An "environmentally friendly" motel named after the new Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument will be built in the small community of Cannonville.
The town has about 150 residents and is surrounded by the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It is east of Bryce Canyon National Park and near Kodachrome State Park.The construction may be the first of its type in Utah, according to owners George Thompson, his sons Joe and George, and a son-in-law, Carlon Johnson. It is basically made of concrete, using styrofoam plastic for molds, and eliminates conventional wood forms and framing. The exterior will be stucco.
The only wood used in the building is in the roof, the Thompsons noted.
Energy efficiency is part of the project. Ground-warmed water will be utilized as a heating source during the colder months, and pumps will circulate coolant from a refrigeration system to cool the structure during warmer months. The system involves laying pipes in the ground for water circulation.
A small store, owned by the elder Thompson and his wife, will be moved into the motel building. "We've had the store for more than 30 years," said Mrs. Thompson. The Thompsons are also in the ready-mix concrete business and some are plumbers.
"We are getting too old for this so the younger ones will operate the business," said Mrs. Thompson. "If they need a pinch-hitter or baby-sitter I can do that."
The Thompsons say the method of construction could be the wave of the future in a nation that is trying to save its trees.