Big changes coming for Sand Flats area

[Rick B]

I just read in the local paper about a proposed hotel & some other development for the area that is currently Lion's Back Campground. This could bode ill for off roaders as the "developers" also want to lease an additional 100 acres of SITLA land adjacent to the campground property that they just bought the remainder of the lease on (also a SITLA property). It definitely explains the new fences erected up there over the last few months that completely block all access to that 100 acres.

This will most likely end access to Lion's Back permanently, it could also end the Dump Bump since it is my understanding that it is part of the same 80 acre parcel. Of course the whole thing could be scrapped if the county council rejects the plan all together, which is a possibility since the "developers" want to include what sounds like residential units in the deal. That would require a zoning change that the county council may not approve.

Regardless of whether or not this development is allowed, the lower Sand Flats area has been permanently changed (the exit of Hell's revenge has been rerouted) & will likely change even more as developers continue to "discover" Moab. There is a 3rd SITLA property up there that could control all access to Potato Salad Hill, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that someone is making plans for it as well.

 

[EZRhino]

Why would anyone want to live next to the city dump? I'm confused.

EZ

 

[Cody]

I actually hope the aging hippie liberal douche's get there way on this one. I don't want to see a stupid hotel up there....

Cody

 

[Brett]

I actually hope the aging hippie liberal douche's get there way on this one.
Cody

My Dad?

 

[roktaxi]

little by little.....

About a month ago SITLA advertised (public notices) that the right of way for a parcel that accesses Potato Salad area was for sale. Not the parcel itself, only the ROW. Seems that Grand County has never formally laid claim to that road even though they've upgraded the bumpy road from what it was. Anyone can bid for that ROW but perhaps G.C. is persuing it??? Theoretically, the highest bidder could have control over that road. Not necessarily to close it but to perhaps control it (like Pritchett entrance). I spoke with John Knight (Moab SITLA rep.) regarding this issue. Much of SITLA land that has any type of "easement" such as utilities and roads have never been formally claimed by those agencies. Now SITLA is selling the easements so that it doesn't turn into a Strike Ravine nightmare for them. It's up to those agencies to either pay for those ROW's or surrender them to "others". Eminent Domain or RS2477 does not play a part on SITLA land according to Mr. Knight. Stay tuned.......

 

[2BIGTJ]

I actually hope the aging hippie liberal douche's get there way on this one. I don't want to see a stupid hotel up there....

Cody

WHY!!!
All that is up there now is a bunch of pot smoking junkies that leave there crap all over the place. This would be the best thing to happen to that area is for some one to put a nice hotel, or somthing like that up there. It is either that or from what I have heard is that the greenies are going to buy the lease and put some natural concert area up there and not alow access to anything. From what I hear the developer will allow travel to hells and the surrounding venues.

I was talking with the PD down there and one officer told me that 90% of illegal activities happen in that area and this would clean up alot of that.

But then again this is just my view on the matter

 

[Rick B]

I don't know when you talked with Moab PD concerning an area outside thier jurisdiction, but the area in question has been mostly blocked off for about 2 years now. There hasn't been much activity of any kind in there in that time. What there has been is illegal OHV use & some blatant intentional destruction using 4x4's & ATV's to do the damage, exactly the kind of abuse that makes something like this look attractive to a lot of people.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to build a hotel or any kind of residential development there either. The landfill is all of 1/4 mile away & generally upwind. But there are residential properties much closer to the landfill than this property is already & several new homes are in the planning stages for those properties right now. I also can't imagine anyone paying $825K for the remaining 80 years or so on the lease of the 80 acres there. But it happened.

But what really concerns me is the precedent it will be setting if it happens. It's much easier to allow more of this type of development once the first one has been allowed. The entire area could be "developed" in the next few years if this project is allowed. Suddenly we won't have any place to park tow rigs & trailers, new residents will be bitching about the noise & dust from the only remaining OHV trail & it will be eventually closed.

