There is no doubt that some individuals have been hurt and this article in no way wishes to diminish that fact. For some folks, it has truly been the worst of times.
However, when you examine closely what has happened in the two largest communities in the county, it would seem that it has been the best of times.
Interviews with city leaders in both communities reveal that the money acquired and spent on community infrastructure in 2010 and 2011 has turned out to be two of the best years in history for both communities.
Starting with Monticello, lets look at the projects that have been completed in 2010 and 2011.
In Monticello:
• Road and utility work in 2010-11: $2,900.000
• New Airport Construction: $7,500,000
• Water storage tank (500,000 gallons) built and water line
• Construction on 7,000 feet of new water lines: $1,330,000
• New medical clinic at the San Juan Hospital: $2,700,000
• 4-Corners School….Phase one: $1,200,000
• Weigh Station remodel: $1,400,000
• New Swimming Pool: $1,135,000
• Remodel of the Monticello Stake Center: $700,000
• Landscaping at the Monticello Stake Center: $170,000
• 41 building permits issued: $9,600,000 (est.)
New Businesses opening in Monticello: (does not include home startups)
• Mountainland (plumbing and irrigation)
• Window Welder (glass services)
• Black Crane Salon (hair styling – beauty products)
• Maverik (convenience store and petroleum sales)
• FatBoyz Barbeque (restaurant)
In Blanding:
• Airport Improvements: $1,100,000
• City Office Remodel: $250,000
• New 30 unit Apartment Complex (Grayson Apartments): $5,700,000
• Road work – sixteen projects- city surface roads: $2,000,000
• UDOT rebuild of main street: $1,300,000
• Wellness Center: $3,500,000
• Water upgrades and new water distribution lines: $1,300,000
• Johnson Creek main line water extension: $2,750,000
• New pumper truck for Fire Department: $325,000
• New administration building at the College: $800,000
• Starvation Reservoir repairs and upgrades: $810,000
• Rebuild of San Juan High Track and football facilities: Est. $300,000
• 46 building permits: $12,600,000 (est)
New businesses opening in Blanding (does not include home startups):
• Cash and Go, FatBoyz Barbecue, Prevail Mixed Martial Arts, Four Corners Health Care, and Mountain West Medical Supply.
The value of the building permits is an educated guess only. The biggest permits in Monticello were to the new San Juan Clinic at $2.6 million and Maverik at $1.5 million.
Blanding’s largest building permit went to the new 30 unit Grayson apartment complex valued at $5.7 million.
While housing is in the doldrums nationwide, there are 16 new homes under construction at the present time in the Blanding area.
A variety of factors are stimulating the new growth and development. The uranium, natural gas, oil and copper industries are all doing well and providing above average wages to hundreds of county residents.
There are big plans afoot in the county. Northwest of Monticello, in Dry Valley, there are two large mining companies working on final permitting for major Potash operations.
Per the front page in the November 30, 2011 San Juan Record, a wind farm is ready to start construction before the first of the year to be located about seven miles northeast of Monticello.
The plan, according to City officials, is to build up to 53 wind generators. The capital investment for the first phase would be an estimated $80 million.
To prove my point here is a slice of reality in San Juan. The same day this article was released a second Blanding business in the past two weeks closes it's doors. I'm not talking weak upstarts or businesses that have a history of struggling either. Both were solid and proven and now sadly are gone.