Oquirrh Lake

Oquirrh Lake is the central organizing feature and amenity in Daybreak. It was named after the Oquirrh Mountains (pronounced O-Ker) that are just to the East of Daybreak. The name Oquirrh came from local Native American tribes. In the Goshute language, Oquirrh means "wooded mountain" while in the Ute language the word means "The Shining Mountains" or "Glowing." Many people believe they named the mountains this because sunlight strikes the Oquirrhs first in the morning before anything else in the valley.

Oquirrh lake was designed and created by a variety of firms and has been a massive undertaking. 35 million cubic feet of earth was moved and used in other areas of the development. Once they had dug a massive hole they constructed a dam and lined the lake with three layers: High Density Polyethelene to keep the water from going into the ground, gravel, and silt to make a natural lake bottom. Twenty-five thousand tons of rock were also put in place to create a shore line and habitat for the ecosystem.

The lake is home to minnows, bluegill, channel cats, large-mouth bass and eventually trout. While there has been some rumors about who will stock and maintain the lake in the future, I have not heard any definitive announcements on the subject. The water that these fish live in comes from Utah Lake and natural runoff. As these two sources are not the cleanest, a computerized filtration system cleans the water to acceptable levels. The most noticeable residents of the lake are the ducks and geese. These birds love the lake even though the lake is designed to detract them from staying for long periods of time. I think the main reason that the ducks and geese come is because kids feed them despite the signs posted around the lake. The lake isn't bad when compared to the pond at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. If you go there at this time of year you will see hundreds if not thousands of these birds wandering the banks.

One question that I get asked a lot is why residents are not allowed to swim in the lake. I have heard people make up a lot of reasons why, but the real reason is that the liability for Kennecott Land would be enormous. Considering the current legal climate I don't blame them. The reason that they seem to state publicly is that it would inhibit the ecosystem. Which is also true, but I believe this to be a secondary reason. All residents are allowed to operate non-motorized watercraft on the lake. Canoes and row boats are common on the lake. I also like the idea of being able to walk a few blocks from my doorstep to go fishing. Overall it is a great amenity for Daybreak.

One of the controversies surrounding the lake is the rumor that Kennecott Land will not build the lake to be as big as the originally planned 85 acres. It seems that future plans have relegated the lake to a smaller 65 acres with the planned third phase being eliminated. This third phase of the lake is an extremely complicated design. It would stretch an arm of water toward the Town Center. This arm would slither through the urban environment much like the canals of Venice, Italy or Amsterdam in the Netherlands. This is truly a grand idea, but would definitely be difficult to implement. The possible reduction in size is an issue that many residents feel strongly about. However, Kennecott Land will ultimately decide on the size of the final product.

The island in the middle however will become a reality in a couple of years. Apparently the homes constructed on this piece of real estate will range from semi-custom to completely custom homes. Waterfront property is hard to come by in Utah so I imagine these homes will fetch a price premium beyond what we have seen so far in Daybreak. I have talked to a few people who claim that several home builders have already been contacted by Kennecott Land to build these custom homes. Needless to say these homes will be the showcase homes of Daybreak.

Daybreak Village 3: North Shore

The Daybreak community is about to grow yet again. North Shore is the newest edition to the Daybreak master plan making three villages total. With two new builders, Ivory Homes and Garbett Homes, a large push is being made to finish the 22 homes that will serve as models for the "grand opening" slated for June 28th. I usually do not need to drive on the South Jordan Parkway so when I did take that route a few weeks ago I was surprised with the sheer amount of building going on. Buildings seemed to have popped out of nowhere in only a couple of weeks. Of course, with the slowdown in the housing market I'm sure that contractors were not hard to find.

The new homes of North Shore seem to be an eclectic mix of traditional and urban contemporary designs. I was fairly shocked when I saw pictures of the new row homes that Garbett Homes intends to build. These modern boxy buildings seem to belong more in the marmalade district of Salt Lake City than in Daybreak. While I respect the modern style, I do not have a strong taste for it to say the least. However, these town homes will be integrated into the denser sections of North Shore. It seems Kennecott Land has decided that as density increases traditional style will decrease. I do see some advantages in the cost of building such homes. Perhaps this advantage is the reason why some homes will be offered at a price that will be difficult for other communities to match. Many of these condos or town homes will be offered from the "low 100s" to "mid 100s."

