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West Valley City Journal

Council denies townhomes along 5600 West

Nov 30, 2020 04:35PM ● By Travis Barton

By Travis Barton | [email protected]

The West Valley City Council denied a zone change in October that would have seen a 98-unit two-story townhome development built at 5600 West and about 4600 South. 

If passed, the approximately 11-acre property would have seen the agriculturally zoned land include townhomes on 8.2 acres, four homes on 1.7 acres and a 1.1-acre commercial pad in the southwest corner. 

While the planning commission recommended approval, the council denied the zone change unanimously. 

Councilman Steve Buhler said he feels for the council to change the zone of an area, the project needs to be “something special.” 

“If we’re going to change the zoning, this has got to be something special that we couldn’t refuse because we’d be so happy to have it in the city,” he said during the Oct. 20 council meeting. “For this development, I just don’t see that wow factor or anything special enough to change the zoning.” 

The Defa property in question, a triangular piece of land running along the railroad tracks, is at the southern end of single family home neighborhoods that run north up to Hunter High School.

For Councilwoman Karen Lang, she felt continuing that trend of homes up to the train tracks was a better fit. 

“I don’t think this development makes sense for this property myself,” Lang said. 

She also said the council had created a new zone—RE for Residential Estate—for this exact purpose, “to take larger agricultural properties and leave them for homes.” 

Nearby residents on the adjacent Cape Vista Way (just north of the property) also expressed their concerns with the proposed development. 

Pamela Bryson, whose backyard would border the property, told councilmembers before they voted she was worried about the decreased green space, the density of the project that would see 12 units an acre, parking, lower water pressure, and there being too many rentals leading to transitional housing. 

“I must expressly and boldly state that I would expect the City Council to continue or maintain the same or larger size housing to what is currently in the neighborhood,” she said. 

Several other residents spoke in opposition to the development as well. 

Ken Johnson, a resident of Cape Vista Way for 23 years, said he understood the land will be developed, but also preferred continuing the residential rather than the potential of higher density. 

Going from a single family neighborhood “to commercial and such high density housing is such a swing to the opposite direction and contrary to the expectations of most of us neighbors is quite a difference,” he said. 

Another resident, Kirsi Driscoll, had issues with the potential parking overflow from the development noting that problem already exists with USANA Amphitheatre events nearby. She said a compromise is possible for the land. 

“I feel like there should be a way to meet the unique needs of this neighborhood and also still allow for the development that would make that area of our city better and more usable,” Driscoll said. 

David Lewis, the applicant for the proposed development with DR Horton, said the four single family homes was designed to flow from the neighborhood to the townhomes. 

“We tried very hard to create a very livable and nice community,” Lewis told the council. 

He added the amount of parking spaces—four stalls per unit (two-car garage and two spaces in the driveway) plus 16 visitor spaces—was more than double what the city asked for. He also said the professional HOA management on site would ensure cars don’t overflow into the neighborhood. 

While the council voted to deny the property, Mayor Ron Bigelow pointed out the council’s responsibility “isn’t to the developer or a property owner, but to the well-being of the city overall.” 

“Sometimes that overall situation does not agree with nearby neighbors, but is still right for the city as a whole,” he said. “But in this case, there are some issues that seem be pretty significant with this proposal.”