The Daily Spectrum from Saint George, Utah • 7

Wednesday, October 25, 1995 The Spectrum Page A7 Front The Front good jobs, recreation and good schools have worked together to create the housing market, Hotard said. The real estate industry has gained from growth management policies and focuses on resales and commercial leasing, Hotard said. Boulder realtors aren't out to make a quick buck, he said, Growth management has also helped rejuvenate the downtown, Danish said. Boulder home prices didn't go through the floor during the recession of the early 1980s. Markel said.

"In terms of high growth pressures, we really had a soft landing," Danish said. "I think it's a pretty nice town." Growth management involves an array of tools, according to government officials in Boulder, Colo. Residents have been working to preserve the community's character and keep development to a reasonable pace since the 1950s. Following are some examples of the systems used. BLUE LINE: A plan adopted in 1959 by voters limits development on the mountain vistas on the western edge of the city and preserve the backdrop.

City water service was not available past this imaginary line. OPEN SPACE: Enchanted Mesa, a scenic area in the foothills west of Boulder, was purchased by the city in 1964 to preserve as open space in response to a proposed 155-acre resort there. Voters approved a 1 percent city sales tax in 1967. Forty percent of the proceeds pay for acquisition of natural resources along the perimeter of the city called the "Greenbelt." Boulder owns roughly 16,000 acres of open space and 15,000 acres in parks. Boulder County owns 30,000 acres in open space.

GROWTH RATE: A 2 percent annual growth rate was adopted by voters in 1976. The rate was dropped to 1 percent in 1994 and a similar measure that limits commercial and industrial growth was adopted by the Boulder City Council in September. INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT: Boulder and Boulder County agreed to coordinate planning between the two jurisdictions in 1978. near Boulder. Boulder's restrictions, high home and rent costs and low vacancy rates have pushed people into the surrounding communities.

Nearly half of the workers employed by the city of Boulder don't live within its boundaries. A new home in Boulder costs around $270,000, Markel said. The median wage for full-time workers is $23,700, Pieropan said. High apartment rents drive students out of town, to its outskirts or, typically, to pack in as many roommates as possible, said Mark Paulson, managing director for Boulder Property Management. The University of Colorado student population has grown from 21,618 students in 1975 to roughly 24,000 students in 1995.

"It reduces the quality of life, and the city of Boulder doesn't understand that," Paulson said. "Students in a university town have limited means. The objective is to increase the quality of life -for who?" The average new home in nearby Lafayette, costs about $150,000, Starr said, but she emphasizes that the high cost stems from the county's appeal, not growth management. The ordinance has not run up the cost of housing in Boulder above that of its surrounding communities, Danish said. Homes in nearby Louisville, are higher priced than those in Boulder, he said The overall limit of land, zoning, open space, a costly development review process, a strong economy.

LOSE UP TO LBS. IN 3 DAYS All Natural T-LITE with Chromium Picolinate Sunshine Health Foods 5765 S. Main Cedar City 586-4884 BOULDER Continued from Al the Boulder Area Board of Realtors senior vice president of government and community relations. "Everybody needs to ride bikes, wear lycra, climb mountains, don't smoke, support growth management," Hotard said. "The things tolerated in alternative lifestyle are those agreed to by the masses." While Danish said there are few environmental, economic or social problems facing Boulder, Cindy Pieropan, a housing planner with the Boulder Housing and Human Services department, said she disagrees with two-thirds of Danish's contention.

"I would say Boulder has a lot of economic problems when it comes to working low- and middle-class families," Pieropan said. "It's difficult to make a living and afford housing here. Socially, I think we do have problems, but it's a ception and unwillingness of other portions of the community to realty recognize it." There is a large gap between the rich and the working poor, she said. Some segments of the community have a tendency to get worked up about traffic circles and relocating prairie dogs if the city's workers can't afford homes in Boulder, their attitude is that's too bad, Pieropan said. But there are no particular problems that can be directly associated with the growth management ordinance, Pieropan said.

ACCOMPLISHING GOALS The ordinance has accomplished its primary goal, Danish said. The city owns 30,000 acres of open space and parks. Boulder County owns another 30,000 acres of open space and officials have also down-zoned property, Hotard said. A belt of green surrounds the city, separating it from other nearby communities. "I think it's a great idea for a number of reasons," native Thomas Mijac said.

"It has kept our front range clean and helped to keep our view nice. We have kept our natural landscape, and we didn't lose the trees. Once you've been here, you always want to come back." There was nothing but open space east of Boulder's main street when Mijac was growing up. The area is now filled with homes and businesses. While Boulder has recruited many high technology and niche companies, it also has retained some of its older stores.

Boulder is also home to IBM, Celestial Seasonings and the "successful" pedestrian Pearl Street Mall. Boulder County's unemployment is 3.3 percent, Pieropan said. A limited residential population forces businesses to be good at what they do or they don't last, said Mijac, a sales and licensing consultant at Boulder Nissan. Taxes have risen, because existing residents must support all services not subsidized by commercial activity, Markel said. The push for growth restrictions ends when people must pay to maintain the quality of the area where they move, said Steve Pommerance, a former city councilman and a sponsor of an initiative on this year's ballot.

"Right now, it's cheaper to move from California to Utah, because it's cheaper than fixing California," Pommerance said. "A decreasing quality of life, higher taxes or both so why wouldn't you move to the next best place. Only there's not a next best place anymore." The building industry hasn't fared so well, however. Markel is one of the last large builders left in Boulder. The others got tired of wading through the bureaucracy and red tape created by the growth restriction ordinance, he said.

