The new site for the Utah Museum of Natural History has caused controversy for several years. This is unfortunate as the building itself is an excellent example of environmental neutrality.
According to the museum’s website, it will be one of the few Utah buildings awarded a gold rating by the United States Green Building Council’s intensive rating system that considers sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
In addition to this honor, according to UMNH Director Sarah George, the building will be powered partly by wind energy and has the potential to add solar power to its environmentally friendly features.
However, the location of the building, right in the middle of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, has left a stain on the otherwise green construction.
Lisa Schmidt, executive director of Save Our Canyons, said it is “unfortunate” that they chose to build on such a well-known sensitive site.
Although planners did practice due diligence by involving the public and asking for feedback on the building’s construction, with the result reflecting that effort, Schmidt felt that they had not fulfilled their obligation to involve the general public in the selection of the location.
“Most of the public feedback comes just after the groundbreaking,” Schmidt said. By that time the process had passed the point of no return. Once the funding and zoning was taken care of and all of the permits were in place, the new site’s location was final.
The damage caused by the decision to build in the middle of the trail is clear. The trail itself is being temporarily rerouted and after construction is complete, the trail will pass between the building and the parking lot.
Despite some poor decisions in the location selection, and a lack of public involvement in that area, the building is still a benchmark. It raises the bar for public institutions and future commercial buildings alike. It is too bad that a few mistakes that seemingly counter the museum’s overall green message are tarnishing this impressive achievement.
Citizens can prevent things like this from happening in the future. Schmidt recommended that people do not wait until the groundbreaking to get involved by attending local planning and city council meetings. This way, the public can share their concerns before it is too late.