Protect Property Values

We can be looking for ways to protect and increase our property values by strategic city planning. We have an opportunity to have the coolest thing, the most amazing quality of life right here at the foothills of the foremost ski resorts in the nation. 

Why not create the feeling for Cottonwood Heights that visitors have already arrived to an amazing destination. Not the path we are on with huge billboards, utility poles and wires, blazing traffic, huge office complexes and oceans of black asphalt.

UDOT's new inter-modal transit hub ideas for the gravel pit at mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and within a gondola base on the northeast side of La Caille both lie in Cottonwood Heights. Falling within our jurisdiction, whoever is elected to Counci District 4 will have strong influence. Council history so far is not centered in smart development.

The intense subsidizing of large developments such as Canyon Corporate Center, the Canyon Centre, North Gravel Pit, Walker Farm in Cottonwood Hts northwest edge, etc were unpopular with residents but greenlighted through by majority vote of the city council. 

There are ways to drive tax revenues for the city by supporting local business. For example, Ft Union and portions of other CH roadways can be designed with traffic calming measures and enticing landscaping that bring restaurants, services and shop fronts near wide sidewalks. When roadways are built to human scale, instead of built for fast-moving cars, motorists drive more slowly and can notice the very businesses in their own backyard. People, both locals and visitors, will get out of their cars. Linger. Shop. Patronize our local businesses. This brings tax revenues into city coffers.

Has Cottonwood Heights council majority gone after building the next shiny new toy year after year at the long term expense of homeowner property values  in District 4? 

Maintaining property values for residents matters. 

This all begs the question:  What does incentivizing hotels, big office structures, more parking lots and high density housing that isn't located on or near transit do?  It brings more high-speed vehicular traffic and the associated urban blight of noise, danger and pollution. Monday through Friday Cottonwood Hts already suffers from Draper and Sandy commuters buzzing along 1300 East, Highland and Wasatch Blvd.  

Do we want more Behemoth projects and the additional traffic they bring? What is this doing for the long term property values of Cottonwood Heights homeowners?

Under Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore, the council showed enthusiasm toward UDOT's plan to expand Wasatch Blvd. They floated the idea of "ski villages" dotting Wasatch Blvd to accompany it. 

Residents responded with a resounding "No!" 

Now, years later, the sobering truth is UDOT's plan for as few as six or as many as seven lanes accompanied by sound walls is only months away from being confirmed for Wasatch Blvd. UDOT's detailed 2021 plan shows a 2.7 mile straighter, multi-lane highway which will further fracture our neighborhoods, inducing more motorists to commute along the eastern foothills. Alternatively, I will work with council, surrounding cities and Salt Lake County Council toward getting UTA and UDOT to focus on utilizing the existing five-laned Highland Drive to provide viable Express, non-stop bus service to the East Bench Cultural District (Research Park, U of U and hospitals). This would serve commuters from the eastern zip codes of Draper, Sandy, Granite and Cottonwood Heights. This idea has not been given serious consideration. We MUST achieve this immediately before a road expansion that will forever ruin the character of our foothills, our community. 

Without intervention, UDOT will confirm in Spring 2022 their misguided remedy for Wasatch Blvd including a "boon-doggle, billion-dollar gondola" or for the widening of SR 210 in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Our city only announced their opposition to the gondola on September 2nd, the day before a public comment was due to UDOT. This is no way to represent the residents of Cottonwood Heights. We need a council that is forward-thinking, pro-active and vociferous in protecting our community from harmful developments. (See "Roadways" within VoteEllenBirrell.com for more.)

City government needs to look after the residents, the taxpayers of this city.  

Smart development and fostering planning that brings transportation and housing decisions in line with current trends is important. I am not anti-growth, but I am anti-building for building's sake and anti-poor planning. 

I have paid attention to city council and planning commission analysis, and studied the transportation, housing and land-use challenges, sought and continue to seek the advice and input of constituents, local NPOs, nearby city leaders, SLCO representatives and other agencies, and identified remedies that our city can act on immediately. See "Roadways" in Topics tab of voteellenbirrell.com.   

It will take all of you rallying to collaborate and influence our city leaders. Together, yes! Yes, we can! 

If elected, I will represent residents, their safety, their needs, their wants, their property values.