Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

City Unveils Plan Salt Lake Envisioning Effort

Brian Grimmett

For the first time since the 1980’s, the Salt Lake City Planning Division is renewing its effort to create a master plan for the city’s future development. The public comment period for Plan Salt Lake began last fall and today the official kick-off of the campaign took place at Salt Lake City and County Building. Planning Division Director Wilf Sommerkorn says businesses and residents are an important part of this over-arching program. He says he’s found in his 32 years in city planning, people generally don’t engage in the process until after important decisions are made.

"Then all of a sudden people are like, whoa, wait a minute, now I’m really interested. "And so, Sommerkorn says, "that’s always been the challenge for planners is: ‘how do you get people engaged and involved early on in the process?’"

Sommerkorn says that’s the problem Plan Salt Lake is trying to solve. He says the Sugarhouse Streetcar controversy is a good example of the public remaining generally unconcerned until it affects them personally. Sommerkorn encourages business owners and residents to offer feedback on-line at PlanSaltLake.com or at the various festivals and events in the city through the year.

Bob Nelson is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in mass communications. He began his radio career at KUER in 1978 when it was still in Kingsbury Hall. That’s also where he met his wife, Maria Shilaos, in 1981. Bob left KUER for commercial radio where he worked for 25 years, and he is thrilled to be back at KUER. Bob and his family are part of an explorer group, fondly known as The Hordes and Masses, which has been seeking out ghost towns and little-known places in Utah for more than twenty years.
KUER is listener-supported public radio. Support this work by making a donation today.