A group of East Side landowners has filed to incorporate a new town in between Kamas and Hideout on S.R. 248, and those involved say the effort would be different from the controversial development their Wasatch County neighbors tried to achieve in late 2020.
The Summit County landowners announced their intent to create the town of West Hills on Tuesday, days after they submitted an application to the state’s Lieutenant Governor’s office to start the process.
Derek Anderson, a Salt Lake City-based real estate attorney who owns land near Kamas and is leading the initiative, could not remember exactly how long the group has been working together on the idea, but he said it’s been at least a few years since they first approached local officials to find a solution that would give the property owners more flexibility in how they use their land such as building at a higher density than what’s allowed in the code. For example, agricultural zones limit the base density to one unit per 80 acres.
“Everybody up there senses the inevitability of change around. I think the goal of this group is to be proactive in this process so we can be responsible and create stewards over this area,” he said.
About 20 county residents, farmers and property owners make up the cooperative. Anderson’s family has owned land in the Kamas Valley since the 1960s.
The total size of the proposed incorporation is around 3,400 acres.
Open space and protecting locals are the landowners’ top priorities with the creation of West Hills. They plan to encourage modest growth by reserving half of the land in the town for open space and honoring the agricultural heritage of eastern Summit County. Anderson said there have been great concepts for how the acreage should be used, including a large farm park somewhere on the Ure Farm. However, the county is slated to purchase the 834-acre farm for a total of $25 million.
Tonja Hanson, the only East Side resident of the Summit County Council, alerted elected officials to the incorporation application during the panel’s regular Wednesday meeting. She indicated that she did not want the Ure property to be included in West Hills.
The West Hills landowners determined incorporating as a new town might be the best route after several fruitless meetings with representatives of Summit County, Kamas and Francis – though officials this week appeared to not be familiar with the project.
State law allows people to create a new town if certain criteria are met. The property owners gathered the required number of local signatures, met with the Lt. Governor’s office and filed the application in late April.
Now, the state has 90 days to conduct a feasibility study that will determine whether a new town at the proposed location can be successful. If a positive recommendation is forwarded, a certification process starts followed by a petition and public hearing process. Then, the landowners in the proposed town can vote on its incorporation.
The signatures must total at least 7% of the assessed land value and 10% of the land area based on the value and acreage of each signer’s property, according to Brody Bailey, the elections coordinator for the Lt. Governor’s office. There must be 100 registered voters in an area for it to be classified as a town.
Dave Thomas, the county’s chief civil deputy, said the feasibility study is the biggest hurdle as the group must prove they have a sufficient tax base and the ability to provide municipal services. The state will likely interview county officials as part of the study.
West Hills landowners are hopeful new growth will pay for itself. According to Anderson, the town will offer upgraded services that are supported by the revenue from new construction permit fees or the sale of unissued land use rights. He said the group is open to collaborating with the county to partner for services, but that West Hills could also fund its own.
Anderson added that the power will lie with the property owners. He said the group isn’t opposed to growth, but to the amount that’s occurring. Many of the landowners also want more flexibility in land-use regulations.
“It’s landowner-driven first and foremost. It’s the complete opposite of what’s happening in Hideout, which is more developer-driven,” he said. “There are different ideas of how we strike that right balance … it’s up to the landowners in this town to determine what the balance should be.”
Hideout in October of 2020 attempted to annex 350 acres of Richardson Flat, near the Jordanelle Reservoir, into its borders without Summit County’s approval, resulting in a lawsuit. The Utah Supreme Court heard oral arguments in early March. Developer Nate Brockbank proposed building a new town center for Hideout, including 600 homes, commercial businesses and a new town hall. He is paying for the town’s legal fees as well as the would-be development.
Representatives of the Wasatch County town have said they hope to use the land to provide amenities for its residents, who live in in the Park City-area but cannot afford to live there.
Summit County officials argue Hideoutwould be unable to pay for essential services.
The Lt. Governor’s office is currently reviewing three other proposals for incorporation including Riddermark in Iron County, Spring Lake in Utah County and Ogden Valley in Weber County.