Answer: Parts of both the Avenues and Capitol Hill are controlled by national and local landmarks ordinances. To clarify, National Register Historic Districts have little or no restrictions on what you can do to a historic house or a property, and are primarily an honor roll that gives people access to tax credits. Local landmarks ordinances are much more restrictive. They limit additions, alterations, and demolitions to historic properties that contribute to the district, and they also require that new construction must be compatible in scale and design.Unfortunately, in the Avenues, the district only goes up to 6th Ave., so development is unfettered above. Some new development is inevitable and adds to the eclectic nature of our neighborhoods, but the historic charm is what draws most of us downtown, and smaller houses on smaller lots are a fact of life of downtown living in every city. In essence, the government does deal with it through local landmarks ordinances and through neighborhood master plans.

I advocate historic preservation because the character of a city is important. Destroying that character will reduce property values and make Salt Lake City no different from the latest development in the suburbs. More resources need to be devoted to declaring historic districts in our city. Evidence clearly shows that historic districts have higher property values than ones who do not. Higher property values translate to more tax revenue. There should have been compatibility review for the Avenues long ago.

Question 4: There has been much talk about developing the city's Northwest Quadrant, which lies west of the airport. Some see this area as a place where tens of thousands of residents could eventually live in master planned communities. However, there are some concerns. Some want the area preserved as natural open space. Others say it's too costly to put homes way out there. Police and fire services in the city are already stretched thin and putting houses five miles west of downtown would further strap public safety and other services like public utilities. Still, proponents maintain the city needs to add more residents so it remains Utah's largest city and keeps it's political clout in the face of other rapidly growing municipalities. What's your vision for the Northwest Quadrant? If you favor development how will the city pay for it?