City Weekly asked Coffee Garden barista Ruth Rodgers what she thinks about proposed development plans for downtown Salt Lake City. A self-proclaimed mom-and-pop apologist, Rodgers admits her opinion is a little biased:
nnI think it’s sad. It seems like they’re creating a divided city. Salt Lake City is arguably the only town in Utah with a shred of diversity, and now they’re ousting independent businesses to make room for the LDS Church’s vision of a thriving metropolis. The city also wants to ban smoking in parks, which would make things easier for church officials when they turn downtown into one big no-smoking zone. Who needs rights anyway?