With these prices the old adage of "you get what you pay for" keeps ringing in my mind. This ringing stops abruptly however when I see the actual square footage of these units. With sizes ranging from 650 square feet to 1180 square feet I think Kennecott Land has decided to make housing more affordable by making it smaller. This is the right way to go in my opinion. Skimp on the space, but do not skimp on the quality. The prices in North Shore are fairly reasonable compared to Eastlake and even Founders Village. The effects of this new village are many and will need to be discussed in a later post.

In the grand scheme that is Daybreak, North Shore will bring a large amount of units at a density that has not yet been seen in this new urbanist community. In fact, Kennecott recently changed their projections for the total number of homes to be located within Daybreak. The number initially started at 13,600. This number has since increased to 20,000, almost a 50 percent increase. The recent planning maps for Daybreak show an increase in density in those properties East of Oquirrh Lake. Why did this change come about? I can only speculate, but I will be researching this issue in the future. One thing is for certain, North Shore has signaled a change in direction for future development at Daybreak.

Early Light Academy at Daybreak

I do not currently have children in my home and therefore have not been aware of the many education related issues that have surfaced recently. I know about the Jordan School District and its problems and I voted last November on the issue of vouchers, but I did not know of the local concerns of parents in Daybreak. However, my interest in the subject has increased since I saw a post in the discussion forums of the Daybreak Daily about the Early Light Academy. I decided I would try and find out as much as I could about the proposed charter school. I found the school’s website at www.earlylightacademy.org and found the decisions made about the school in the meeting minutes of the state board of education. I found that charter schools all have an initial charter document that explains almost every detail of the school and its purpose. A friend of mine was able to get an electronic copy of the charter and I scanned through the 140 pages of detailed information.

The Early Light Academy (ELA) is a proposed K through 9 school that will most likely be built here in Daybreak. The founding board of the school is working with Kennecott Land to select a suitable location. Right now there are two proposed locations: one just West of the Row Homes on the Western edge of village 1, the other is in the Northwest corner of what will be village 3. As Kennecott has donated generous portions of land to the two other public schools in Daybreak, I do not see why they would not do the same for this academy. The school will be fairly small compared to Daybreak Elementary as it is being built for a capacity of 750 students. The physical size is also smaller as Daybreak Elementary is 116,700 square feet (including the DCC) and ELA is a mere 57,400 square feet.

Besides physical characteristics and student population, how will this school be different from regular public schools in the Jordan School District? The main difference will be the governance of the school. ELA will be run by a parent board instead of a school district. As the board has more discretion of what is emphasized in their curriculum, the school will be different academically as well. ELA has decided that the emphasis should be in history, “The Early Light Academy offers a high-quality education by combining a linear, content-rich curriculum emphasizing history utilizing effective instructional techniques, taking our students from the Stone Age to the Space Age, the Information Age and beyond. With an emphasis in history, students are better able to tie in the lessons from the past with the present reality of the world around them, and are empowered to see how their actions today will impact the future.” Although ELA may have a different emphasis in their curriculum they are subject to the same standardized tests that our public schools are and thus the same accountability. This guarantees that faculty will still teach those concepts and facts directly related to the standardized tests. ELA will actually be buying their curriculum from a company called K12. This may be good or bad. I am not a curriculum expert so I really cannot criticize this aspect of ELA’s program.

