This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
First, I would like to commend The Tribune for its comprehensive stories concerning the four homeless shelters announced by Salt Lake City. No other news source has made such an in-depth analysis.
Second, as an owner of a residence one block from the Simpson site, I feel the same outrage, disgust and bewilderment as all of the people you interviewed who are seeing their American dream of home ownership explode in all areas affected by this incredible decision. Also, I specifically sympathize with the owners and clients of Lit'l Scholars who are now dealing with a monumental lifestyle disaster.
Finally, I would like to raise a concern that has not been addressed: the unbelievable financial waste by the city to achieve this chaos. If the tax assessed value of the Simpson property is $1.6 million and the High Avenue property is $1 million, how can the city possibly justify spending $9.7 million to acquire these two properties? (The Tribune, Sept. 14). Even assuming the assessed value is 30 percent below market value, the city still paid over three times what these properties were worth. The taxpayers of Salt Lake and Utah deserve an independent investigation as to who benefited from these outrageous purchases.
Craig S. Cook
Salt Lake City