QUESTIONS
RAISED: Tim Harpst, Treasurer, Standel Homeowner's Association
January 16th, 2007
Dear Salt Lake County Board of Adjustment:
I wish to provide the following information for your consideration
in making your decision regarding the variance request to allow
a house to be constructed at 3922 E. Cove Road on a grade steeper
than the 40% maximum allowable slope.
1. Standel Home Owners Association (SHOA).
I am the Treasurer of SHOA. Both Standel Drive and Cove Road are
privately owned roads. SHOA was created in order to maintain the
two roads when the subdivision was created. Both roads are narrower
than County standard. Standel Drive is also steeper and with smaller
horizontal curves and less sight distance than County standard.
This may be out of your purview, but SHOA is very concerned about
degradation of both roads. When the most recent home to be built
in the subdivision was constructed across the street from the applicant's
site on Cove Road, all of Cove Road was destroyed and Standel Drive
between Cove Road and Sunnydale Lane was seriously damaged by the
construction vehicles. The roads required major rehabilitation including
an overlay. Much of the cost for this work was borne by the property
owners in the subdivision. Large trucks have difficulty in maneuvering
on the roads and we are concerned about the damage to the roads
that they might cause should a house be built on Cove Road. If a
house is built, the owners will need to become a member of the home
owners association and repair any damage caused to the roads attributable
to a home construction.
2. Notification.
I would like to suggest that the records be checked to determine
that the appropriate notification actually occurred for this public
meeting. I was informed of this meeting over the weekend by the
owner of the house directly across the road from the applicant's
site. She indicated to me that she had not received a notice of
this hearing. In our discussion this morning about the addresses
of properties in the vicinity of the applicant's site, you indicated
that a property next to the applicant's site was not sent a notice.
It may be that these property owners may wish to provide comment,
but are not aware of the variance request or the meeting.
3. Maximum 40% slope
As a long time resident of the neighborhood and civil engineer by
training and profession, I wish to state that there are logical
reasons supporting a maximum buildable slope. There is a history
of land and mud slides in this area. Johnston's Hollow, which is
the canyon Standel Drive serves, had a serious slide in the 1980's.
An electronic monitoring station was constructed. The ground has
a lot of loose rock and soil which relentlessly works its way downhill
and there are areas of unstable soil. If a home is built, there
could be serious design and construction issues with long-term impacts
of soil erosion the homeowner would need to contend with. All retainage
would need to rise to at least to the height and slope of the current
hillside because the mountain can not handle a steeper angle of
repose. This is all information a prospective homeowner should know
before committing to the expenditure of building a house.
Another issue to consider is what precedent approving a higher
maximum slope might set for other properties in the canyon. There
are unstable hillside slopes throughout the canyon. Having worked
on a County-sponsored master plan of the canyon a number of years
ago, the number of platted buildable lots already exceed the maximum
number of residences the County has calculated should be allowed
in the canyon due to roadway capacity and water availability. Allowing
more by approving the excedence of the maximum buildable slope will
exacerbate this situation.
4. Soil percolation tests.
During my 17 years residing in the area, I recall at least two instances
that a percolation test was conducted on the applicant property.
Although I have not seen the results of the tests, I understand
those percolation tests were not successful. It is surprising that
a more recent one has passed. I understand that the applicant must
receive a variance from the County Health Department to allow a
septic system drain field on a slope exceeding 5%. It would also
be surprising this would be approved given the known less than desirable
soil conditions.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide this information for your
consideration.
Timothy P. Harpst, P.E., PTOE
Transportation Director
Salt Lake City Transportation Division
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