As for logistics, ELA has proposed that they have a maximum of 25 students per class. This fact alone is why I like the idea of this charter school. Having a better student teacher ratio in classes will improve education outcomes. However, this is only 2 students under the currently reported student teacher ratio at Daybreak Elementary. A large amount of research concurs that more parental involvement in their child’s education will deliver better education outcomes. This was the main reason the school is being founded. A group of parents called Daybreak Parents for Academics originally conceived of the idea of ELA. In fact, the school will require the parents of students to volunteer for 35 hours per year. This requirement, in my opinion, will actually weed out some of those parents who are complacent about their child’s education. This will in turn deliver students to the school whose parents are committed to their education making a better environment in which to learn. Another aspect of the school that I personally like is the fact that they will have a strict dress code. Some people feel that this limits expression, but I think it just eliminates distraction and competition. This also makes distinguishing rich kids from poor kids more difficult. As mentioned previously I am not an education expert. These are my thoughts and opinions only. Feedback is welcome.

Are Houses in Utah Getting Smaller?

Are Utah Homes Shrinking? Since the beginning of suburbia after WWII homes across the country have been getting larger. The average home back then was about 1100 square feet. In the 1970s this size grew to 1600 square feet. Presently the average American home is 2300 square feet. This may still sound fairly small, but the calculations for this figure do not include basements, bonus rooms, or garages. Now this trend is reversing itself. According to recent reports the average size of the American home is beginning to shrink. This downsizing is attributed to rising fuel costs, the “green” movement, and an aging population.

The leading edge of the baby boomer population just turned 62. This demographic is getting ready for retirement and the majority are becoming empty nesters. Since they do not have kids and want to stretch their retirement dollar, buying a smaller home in a nice community is becoming a priority. One of the new features in the new North Shore Village will be residential construction targeted specifically at the aging baby boomer population. While Kennecott had this in mind earlier it did not make it off of the drawing board into Eastlake Village. Now that lending standards have been tightened and less people can qualify for a loan, homes are not selling very well and there is a large inventory on the market. However, these baby boomers usually do not have trouble qualifying for financing and half of them buy their retirement homes with cash. This is a great market to target given the circumstances.

Another target market is the green movement. The whole philosophy behind Daybreak promotes sustainable communities. This “green” philosophy is not necessarily embodied in a 5000 square foot house. (Although some homes in Daybreak exceed this size) Even with the energy saving appliances and energy star certified home, a house that big is an energy waster if you have a small family. More than likely you don’t use half of the rooms of that house daily. Rising utility and maintenance costs of a home that large is becoming more of a disincentive to potential buyers as well. Another disincentive is the rising cost of transportation. If you live in South Jordan , chances are that you work somewhere else in the valley and commute. This will be a problem for Daybreak residents in the near future, but in 2010 TRAX will alleviate that burden for some residents and the Mountain View Corridor (Later) will be the choice of others.

Preferences are changing along with demographics as a survey from the National Association of Home Builders has found that 60% of home buyers now prefer an amenity-rich smaller home. Studies also suggest that buyer preferences toward huge suburban lots are also waning. Caring for a full acre of property can be time-consuming and expensive. With both of these resources becoming more scarce, it is no wonder buyers are looking for small lots or maintenance free communities. If the trend toward smaller homes continues, then it could make a big difference in home values. A recent study by the online appraisal service Zillow.com found that less expensive homes appreciate more than expensive and presumably larger homes. If this trend continues, we will probably find that Mcmansions will represent the weakest portion of the market.

Many will say that with a low-interest mortgage you will get more house for your money. However, you will also get higher insurance premiums, utility bills, maintenance costs, and higher property taxes. With these costs and trends, homes in Utah will definitely get smaller. Those homes that are smaller, energy efficient, and convenient will also see the most appreciation in the future.

Do You Have a Daybreak Blog?

Are you a Daybreak resident with a blog or website? I want to list your blog on Daybreak Today. It can be a business blog, tech blog, political, it doesn't matter. Just comment on this post with the location of your blog.