Under the Danish plan, projects were rated on a merit system in compliance with city objectives and other factors. Builders showed up with reams of paper when the ordinance first went into affect, trying to prove their projects' worth so they could get building permits, Markel said. a uimus SHUTTLE SERVICE LAS VEGAS AIRPORT, MESQUITE, AND TOURS 628-2BUS 1-800-500-9786 Developers soon learned to manipulate the system and competition was narrowed, because it takes months or even years to get a project approved. The merit system was abandoned in 1985, and applicants instead received permits in proportion to the total pool of requests. Revisions made to the plan in 1994 lowered the annual residential growth rate from 2 percent to 1 percent.

Residential growth had barely achieved 1 percent from 1980-90, Hotard said. There isn't much to do as far as new construction," Markel said. "Building in Boulder is over. The pro slow growth people would say it's terrific we're gone. The bad builders are gone.

TAKING THE NEXT STEP Now the Boulder City Council is taking another step. It adopted an ordinance in September to manage non-residential construction for the next six years by limiting square footage to balance it with lower residential growth. There were 95,000 residents in Boulder two years ago and 85,000 jobs, Danish said. Almost half of the work force commutes to Boulder, he said. An initiative on Boulder's ballot this year would limit commercial growth even more.

"Ideally, we would have an infinite tax base and no people," Pommerance said. "With the tax base comes an impact. Ultimately, people need to live and work somewhere. We're better off if people live, work and shop in close proximity to each other. That's what this is all about." More than half of Boulder's work force commutes daily.

State surveys show traffic is one of the most adverse impacts of growth felt by residents, Danish said. Boulder County hasn't exceeded federal standards for carbon monoxide since 1984, ozone since 1986 and particulates for 10 years, according to the Clean Air Colorado (CAC) 1993 air quality data report. Boulder County also has a brown cloud problem during the high pollution season, in part because of meteorology and the down slope from the Rocky Mountains. WHAT'S BEST FOR WHAT'S LEFT? Because of its land-use policies and aggressive open space purchases, there is a finite amount of developable property left in Boulder and a heated debate about what's best for what's left. Almost every city in the county has enacted some form of growth management, said Bonnie Starr, planning director for Lafayette, THAT'S NOT TRUE! THE GROWTH INDUSTRY: "THE INITIATIVE SPONSORS DON'T WANT ST.

GEORGE TO GROW." BETTER CHECK THE FACTS, CMG TRUTH SQUAD Citizens for Moderate Growth Initiative could heavily impact area cities FACTS: The CITIZENS FOR MODERATE GROWTH are exactly what their name says. We have never advocated "no Our opponents know this but keep pretending otherwise. We want MODERATE growth that will not impair our quality of life. By TRICIA CIARAVINO Clove said. He said he has mixed feelings on the pro posal.

1 can see me teaoninrbehind Kiver train i ine war Needs You! IM Come Join Our Posse! The First One Was So Much Fun Wo'ro Dnm' ft Annlnl 1 Mtw it Thg Citizens for Moderate Growth initiative could haveconsiderable impact on the' communities surrounding St. George. Those same residents will not have a say in the matter. The measure. Initiative A on the Nov.

7 ballot in St. George, would iimit population growth in the city to 3 percent annually through the issuance of building permits. Some officials from outlying towns are worried the initiative would drive too many residents into their cities. Restricting growth in St. George won't stop people from coming into Washington County, they said.

"If it were to pass, I think it would have a dramatic affect on growth here in Santa Clara," Mayor Rick Hafen said. "We could probably handle a limited amount (of new residents), but not anything near what I believe will come here if the initiative is passed." Boulder, passed a growth initiative in 1976 to limit residential growth through building permits. While Boulder's growth was curtailed dramatically in the 1970s, the population of the county outside Boulder took off in the 1970s. Many communities outside Boulder have since passed their own restrictions. Santa Clara generally issues around 75 building permits in a year, Hafen said.

There were 811 residential building permits issued through the year in St George as of September 1995. St. George issued 1,664 residential permits in 1994, which was regarded as a boom year for the construction industry. "Even a fraction of that would totally devastate our community if it had to absorb the difference," Hafen said. Washington, Utah, officials are already struggling to keep up with growth, and it would be hard if people relocated there instead of St.

George, Mayor Terrill can see why those who -don't wan it, it. Where do you limit? you fio it? I don't know if it would work if it did pass. I do think it needs to be controlled though." Santa Clara officials have said they don't believe the initiative is the proper way to control growth. The market is already slowing down to some extent, Hafen said. It's possible to phase growth by identifying areas where growth can take place through a tier system, said Richard Boivie, Santa Clara city manager.

Density increases and urban sprawl is reduced, he said. Santa Clara officials are considering such a policy as part of the city's revised general plan, he said. Hurricane, Utah, doesn't want more growth or even as much as it has now. said Clark Fawcett city manager. Commercial business dispersal is a different story though.

If business spread out in the county, providing communities with sales and property taxes, the initiative could have a positive affect, Fawcett said. Still, those businesses would need employees, which could mean more residential growth, Fawcett said. Also, companies locate in St. George because they want a certain number of people to drive by their shops, and that wouldn't happen in the other communities, Fawcett said. "We're ready for commercial," Clove said.

"I don't know if we'll ever really have it. We'll always be an appendage to St. George." There would be no benefits to Santa Clara if the initiative passed, Hafen said. Officials in communities affected by the initiative said they would look seriously at adopting their own growth restrictions if the St. George measure is passed.

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