Meeting Time: September 21, 2021 at 5:15pm MDT
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Agenda Item

5. 21-360 General Citizen Comments

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    Bob Nehren over 3 years ago

    My name is Bob Nehren and I live at 11041 South Prescott Dr. in Sandy. Although I am unfortunately unable to attend in person this evening, I would like my comments to be read into the record please. I will be as brief as possible:

    Of the two options being considered by the Utah department of transportation my strong support is behind the gondola plan. The primary reasons for this include 1) the alternative of buses will require significant construction of the proposed 4 lanes presumably very similar to the width of the highway going up Provo Canyon. This four-lane road as proposed, including some snow sheds for avalanche control in specific areas, would have a significant visual impact on the narrow canyon and the beauty of it. 2) In addition it is my understanding that bus transportation would supported by tax dollars collected state wide. I’m sure that all of the other communities outside the area around Salt Lake Valley would not be very interested in the costs that they would have to pay indefinitely to support the bus transportation alternative in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Busses are not an equitable option it appears. 3) Further I understand that many who prefer the bus option assume that bus transportation would provide multiple options to stop for canyon use along the way up the canyon for various usage. However I understand that the proposed bus option for effectiveness and efficiencies would only transport people all the way to Snowbird and Alta without stops along the way. So no comparative benefit with the bus plan. Finally 4) The Gondola once constructed would be absolutely more reliable than the bus alternative as it would not ever be affected by nor adversely impacted by heavy snow weather conditions or any avalanches in the canyon.

    Thank you for this opportunity to submit these comments.

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    Colby Hartman over 3 years ago

    PLEASE READ MY COMMENT INTO THE RECORD AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING THIS EVENING.

    I am a Sandy city resident and I have lived in the area for over 20 years. I have personally felt the negative impacts of canyon closures, traffic jams, and white knuckle drives up LCC for the majority of my life. Over the last 5 years those problems have been exacerbated so much so that there are days when I can't get in our out of my cul-de-sac. I am literally trapped with no access for emergencies, work, or travel. It is not only completely unsafe for those of us in the area, but it is the most frustrating experience not having access to my home while people rudely honk and make hand gestures at me as I try and gain access to my home. I am a believer in the gondola and I think that it will have an immensely positive impact on this issue that I have to deal with far too often.

    The gondola is a clean, reliable and safe mode of transportation that will help reduce traffic as there will be fewer people waiting to get up the canyon because they decided to park in a parking lot at La Caille instead of idling for hours at a time in my neighborhood. I would much rather have an actual parking lot taking up cars instead of my neighborhood being used as a parking lot.

    Please support the gondola. Thank you.

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    Scott Bond over 3 years ago

    Much of what has made Sandy a great community is attributable to leaders that had big vision and the ability to make that vision a reality and still providing quality municipal services at reasonable tax rates. Some of that big vision has helped fuel the economic engine that provides the needed resources.

    Examples of the fruits of big vision include the creation of the Canyons School District, the Real Stadium, Quarry Bend, and the Hale Center Theatre. Despite their ultimate success, these projects were not without doubts and concerns along the way. There were some who sought to stop these projects while they were still in the visionary phase. I am grateful for elected officials past and present that persevered and were instrumental in making the vision behind these and other projects a reality. We all have become the beneficiaries of their leadership.

    Now we are faced with high demands on Little Cottonwood Canyon. The Canyon has always been a critical and valuable resource to those of us who live, work, and play in Sandy. Sandy’s future is connected to the Canyon’s future.

    The gondola option presents a big vision. Its shear scope can seem daunting. I find the information I have seen on this project to be very encouraging. I am grateful to those who are willing to find a way to make it happen. I am encouraged by the environmental potential, safety factor, the economics, and the potential of this project to take the Canyon and Sandy into the future. We are still a ways away from committing to a decision. I encourage the City Council to stay informed, be vigilant, and courageously lead us into the future.

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    Sam Clark over 3 years ago

    I beleive that the gondola is the best option to reduce congestion both now and in the future while not at the same time restricting access to the canyon. The gondola appears to have the following advantages over the bus route expansion:
    1) Most cost effective
    2) Most environmentally friendly
    3) Largest improvement to the commuting experience
    4) Longest lifespan
    5) Lowest operating costs
    6) Opportunity for a private match
    7) Provides another route on and off the mountain
    8) Is immune to avalanches

    The gondola, given these facts, is the clear choice over a bus route expansion.

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    Burke Staker over 3 years ago

    The current winter access situation in LCC is untenable. Between the two options being considered by UDOT, the gondola is the better alternative. The gondola has a smaller impact on the canyon, produces less sound and air pollution, and better considers user growth over the next 50 years. I live near the base of the canyon, I recreate in LCC 100+ days a year, as traffic conditions continue to deteriorate, I would rather ride a gondola than catch a bus. Please support the gondola option.
    Apologies if this is a duplicate - glitches in the matrix

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    Mike Williamson over 3 years ago

    The gondola would be a great asset to the community and would have much less impact on the canyon than the massive construction and destruction of hillsides and elimination of view corridors that expanding the road and adding bus lanes would require. Busses also wouldn’t not be able to run in bad weather and would be shut down because of avalanches causing tremendous traffic issues. It is easily the most efficient way to give people access to the ski areas and reduce traffic in the canyon without destroying the natural beauty that all of us love. I encourage people to look at gondolas that have been built around the world and how much they add to the areas where they have been working for decades. Building the gondola also would not restrict any access to the canyon for those wanting to use it for outdoor recreation besides skiing. The road will still be there and will have less traffic on it because people going to the ski areas will utilize the gondola. I applaud the creativity and vision of the gondola and whole heartedly agree that it should be built.

