Grouse Creek Forum

For many years I have heard individuals with ties to Grouse Creek express an interest in purchasing property to build a cabin/summer home. I would like to poll the readers of this blog to determine the level of interest of those who would be interested in purchasing a cabin/summer home on 2-3 acres that would be part of a Planned Housing Development with shared use of 100 + acres. There would be several designs or floor plans to choose from. All would be built by the same contractor with options for the owner to participate with sweat equity. Specific restricrive covenants would specify what the owner can and can not do on the property. Can't wait to hear from you.

Happy Trails

Cowboy

As someone with ties to Grouse Creek, the most disheartening thing I could imagine for this wonderful area would be mini-ranches. What a depressing thought that would be to this place! One need not look any further than the trashy Dove Creek Ranches that exist on the east side of the Grouse Creek Mtns. near Park Valley-Rosette area. Who would want that kind of development in an area as beautiful as Grouse Creek? Isn't that why we go there? Its free from all of the sprawl of the city. The wildlife as well as ranchers would suffer in numerous ways. More people=more 4-wheelers tearing up everything, more idiots cutting fences during hunting season, more gates left open and a whole lot more trailers and trash to look at, more fights about the already scarce commodity of water that the local people need so much. I would vehemently oppose any such suggestion of mini-ranches in Grouse Creek and would fight tooth and nail to stop such a disaster. I'm sure someone might mention that the economy of the local area might be lifted somewhat. That would also be a joke, we all know we don't buy the expensive gas out there unless we have to and we all bring our groceries from town. If you love Grouse Creek and the people there, leave the mini-ranch idea to some other developers to ruin some other beautiful part of the state.

I also strongly oppose the idea of mini ranches, ESPECIALLY IN GROUSE CREEK. I have loved grouse creek and the beautiful natural resources since a young boy. One doesn't need to look far in utah where money has been a driving force rather than the ecological integrity of the land and these so called "mini ranches" have been built. There are studies after studies in scientific literature proving the case and point that these developments ONLY harm the ecological processes occuring on the landscape and consequently harming the wildlife. If the natural resources that make grouse creek so unique and beautiful (and not to mention provide a living for most of the residents) are at all important, than mini ranches would be a big no no. As stated before if you'd like a summer home go over the hill where the landscape has already been disrupted and fragmented and build in dove creek.

The people who do not support the store by buying their weekend groceries there should be ashamed and stay in town.

I ALSO AM AGAINST THE MINI-RANCHES. THEY WILL RUIN AND COMPROMISE THE BEAUTY OF GROUSE CREEK. I HAVE BEEN GOING TO GROUSE CREEK FOR YEARS SINCE I WAS A LITTLE BOY. I DO NOT HAVE A HOME IN TOWN AND I AM HAPPY WITH CAMPING IN GROUSE CREEK. I LOVE THIS TOWN AND WOULD BE SADDENED IF THE LANDSCAPE WAS RUINED BY SUCH A HORRIBLE DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR MINI-RANCHES, GO TO DOVE CREEK WHERE THEY RUINED THE LAND.

I think that people who have a place to stay shouldn't be in such oppositon to mini ranches....after all they can go to Grouse Creek and enjoy it.

Mini Ranches would be for those who do not have a place to stay in Grouse Creek even if they are tenting it or staying at someone elses place. I think that it would be a great boost to the Grouse Creek area to have a few more people out there even if it is only part time. Atleast they would be taxed to help pay for the garbage.

The person whom posted this request stated that there would be protective covenants (Dove Creek did not have these covenants) and if done correctly they could be very asthetically pleasing.

So besides the comments about Dove Creek which would be resolved with protective covenants all one has to do is look at Yost and see that if they don't have a church or a school then the community is basically dissolved and they have to travel to another place for the community center (They all travel to Almo, Idaho) Mini Ranches could prevent the dissolution of the town of Grouse Creek.

As for the comments on bringing their food....one should always try and shop at the local store to support the economic development there. Unfortunately it is not always open so basics need to be purchased in advance. For instance...I always take my own gallon of milk. I can't stand to be without it.

