June 19, 2006

Mayor Matthew Godfrey
2549 Washington Blvd.
Ogden, UT 84401

Dear Mayor Godfrey:

Thank you for acknowledging receipt of Smart Growth Ogden's letter dated May 17, 2006. Smart Growth wants Ogden's citizens to be informed fully about the current resort/gondola proposal, which as you have stated may be the most important decision our city has faced in many years. We were therefore disappointed that you were not willing to answer any of the 22 questions we asked about the facts underlying this proposal.

Having just attended the Mt. Ogden Neighborhood meetings, we realize that residents who are for, against, or undecided about the gondola issue have strongly expressed a desire to evaluate the proposal based on facts and evidence. We therefore present the questions again and request that you answer, in writing, as many as possible and indicate when residents might expect answers to those questions which you cannot answer at this time. We believe the public should have the answers to the questions before being asked to share their opinions on this massive proposal.

We commit to publish on our website the text of your answers in full and unaltered so that we and other Ogden residents may begin to discuss and comment more accurately on the costs and benefits of the proposal. Our web site contains a link to Ogden City's web site, where you may also choose to display the questions and answers and request comment.

We wanted to make you aware that in private discussions at the Mt. Ogden Neighborhood meeting, representatives of Lift Ogden presented alternatives to the current proposal to several people, including members of Smart Growth Ogden. The alternatives included the possibility of using a streetcar to transport people from downtown to a base facility where they could ride a mountain gondola to the proposed private resort in Malan's Basin. As it was explained, the alternative would not include the sale of public property or the construction of an urban gondola. We believe this is an idea worth exploring and welcome more discussion about this alternative proposal.

Sincerely,

Mary Hall for Smart Growth Ogden

Three Attachments: 1) Questions submitted on behalf of Smart Growth; 2) References to the term "park"; 3) Copy of Smart Growth letter to Standard Examiner regarding trail map.

Cc: Ogden City Council