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    Bruce Wood over 3 years ago

    I am a member of the Friends of Little Cottonwood Canyon, an organization of local residents dedicated to the preservation of LCC and the Wasatch Range as we know them today.
    We strongly support the position of Salt Lake County and Mayor Jenny Wilson that neither EIS option is desirable.
    A phased approach should be pursued using the two main mobility hubs identified in the EIS along with measures such as tolling, paid and reserved parking, possible time limited bus-only periods at peak times, and the exploration of smaller remote mobility sites distributed throughout the Valley near major arteries.
    The objective would be to have skiers and others easily make one and only one transfer from car to bus at any of these hubs, with the next stop being a ski resort or other stop along the way up canyon.
    The phased approach would involve a combination of these smaller incremental steps that can be flexed and adjusted to address the emerging traffic patterns, well before any major irreversible costs and environmental damage to LCC are incurred for a gondola or road widening.
    Furthermore, it is incomprehensible that the EIS did not consider Big Cottonwood Canyon traffic problems, or workday commuter traffic for that matter - skier trips to the resorts are only one component of the growing overall traffic congestion issue in the Valley.
    A phased approach experimenting with an expanded network of 2 primary and multiple secondary mobility hubs and LCC/BCC tolling and other measures, is the most cost effective and intelligent approach to addressing traffic congestion.
    We should not leap to costly, grandiose and irreversible options, which are what the EIS preferred alternatives represent.
    In summary, scrap the EIS as it is constructed today, and expand the scope to address the whole problem, not just one piece.

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    Onno Wieringa over 3 years ago

    Onno Wieringa - Leitner Poma - Grand Junction & Salt Lake City
    I am glad you are seeking input relative to the transportation options that UDOT is analyzing relative to trying to improve the mobility , reliability and safety for folks traveling in Little Cottonwood Canyon . I submitted extensive comment to the UDOT EIS speaking in favor of Gondola B as the option that best measured up to their objective . Part of my comments were, that among the many amenities that make Sandy and the Salt Lake Valley a great place to live is Little Cottonwood Canyon and all that it has to offer. I think a Gondola capable of handling 30% of the 2050 projected traffic in LCC would be a quality of life improvement for the residents of Sandy, their guests and their businesses. Additionally, a Gondola in Sandy that was accessible to users of all abilities and allowed riders to reliably and safely go up and down the canyon would seem to be yet another reason to make Sandy a fine place to live.

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    Matt Alder over 3 years ago

    I am not in favor of any expansion of little cottonwood canyon travel other than a clearly marked bicycle/walking/jogging lane. However, if there is going to be something done such as widen the road for buses and increase that type of traffic, or the Gondola, I am in favor of the Gondola. It is safer from avalanche and not as eroding to the environment.
    If Gondola is approved, there should not be any buses allowed in the canyon or expansion of vehicular lanes.
    1. If the Gondola is approved, private cars should be limited to a minimum amount. All private vehicular transportation should be charged to enter the canyon by either a daily pass or a season pass. The cost should be a decent amount that it is not cheap but not overly expensive.
    a. A toll booth would be installed to regulate private vehicles up the canyon each day.
    b. Vehicles would be limited to a certain number and once that number has entered for the day, the canyon would be closed for that day or until 5 p.m. before any other cars could enter. Only then cars could enter, and the number would depend on how many cars had left the canyon.
    2. If the Gondola is approved, the road should NOT be expanded except for a clearly marked and appropriate bicycle lane that makes it safe for cyclists with a lane going up and a lane going down. In addition, there should be jogging/walking path included.
    NO BUSSES PLEASE or expanded lanes for vehicular traffic. As a cyclist I enjoy riding my bike up Little Cottonwood Canyon; I cannot imagine riding up the canyon with a bus passing me every three to five minutes; that is just an accident waiting to happen.
    The Gondola is the best option to protect our Canyon, the environment and the safety of the people.

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    Judith Klinger over 3 years ago

    I could not be more in favor of the gondola solution to the multitude of problems facing LCC's future. First and foremost, the gondola is the cleanest solution to getting people up the mountain without creating even more air pollution in the Salt Lake City area. More cars/buses/trucks on that vital transportation artery, no matter how wide the road would become, would only be a seeping bandaid on the issue of transporting people safely, regularly and cleanly, up and down the canyon.

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    Dan Ryan over 3 years ago

    Gondolas provide a long-term solution to challenges that have plagued the Cottonwood Canyons for decades. SR-210 is the most avalanche prone highway in North America and welcomes over a million visitors year-round.

    A gondola has the ability to move people up and down very quickly and safely through all conditions making the gondola much more efficient than the bus system. It will also take many vehicles off the road improving air quality, will better protect watershed, wildlife and existing trails. It offers a long term solution with a 50 yr lifecycle vs 14 hrs for buses. It offers ideal crowd management, year round operation and greater ADA access.

    The gondola option is more cost effective as it offers less expensive operation & maintenance, does not require added snowshed costs while offering greater access to tourism assets and economic opportunity.

    Gondolas provide secondary emergency access when that road is blocked by avalanche debris or stuck buses and cars in bad weather.

    A gondola system would offer a never-before-experienced vantage point of the beauty of the canyon, while also preserving it for future generations.

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    Jeremy Larsen over 3 years ago

    I can't believe you're even considering this! But whatever makes the ski industry more money am I right? Cuz this doesn't come down to job development, this doesn't benefit our community, this doesn't benefit our mountains, just benefits the people on top of the hill. And I work at Brighton each year, spent hours waiting to get up and down the canyon and I'm still opposed to anything so short-sighted as a gondola