Skip to main content

South Valley Riverton Journal

Council denies proposed project on ‘unique piece of property’

Jan 06, 2022 03:16PM ● By Travis Barton

By Travis Barton | [email protected]

The Riverton City Council unanimously denied a development proposal at a mostly vacant lot along 4000 West at 12261 South.

If it was approved, the project would have featured 36 units on the six-acre lot. 

The land is a “unique piece of property,” Jason Lethbridge, development services director, told the council during its November meeting.

Its history dates back to 2007 when the council at that time approved the McKenzie Park Estates subdivision. When the recession hit in 2008, the project was put on hold and never moved forward, going through what Lethbridge described as a “convoluted history of foreclosure” that featured multiple owners.

Mayor Trent Staggs noted the property, adjacent to Bangerter Highway, came before the council a few times over the intervening years.

The land is already subdivided and zoned for third acre lots, a size nearby residents would like to maintain.

Jay Butterfield, who lives across from the area, said they’ve dealt with the land “since the very beginning,” and “weren’t crazy about the third acre lots” to begin with. He said they worried an already congested 4000 West would get worse by squeezing in a high number of units.

“Six per acre would be crazy in our opinion,” he said. Other residents spoke at the meeting also worried about the traffic on the road.

Those opinions were shared by Councilmember Troy McDougal, whose district represents that area.

McDougal said 11800 South will continue to get busier, making 4000 West a thoroughfare for people. “We have a major traffic congestion problem here and that problem is only going to get worse.”

He also pointed to safety concerns as well as nearby residents who felt going to third acre lots was already meeting the developer halfway.

Lethbridge also explained the ownership of the area is unique. The subdivision road and detention basin in the northeast corner of the property belonged to the city. An existing home on the southern end was included in the property proposal.

Property to the south is a storage facility while to the north is a meetinghouse for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The road does not connect to either property, with the only access point coming on 4000 West.

McDougal said when the council looked at the master plan in the spring, he felt they did a good job analyzing how they wanted Riverton to develop and this area meets the third acre plans they have.

“I think we need to honor that and the citizens that already bought there,” he said prior to the vote.

The proposal was also unanimously denied by the planning commission.

Neither the applicant nor a representative was present at the