The Coalville City Council has denied Larry H. Miller Real Estate’s request to explore annexing 316 acres as part of the company’s proposed Hidden Meadow Village project.
Hidden Meadow Village is a downsized version of the 1,000-acre Cedar Crest Village development, a joint venture between Larry H. Miller Real Estate and Ivory Homes. The two companies originally hoped to build Cedar Crest Village near Hoytsville in unincorporated Summit County, but the application with Summit County expired earlier this year.
Kelsey Berg, vice president of government relations for Larry H. Miller Real Estate, told the City Council in April the expiration was deliberate because the Cedar Crest proposal became too unruly. In its place, the company created the 316-acre Hidden Meadow Village project and approached Coalville about annexation, expressing a desire to partner with a municipality to control and encourage growth rather than competing for infrastructure and economic prosperity.
Cameron Jackson, Larry H. Miller Real Estate senior vice president of operations, last month shared information with the City Council about the development’s projected revenue, estimating the 75 homes slated for the Hidden Meadow Village subdivision would bring in $90,000 of surplus tax funds annually for the city.
During the City Council meeting last week, he said the feasibility study determined Hidden Meadow Village would create a 14% revenue increase for the city with only a 7% increase in expenses.
The proposed homes would have values between $700,000 and $2 million, and Jackson said he believed 90% of the homes would be occupied by primary, full-time residents.
City Councilor Louise Willoughby opposed the idea, however, and last month made a motion to deny the annexation petition, which is the first step in the process followed by a protest period and public hearing before an official decision by the City Council.
At the time, no other city councilors seconded Willoughby’s motion, and they instead decided to postpone the conversation until the next meeting on July 14.
Jackson again presented information about the finances and timeline of the project to the City Council last week ahead of the councilors’ vote, and Coalville Community Development Director Don Sargent reminded councilors of their obligation to review the annexation petition as a standalone project separate from any past or future proposals, including the now expired Cedar Crest VIllage application.
Jackson said most of the City Council’s questions regarding the project, such as community benefits and specific details on infrastructure, would be answered once the annexation petition was accepted, as that step would open a dialogue between the council and developers to collaborate on what Jackson called “local calibration.”
The City Council told Jackson it wasn’t opposed to the annexation overall, but councilors felt the city needed more resources and a larger analysis of the project from the city’s perspective before they would be comfortable moving forward.
City Councilor Lynn Wood in particular mentioned the city’s search for a strategic planner and said it may be something the city is more ready for in a year once it’s built up staffing.
She added that she thought Hidden Meadow Village “ultimately will happen,” saying Coalville is fortunate to have Larry H. Miller Real Estate as interested developers.
City Councilor Brandon Brady made a motion to accept the petition, which died on the floor after other councilors didn’t second it.
Willoughby then made a motion to deny the application, seconded by City Councilor John Hansen, which passed in a 3-1 vote.
City Councilor Shaun Powis was absent at the time of the vote, and Brady was the lone vote in opposition.
Larry H. Miller Real Estate has the option of coming back to the City Council at a future date with a new proposal, but the process would start over from the beginning. The developers have not yet indicated whether they intend to keep pursuing the project.