I’m disappointed that the article about the problems with the construction of the new Maverik did not include firsthand accounts from residents who have direct knowledge of the situation. Nick Tatton, Mayor Mike Kourianos, and other officials choose to destroy our neighborhood and have dismissed our concerns from the start. They have shown no empathy for what we’re going through, likely because they don’t live here and as one city employee stated “they don’t care about you people”.
They didn’t even have the common courtesy to inform us that they were rezoning a residential neighborhood nor did they allow us to give any input on the plans? They had one planning and zoning meeting with a 24 hour public notice. Regardless, this was a done deal, prior to the planning and zoning meeting. Public comments would have NOT been taken into account.
The city and construction company has ignored us despite our repeated complaints regarding dust, dangerous situations, noise and the worst, the demolition of homes that contained asbestos. The city did not require them to test the homes prior to demolition. Had I not contacted the health department they would have exposed all the nearby residents to asbestos.
The city and construction company have finally acknowledged the severe dust control issues that plagued the neighborhood for the first 6 weeks of construction. During this time, residents endured a lack of dust mitigation, leaving our homes blanketed in dirt and debris. Despite our repeated requests for the construction company and/or Maverik to cover the cost of cleaning our homes, they have ignored our requests.
The city recently instructed the contractor to erect a 6-foot solid fence on the corner of Rose Ave and 600 South, which violates local city codes. This fence forces drivers to pull out into the road just to see if there is any oncoming traffic, compromising safety. Additionally, the city has ignored codes prohibiting long-term parking in the nearby park, where construction equipment now occupies nearly the entire lot. Price City Police Department has not addressed this issue as the article states. These issues have been reported several times indicating that City officials do not prioritize the wellbeing and safety of this neighborhood.
Tatton claims that widening 600 South will make the road “better”, but anyone who lives in the area knows this is misguided. Residents know firsthand, trying to cross Carbon Avenue between 7:45-8:10 AM and 2:40-3:00 PM – is incredibly unsafe and challenging. The challenges will only intensify with the expected increase in traffic, including semi-trucks and RV’s.
Moreover, Tatton and Mayor Mike Kourianos did not address the safety hazards of locating the only exit for semi-trucks and RV’s in on the corner of Rose Ave and 600 south that is also 20 feet from the nearby park. Your right Mr Tatton “there are certain things that the residents may not actually see or understand.” That is where transparency comes in and how residents should be informed of what is happening, maybe even invited to construction meetings.
They are correct that this is not a typical truck stop. Rather, it is a high-flow gas station, which differs from a truck stop in lacking amenities like showers and other accommodations. Yet, that does not deter trucks and RVs from parking overnight. The Maverik station in Helper is another high-flow location where I’ve frequently observed trucks and RV’s parked overnight. The question is, who will enforce the no overnight parking? Certainly not the city, which appears to disregard its own ordinances.
In the end, Nick Tatton and Mayor Mike Kourianos clearly don’t care about the safety, health, or wellbeing of the people in this neighborhood. If they actually lived here, they would never allow this gas station to go in. Nick Tatton response to me when I asked him about safety was “a business and the city are not responsible for safety, that is the parents’ responsibility”. My question is why would the city approve a huge safety hazard in a small residential neighborhood? Mr Tatton told me “you are one of those people who don’t like progress” Mr Tatton this is NOT progress this is destroying a neighborhood. A neighborhood you obviously don’t live in or care about.
Pamela Underwood,
Price, UT
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