Rose Park candidates square off

The battle for Rose Park in the Salt Lake City Council election is between a two-term incumbent and a political newcomer who feels the area needs change.

On the one side, incumbent Carlton Christensen believes his experience and significant record make him the best person for the job.

"I've tried to argue the fact that experience and direction and track record are valuable assets," Christensen said. "I clearly have some background that she doesn't, but that's part of my argument, that it would take a lot of time for someone to get up to that point."

On the other side is Leslie Benns, who says Christensen hasn't done enough for Salt Lake City's District 1. She is focusing the race on the west side's North Temple corridor, which she says has been neglected by city leaders, including Christensen.

"I don't know why Carlton has ignored this area," she said. "I believe that our district has been ignored by the city of Salt Lake, and I'm not going to take it anymore. It's like a chasm at 5th West, and the whole west side falls into it."

Benns said she has a vision to revitalize North Temple. The vision includes getting the Utah Transit Authority to put speed shuttles from downtown to the airport on North Temple. That would serve as a temporary transit option until a light-rail spur can be built to connect downtown and the airport.

Next, the city should zone the North Temple corridor for higher density housing, creating a greater population core leading to further retail development, she said.

"North Temple is really an eyesore, and now it attracts prostitutes and drug addicts, and those don't represent this district," she said.

Christensen said he plans to challenge Benns about how she will implement her vision, since much of her North Temple revitalization plan hinges on outside developers and other organizations being willing to invest money in the area.

"How are you actually going to fulfill on those claims, and what's your ability to do it?" Christensen asked. "It's only fair to people if you make a claim and point out an issue that you really have a way to resolve it. People think you have a way to deliver."

Development is a major issue on the west side, where residents have been hammering elected officials to bring in some retail choices for years.

Much economic development will likely be determined by housing development in the district. And while Benns wants to focus on North Temple, Christensen is pushing for master planned development in the district's Northwest Quadrant, west of the Salt Lake City International Airport.