New Daybreak Dog Park

Kennecott recently announced that a dog park will become the newest amenity in Eastlake Village. When I saw the announcement I thought that it was a good idea. Since most people have smaller yards many of their dogs do not have a whole lot of room to run about and play. This park should provide ample room for the dogs to play to their hearts content. Now that there is a designated park for dogs to be off-leash, there should be less dogs running off-leash in the open parks next to residences. The physical and social benefits for dogs are readily apparent. One of the main benefits of dog parks listed by research is that dogs will be less likely to harm other dogs if they are socialized at a young age. Also, in my opinion a tired dog is a good dog. Tired dogs do not bark incessantly, jump on neighbors or destroy property. Besides, dogs need exercise too. My aunt has had a few dogs in the last 15 years. They all seem to get really fat and when I asked her why she would always tell me that they had a “thyroid problem.” More than likely they were getting fed way too much and were never walked at all.

One of the best benefits of a dog park is not for the dogs, but for the owners. In fact, dogs are now being recognized for their physical and mental health benefits, for their role as companions and catalysts for human social interaction, and in helping children learn responsibility. People socialize more naturally when they are sure that they have something in common. New Urbanism is all about getting people out of their homes and grouping them in a community so that they will form neighborly bonds. This dog park is an excellent way to do just that.

Right now I do not have a friendship with man’s best friend, but I plan to start that friendship soon. In looking at the sheer number of breeds available I felt an appreciation for the diversity of dogs. You can find them as large as a Great Dane, but they can be as small as a Chihuahua . They have even created weird new breeds of dogs that are becoming more and more common. Maybe someone will bring their Puggle (Beagle and Pug mix) or their Labradoodle (Labrador and Poodle mix) to the dog park. Considering this, I thought it was a good idea that the dog park is designed so that smaller and shyer dogs can go into one separate section and larger more aggressive dogs can go into another.

A dog park is actually a fairly rare amenity that is usually only implemented with the commitment of numerous volunteers and public funding. I am glad that Kennecott has incorporated into Daybreak as it adds more diversity to the already impressive list of amenities.

Cottonwood Mall - A New Dawn

Maybe you have heard that the Cottonwood Mall located in Holladay is going to be redeveloped by General Growth Properties, Inc. (GGP). 57 acres of what used to be acres and acres of parking lots will now be transformed into a new urban walkable community. They have torn down most of the old mall except the Macy's store which will be incorporated into the new plan. The plan calls for office space, retail, entertainment, and residential space to be mixed together using traditional architecture. In fact, GGP is planning for 534 residential units which will mostly be in the form of condos and townhomes, but there will be a few single-family detached homes as well. 700,00 square feet of retail along with 100,000 square feet of office space will be integrated among these residential units. GGP even managed to fit 17 acres of open space into the plan along with a stream that will skirt the western and southern sides of the development.

In my opinion, this plan is the best possible use for that piece of real estate. The land is being recycled into a walkable mixed-use community that will be a sign of things to come. This kind of development is called gray field development a form of infill new urbanism. Many do not know this, but malls across the country are being redeveloped in much the same way. As with the Cottonwood Mall, sales for these retail establishments have been on the steady decline and many have become a blight in the community. Governments seeking to revitalize the area to increase tax base and rid themselves of blight have aided developers to turn these old malls into walkable mixed-use communities. Belmar, Colorado is a prime example of this and the local government is just starting to reap the benefits of such a community.

Many of the citizens of the Cottonwood area are skeptical of the plan and especially the tax-increment financing that the Granite School District will use to pay for an estimated $52 million in infrastructure improvements for the project. I really would not worry if I were living in that tax base. The tax base for that municipality will increase substantially when the development is finished and there will be more than enough money to pay the debt. The increase in property values will have an impact too. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that there was an immediate rise in the value of surrounding real estate corresponding to the announcement of the redevelopment plans.

GGP is the second largest owner of malls in the U.S. and is usually the purveyor of drivable suburban malls. This development is their first venture into new urbanism a move that may signal a change in policy for the company. They still have malls like fashionplace that are thriving, but a change is on the horizon. More and more conventional malls will be redeveloped into mixed-use communities along with the increased demand for walkable communities. The project currently has an elongated time-line that will last the next ten years. Will it compete with Daybreak for customers of walkable new urbanism? A little. According to estimates of demand for new urbanism, there will be no shortage of customers in this area of the market and there will be plenty for both developments.