As for the comments about more 4 wheelers. One needs to look at themselves and determine how well they are treating the land and not accuse all people of abusing it.

as for me.. I have a place to stay fortunately. I would probably not need a mini ranch. I also take care of the land and I don't litter, cut down fences or mess with other peoples property. This includes government property which is owned by all of us. I hope that what ever I build will not offend others and that I can continue to support and provide economic development to a place that I love to go. I hope that I will help Grouse Creek to thrive and survive.

I am not going to be annonymous. My name is Tracy Boyd and I am the daughter of Verl and Delma Smith

Any personal comments that you don't want to share with others may be directed to my personal email at boydtann@comcast.net

I don't live in Grouse Creek, so what do I know? Maybe mini-ranches would turn Grouse Creek into a thriving town like Dove Creek did to Park Valley and Rosette. Wait a second...........

When I heard about the possibility of Mini Ranches in Grouse Creek I thought finally, a place to buy and call my own. Now I can have my horse I always wanted. Restrictive covenenats, a real planned housing development, what a GREAT idea so as to protect my investment. HURRAY!!!! Count me in. Can't wait until I learn more. Having visited GC several times when younger my fondest memories were of going to the store to buy way too much candy, going to church and being treated like I was somebody, sleeping out on my Aunts lawn and seeing more stars that I ever thought existed. Running foot races at the 4th of July celebration and never winnng. Playing with local kids who treated me like I was their best friend. I can't wait to have a place to bring my grandkids to and let them build memories of their own. The way the community was going I was sure the big corporate ranchers who don't even live in Grouse Creek and could care less if the school, post office, store and church remain would soon buy up the rest of the valley and instead of a sign that says "No Place Like It it would say Est. 18?? Died 2009.

I have a small dream cabin in mind that I can't wait to build. Fortunately with a planned development I won't have to deal with hundreds of broken down cars and trucks, dead tractors and farm equipment parked all over the place, used mobile homes drug in and stacked on top of each other looking like hilbilly heaven like you see all over GC now. As for gas and groceries, if given the opportunity buy a place an extra $25 per trip is nothing to give the boys an opportunity to get away from the crime, drugs, perverts, preadators like we see in our capital city. However based on the comments being posted it looks like the I've got mine and we don't want you here with your four wheeler (which I don't own and never will) rhetoric is allready surfacing. To compare it to Dove Creek, certainly you could come up with a worse comparison if thats what you want to do. How could anyone who has ancestors who built this comminity with hard work and sacrifice watch this little bit of heaven dry up and go away. I for one don't want to meet my ancestors on the other side and explain why I stood by and did nothing. Wherer do I sign up, I am ready to break ground.

Well said Tracy. I'm sorry "g" but you can either get my developed house with some type of plan and layout, or you can get my 1960 single wide placed where ever I want to put it. As far as four wheelers and fence cutters...Come on lets be honest. The only people who will be investing money and building in GC will be people with deep Grouse Creek ties. These type of people are the least of your worries. I don't think the intent is to have a massive "trashy" Dove Creek develpment that is spread over the entire valley.

I Hope it all works out for everyone. Economically this will not do anything for the region. The store owners will make more money and the city will earn more off of taxes. THAT IS IT. I know the gas station will not be improved because that will cost over a million dollars to do the improvements. More people will not lower gas prices they have a monopoly out their. I would charge huge prices too if I owned the gas station. I would like to know which rancher is willing to sell his land and break it up into little parcels. I really am curious because everyone I know out their are die hard ranchers and are not willing to give up their land. The rancher who sells cannot make much money off the sell because it is range land and he must be willing to sell water rights also if he want to sell to someone who will develope it. I can understand both sides. I will admit I probably would buy some land out their if it happened. Dove creek is just the nearest example of things like this. Don't forget what has happened to the Uintahs and all those mini ranches and cabins. Bear Lake is also a mess now with mini ranches and cabin. Strawberry Reservoir also is a mess now. Every town started out small. These are perfect examples.


How big are the mini raches?
Are they going to be in the Mountain areas or is someone going to give up their hay fields?

