Pleasant Grove to move on rec center

By Amy Choate
Deseret Morning News
Published: Wednesday, March 8, 2006 8:39 p.m. MST
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PLEASANT GROVE — The Pleasant Grove City Council agreed Tuesday to move forward with preparations to seek a $4 million bond to build a new recreation center, though residents raised concerns about one of the center's possible locations.

Tuesday's action was a preliminary step to preparing the bond for submission to public vote on June 27. Concern over the possibility of losing a valued piece of land to the project brought residents from the area out in large numbers to voice loud opposition to building the new center at Veterans Park near 582 East and 300 South.

"(Tuesday) night was so informative," Mayor Michael Daniels said. "It just goes to show how when you don't provide enough information for people to internalize or react to, or if your information isn't quite presented in the right way, people can be led in the wrong direction in their assumptions."

Many residents who attended the meeting said they were upset by a drawing on display in the current community center that placed the prospective building on property already designated as the Veterans Memorial Park. Though the site for the new center has not been determined, the bond amount proposed by the city does not include money to purchase new property, another cause for concern, residents said.

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"How can we put up a bond if we're still looking at potential sites?" resident Brian Haws asked council members at the meeting. "I think we should have a contingency plan for what the bond amount would cost to purchase land. I'm afraid if we're tied in and don't include funds to purchase property if its necessary, we'll be forced to look at projects — like in the park."

Daniels said while the city hopes to build the new center on land the city already owns, there are other options besides the park that can be examined.

"We'd like to try to keep it on land that we own, or land the (Alpine School) district owns or land we might be able to trade," Daniels said. "I think we have a fiduciary responsibility to keep the costs of government down, and not all citizens have the same view of enthusiasm for one program over another."

The proposed $4 million bond would mean a property tax increase of $1.50-1.75 per month for owners of homes valued at approximately $200,000. Commercial owners would pay approximately $3.20 a month. Daniels added that plans for the center are in very early stages at this point, as priorities for city finances are still being weighed.

While the City Council voted 3-2 to approved a motion to continue working towards putting the bond on the ballot in June, there was some disagreement as to whether or not the bond is an immediate necessity. The council will vote on the bond resolution itself on March 21.

E-mail: achoate@desnews.com

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