The Chips in the Concrete - Richmond American

KSL did a news story a few days ago about the vast amount of homes that have defective driveways. This is not the first time that they have done a story on this subject. At about this time last year KSL did a news story about homes in Stansbury Park in Tooele County. Richmond American Homes constructed a large amount of homes in the area and many of the driveways were falling apart. This story struck a chord with many of the viewers and soon KSL was inundated with similar complaints about their driveways. Homes all over the Wasatch Front were exhibiting the same crumbling driveways. One seemingly common thread was that many of the homes were built by Richmond American Homes. The problem with this accusation is that other home owners who bought houses from different builders had the same problem. Indeed many other builders were accused in the comments section of the article online. Almost every home builder in the Wasatch Front that does “tract” housing has been blamed for poor quality concrete driveways.

Accusations are flying about every part of the process and it seems everyone has a different opinion. Many are blaming the actual content of the cement mix. This argument holds that demand for cement was overwhelming due to the housing boom, the demand from China, and the rebuilding efforts after hurricane Katrina. The theory stipulates that this high demand led to manufacturers putting in too much fly ash or other substances which weaken the structural integrity of the concrete. Using these additives extended the amount they could produce to meet this high demand.

While testing is the norm in commercial construction there is no such requirement for residential construction. Concrete contractors apparently do not have to have any special equipment or licenses either. One person commented, “Anyone with $500.00 in tools, can start a residential concrete construction company.” This is probably the most cited reason for the concrete damage. The skill of the contractor in installing the concrete is crucial to its longevity. Putting too much water in the mix, installing at the wrong time of year, finishing too early, etc. are all aspects of installation that can be handled improperly. Even if the mix and the installation of the concrete are of good quality, Utah has an extreme climate that damages roads and concrete with large fluctuations in temperature and moisture. The seasonal snowfall also brings another degrading factor to concrete: salt. In fact, the use of salt and deicers on cement voids many warranties issued by home builders. Even if you don't salt your driveway yourself your car will bring in the salt that is poured all over state roads. However, many reports suggest that these chemicals affect concrete minimally if at all. In my opinion it is a mix of these mitigating factors that has resulted in thousands of Utah driveways to disintegrate.

While everyone has a different theory of what is causing this, all of these factors point to one common theme: tract housing. When home builders are building homes as fast as the people on extreme home makeover, there will be problems. The builders that do this cut costs at every stage of construction. While builders try to maintain quality, the defects of their creations do not usually come out until the house is nearly a year old. Assembly line quality controls cannot possibly produce a quality house.

The bad part of all of this is the response from Richmond American. Many of their customers are extremely dissatisfied. While the news story on KSL features a few of these homeowners, I have found that the loathing of some homeowners has gone above and beyond my expectations. This hatred is exhibited in the existence of such websites as www.richmondfixmyhouse.com and www.richmondamericandestroysdreams.com. I have not seen websites such as this for any other homebuilder. Richmond American is actually the largest homebuilder in the U.S. and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company is owned by MDC Holdings Inc which has seen their stock plummet from a high of over 80 dollars in July of 05’ to less than 40 dollars as of today. A result of the housing crises.

The nature of this company is the main reason why I did not and would not let them build a home for me. Many of my neighbors have expressed their dissatisfaction with Richmond American and their voices seem to have been heard. Apparently Richmond American will no longer be building in Daybreak. They will finish up their commitment in Eastlake Village, but after that they are out. Hopefully Kennecott will only let local builders not corporate conglomerates build Daybreak homes in the future.

West Bench Plan Setback

The Salt Lake Tribune printed a story about a break down in the planning process for the West Bench today. An interesting story to say the least. The two parties do not seem to be planning as much as negotiating who will have control. In this they seem to be having a zero sum negotiation with no creativity whatsoever. This control is referred to by Kennecott as "vesting."