Only the close areas can be developed because of water issues along the east bench. The homes would have to be in the hills because I doubt the farmers would give up the hay fields. If you do 100 acres per ranch that is 10,000 acres that will be developed and roads will have to be run to all 10,000 acres. You can't have just one road every one will want their cabin on a different hill. Even if you only did 50 acres per ranch that would be 5,000 acres to be developed with roads to be dug all over those acres in the hills. My numbers are small but I think easily that 100 ranches could be sold.

i understand everyone wanting a place to call their own as do I. I personally don't have a place to call my own either. and i am really pleased to hear of peoples passion for the area. mini ranches is a smoking hot topic right now in the natural resource world as well as a hot topic for people like us . we all have our personal paradigms, backgrounds, perception, areas of understanding, and bias'. me personally i am very data and scientific oriented and there is a ton of scientific publications out there discussing the ecological harm that comes from these mini ranches with sound data to back it up. and that is where my bias comes from being against such development on such pristine ecological systems. i like to call myself a "tree-huggin' hunter. now there are ways to minimize such impacts to the ecosystem and it would take alot of research, planning, time, money, and a very smart developer who understands landscapes to do this. and again i say minimize impacts not alleviate them. I am also impressed with cowboy and his willingness to get some input on the issue. what ever is done i hope it is in the best interest of the vegetation, wildlife, soils, water, air, ect.............

OK, I'm not going to defend gas prices, but I will defend the store. I was there a week ago. I filled up in town (Tremonton) for $3.20. I filled up in Grouse for $3.35. 15 cent difference is pretty cheap for the ability to purchase fuel out there. It's way better than hauling fuel.

Again I think people are loosing sight of the plan. And maybe cowboy needs to chime in and give more insight. But what I invision is small houses on 2 acre each. Some re-zoning would need to take place obviously as minimum parcel is 160 acres. He also stated there would be covenants to regulate what and how the structure is placed and built. I also think that when the rubber hits the road there will only be 8-12 of these structures built. There is not as many attractions in Grouse that bear lake, and the like have. Not to mention the remote location.

I guess I'd like to hear more about location and cost of the proposed plan.

I haven intentionallly tried to stay out of this discussion knowing that it is a HOT button for many people. However, there were town meetings held about 10 years ago concerning Economic Development in Grouse Creek. At those meetings it was understood that Grouse Creek needed to attract some new residents so there wouldn't be enough people to support a school, a church, a store and a post office. From these meetings a Strategic Plan was created (I have a copy if anyone wnats one). Because it is a well known fact that to be productive in any business, you have to create more with less labor, the ranches will continually get bigger and there will be less people.

That being said, to attract more people to Grouse Creek, you have to have a place for them to live, work, and purchase goods and services. If you look at the original post by Cowboy you will see the following.



I currently have 160 acres with a well on it. Using the formula Cowboy has, I could have a common area of 100 acres and still have 30, 2 acre parcels for homes. Since this is my private property are you tellimg me I couldn't do this? There is no zoning currently in Grouse Creek. With a special use permit from the County, this could be a reality.

Now before anyone gets all excited, I have no intention of doing this with my property but I could and currently the only ones who could stop me would be 3 county commissioners and they would have to have a very good basis for their reasoning or they would spend the rest of their terms fighting me in court. Private property rights are a major right if a remember.

As for gas prices, you need to compare Grouse Creek prices with what is available locally. 40 miles away is the wonderful town of Montello. Try buying gas there if you want sticker shock. Once you buy there, you will never again complain about the stores prices. And without the store there, that is where you will be buying gas.

Everyone needs to stop trying to pick a fight and tell everyone else they are wrong. This is a place to express your opinion based on your beliefs and feeling. If someone wants to talk bad about the store they can. Their is no need to defend anyone. No one is trying to defame the other. I agree with allen and private property right is more important. If he wanted or any other wanted to develope the land for housing and mini-ranches let them, more power to them for finding a way to make more money. Yes I would be sad but I would get over it.
Every one need to just stop taking offense to what everyone says. This is an DISCUSSION FORUM. Every opinion here is important to the discussion of this subject. If you are offended now wait until we are all in the same room at the city or county meeting yelling at each other. I always think those meeting are the best!

Hey Reese,

I don't think anyone is being picked on. This has been by far the best discussion we have had on this forum. I know it has been the talk of the town. I am glad you guys have strong feelings about development out there. I think a lot of people do.

I don't think anyone wants small parcels of raw land sold that could turn into a Dove Creek type development. But if it was a planned development and built in a place that didn't hurt any wildlife habitat, it may be good for the community.

I would really like to know more about what Cowboy had in mind.

Might even be something you or your family would be intrested in.