to the public of the closure of Mineral Basin where the developer was allowed to expand in 1999. The road into Mineral Basin above the Pittsburg Lake trailhead has been made impassable to almost all vehicles, limiting access that was historically available to anyone with a stock four wheel drive vehicle. We assume the developer has been complicit in the road closure as former mining claim owners historically maintained the road and left it open for full access. The upper portion of the canyon is now scared with roads and ski lifts that have been installed and the visual pollution of the lift lines and base facilities is extensive. Additionally, the developer creates significant noise pollution with the heavy equipment workdone at the top of the canyon…the noise in the summer can be heard on Pole Line Pass, in Mary Ellen Gulch and on Miller Hill. The undeveloped gulches are much more attractive and enjoyable to hike and ride without the additional proposed development. Allowing ski lift towers of 75 feet would negatively impact the historic public use of the area.
• Public access to the mining claim roads in the canyon has been mostly unrestricted historically. When the developer controls mining claims that access is limited as noted above for Mineral Basin. The road leading to the top of Major Evans Gulch now has a gate blocking access; traditional owners of mining claims would not have allowed this closure. With the developer’s ownership and control that gate blocks access to what was called the “Top of the World” area that was historically delightful to access by ATV and jeep. We question the legality of the gate and encourage the Board to investigate the closure and prevent further blockage of access to these historic sites in their approval process and ensure continued access to the Canyon.
• We are concerned with the rapid development of these events as the timing (especially the initial filing in mid-December just prior to the holidays) appears to be designed to catch interested parties unaware and slip something past regulators and the public. This process should be much more transparent and fully disclosed.
• The County should review the conversion of the mining property to other commercial uses. The historic properties in the Canyon were, to our understanding, old mining claims or otherwise would have been Forest Service property. The majority of these tracts have been maintained under antiquated mining laws that required minimal investment, minor maintenance and apparently no remediation of tailings.
We urge you to fulfill your fiduciary obligation to serve all your constituents and the broad public interest by tabling the proposal until the magnitude of the commercial development of the canyon is fully disclosed and understood.
Sincerely,
Mark Hales President,
Tibble Fork Recreational Residence Owners Association
LaRae T. Savage, Cedar Hills, Utah
Dale M and Karen Greenwood, American Fork, Utah
Brandon Greenwood, American Fork, Utah
Katie Greenwood, American Fork, Utah
Ben Greenwood, American Fork, Utah
Brigadier General, US Army (Ret.) and Mrs. Bruce & Nyla Frandsen, American Fork, Utah
Dean Gunther, American Fork Utah
Dale and RoseAnn Gunther, American Fork, Utah
D.R. and Pam Gardner, Alpine, Utah
Mark and Rebecca Hales, Draper Utah
Jim and Susan Chadwick, Midvale, Utah
Dave and Jamie Joyner, Draper, Utah
Brook and Erin Chadwick, Draper, Utah
Don and Connie Eddington, Salt Lake City, Utah
Nathan and Ashley Chadwick, Kearns, Utah
John and Susie Chadwick, Irvine, California
Frank and Jodi Preston, Lehi, Utah