One thing Moab doesn't need is more seasonal, low paying, service industry jobs. Which is what a hotel would bring in. I sincerely hope the county council says no to this project. I firmly believe that this type of development is unsuited to that particular area & generally bad for the local economy.

 

[2BIGTJ]

[/QUOTE] I also can't imagine anyone paying $825K for the remaining 80 years or so on the lease of the 80 acres there. But it happened. [/QUOTE]

Are you sure that the developer paid $825K? When I talked to Kelly Stetler he told me that the buyer was asking for an extreme discount and had a huge amount of conditions of the sell. He also said that he really does not think that the sale would close because of them. So will it happen doesnt look like like it.

I think it would be a good Idea from a Business standpoint. from a personal view I really dont care because I dont think it would affect our purpose. I still think it is better than the allternitive.

 

[EZRhino]

Hey Rick,

Just out of curiousity, you say seasonal low paying service industry jobs are no good, well, what type of jobs are? Just curious, I don't mean to be getting in your face. The greenie weenies always say that high paying extractive industry (boom-bust) jobs are no good, and that we need to sell the tourism angle. I say BS, like you said, the motel maid jobs suck just as bad. I'd rather have the high paying mining jobs. What is the answer?

EZ

 

[harkinoff]

Hey Rick,

Just out of curiousity, you say seasonal low paying service industry jobs are no good, well, what type of jobs are? Just curious, I don't mean to be getting in your face. The greenie weenies always say that high paying extractive industry (boom-bust) jobs are no good, and that we need to sell the tourism angle. I say BS, like you said, the motel maid jobs suck just as bad. I'd rather have the high paying mining jobs. What is the answer?

EZ

There will probably be another Walmart going in? Those jobs seem to be corporate america now

 

[Rick B]

Well, this weeks paper had a letter to the editor from the current lease holders of the Lion's Back Campground. It wasn't particularly flattering to the county council, but the gist of it seems to be that the entire deal is off.

While it appears that we dodged this one, eventually something will be done with the property there & the adjacent SITLA properties currently not under any kind of lease. The former routes crossing those properties have been all but eliminated already, the exit route for Hell's Revenge has been re routed, the access road ROW to get to Potato Salad is currently being offered for sale, changes are happening & many of them are threatening public access to the recreational opportunities in that immediate area.

Am I sure the sale price was going to be $825K? No, I based that on the last advertised price for that property from the realtor it is listed with. It's been for sale for several years now & the price has been slowly dropping, that was the last listed price that I was aware of & I guessed that the deal was for something in that neighborhood.

As for the jobs thing. Moab is full of businesses that pay thier employees a little more than minimum wage, & lay them off for 2-4 months every winter. Why? Because they are tourism oriented & the business can't pay the salaries when there are no tourists. Many of the local businesses close for a period of time in the winter, mostly to avoid the expense of staying open for no customers. What is really needed here is a couple of light manufacturing type businesses that can pay a fair wage & keep people employed year round. It seems that every time a business that would meet this particular need shows interest in the area someone makes it too hard for them to get what they need to come here. But every time someone wants to build another motel or campground it's amazing how fast they get everything they need to get it done.

 

[tc94jeep]

Theres always something to think about.

These projects can always be good and bad. The thing that I see is that every year that goes by, it is harder and harder to just go out and wheel. The problem is that the big wigs, government, and contractors,etc, take away the public places to play and go out and have fun. There wont be any more moab.Because if there is no place to wheel then we are all at home, defenetly not bringing business to the local community such as moab. We as the people live to play on the rocks. Not to sit and watch our places get takin over by hotels and houses.Without the jeepers legend of moab, there is no moab. Without these obsticles and trails to come. There isnt a moab. There isnt money or business because they have built all of there BS on everything that attracks people to the local area of moab. If the big guys want moab to grow then, they need to stop shutting everything down. With out jeepers, bikers, and tourist moab will die. The community survives on our business.