I can definitely see Kennecott's point of view on this one. If you are developing a few acres, then the time frame for the project will be short-term. You can be assured that politics will not change drastically and the atmosphere will be the same. On the other hand, Kennecott's endeavor has a time line that stretches to the end of this century. They want to make sure that the tides of political change do not treat their plans like an etch-a-sketch.

The representatives of Salt Lake County also have a valid point. They do not want to bind future administrations to the decisions that are made today. Apparently they cannot legally do this although that is probably debatable as well. By allowing Kennecott to set their plans in stone they feel as if they will have given a dictator control over planning of the West Bench. A dictator who will not relinquish control until the next century. Quite the dilemma.

These two views are not total polar opposites. If the two parties proposed more creative solutions, then I feel that they would not have encountered this impasse. However, from what I read in the paper, neither party seemed astute in communicating with one another. Months of unproductive meetings seemed to be the result. One quote really stands out from the others:

Joe Hatch, who recalled a similar politely worded threat in a private meeting earlier this year. "If you think that kind of threat is going to change our beliefs about planning and zoning," he remembers telling company officials, "it ain't going to work."

"Beliefs." To me that is a strong word. Would he be talking of new urbanism? Density? That is not clear, but obviously he did not like his negotiating position. Does Kennecott have to absolutely win his heart and mind? No.

The county even listed "lessons learned." These seem to concentrate on improving their negotiating position. An interesting lesson learned is that they apparently want to control all planning documents:

"Avoid giving the applicant - in this case, Kennecott - the right to write and produce planning documents. Control of those records must remain with the county, "no matter who is paying the bill."

The county doesn't even seem to keep track of what they disagree about. Another "lesson learned" is to

"Keep minutes to meetings to track ideas and define points of agreement and disagreement."

Wow, thats a novel idea. Who would think of keeping minutes so that they could reference them later. In my opinion the fault lies with both parties. I think that Kennecott could preserve their plans for the west bench and satisfy the demands of the county. Besides, there are no perfect plans. In the end, Kennecott definitely has the upper hand. Kennecott has other venues that it can pursue to accomplish their ends. With this action the county may have excluded itself from having a greater degree of influence on the West Bench. Instead of a comprehensive plan with one government entity, Kennecott will piece together their plan with the municipalities of the West side. Over which Kennecott will be able to exert and even greater influence than the county. From what I can see the break down will not halt Kennecott's plans, nor will they "crumble."

Kennecott and New Urbanism

The West Bench plan is an impressive road map to a sustainable future on the West side of the Salt Lake Valley . I like the plan along with many citizens and groups throughout the valley. This plan is especially interesting considering that a mining company is responsible for building these green new urban communities. However, the way Kennecott has chosen to communicate this plan intrigues me. I have found that many of my neighbors in Daybreak are puzzled when I mention that Daybreak is a New Urban community. They have never heard of the term. That is completely understandable since I have not seen Kennecott use the word in any of their advertisements or brochures.

They use the terms smart growth and sustainability all the time, but not “new urbanism.” Of course, I have not searched through every single piece of literature that Kennecott Land has ever produced. Is Kennecott shy about the fact that Daybreak follows new urban principles? More likely Kennecott decided that the public was not ready for an advertising campaign that proclaims the merits of new urbanism. This makes some sense considering that the Daybreak community was the first major new urban community in Utah . Introduce the concept slowly so people get used to the idea. So you see the advertising featuring the kids playing, the traditional architecture, community gatherings, and the silhouette of the tree on the yellow background with the tag line “this is getting good.” These advertisements appeal to our nostalgic side of how neighborhoods used to be. It also appeals to parents who feel that it takes a community to raise a child. Not that these advertisements are bad. They’re not. In fact the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" applies here. But while they show the pictures of and people who live in a new urban community, they do not convey the philosophy behind the development.

Maybe that is why some people are surprised when the City of South Jordan distributed the flyer informing citizens about the future Daybreak apartments. Conflicts usually come about because people or groups have differing expectations. Kennecott Land should probably stick with their current campaign, but they need to inform the residents and prospective residents about the philosophy behind Daybreak. Maybe then people will know what to expect.