Hundreds Turn Out In Herriman To Raise Concerns About 6,300-Unit Olympia Hills Development
Jan 29, 2020, 7:16 AM | Updated: 7:19 am
HERRIMAN, Utah — Hundreds gathered Tuesday evening at Copper Mountain Middle School to air their concerns about the proposed Olympia Hills development.
Under the current plan from developers, more than 6,300 units would be built across 933 acres over the next 25 years. The community would also include businesses, offices and even a college campus.
Local government leaders and residents, however, expressed fears to the Salt Lake County Council at Tuesday’s public hearing that the development would result in considerable growth, worse traffic and a greater tax burden.
“Is it fair that I have to donate every month money out of my own pocket to a developer who is going to make hundreds of millions of dollars off of his development?” questioned Herriman resident Jeff Winegar.
Riverton City Mayor Trent Staggs also took his turn at the meeting and said the developer’s strategy to date appears to have been to “fatigue” residents “into compliance.”
The mayor at a meeting with other mayors and council members earlier in the day raised concerns about traffic impacts.
“To put it into perspective, we have 30,000 cars on average per day on 12600 South,” he used as an example. “This development would place it somewhere around 90,000 or more a day. It really turns 12600 South – at least from Mountain View Corridor to Bangerter Highway – into a freeway.”
Staggs and the other mayors have been pushing the council to hold off on approving the proposal, which is the second iteration of the same project.
The previous version was vetoed by then-County Mayor Ben McAdams in 2018 amid complaints about its high-density nature.
Bruce Baird, the developer’s counsel, told the group that the proposed project had been moving forward to this point with transparency and compliance of the county’s requirements.
“We want to make it better, and we believe with the help of staff we have made it better,” Baird said.
Still, Baird seemed to find little sympathy with the crowd that had gathered.
One woman directly questioned why council members would listen to the developer over constituents.
“I vote for you; I pay for you to do what you do,” said resident Vicky Macias. “How do you care more about what he does than what I do?”
Emily Johnson said she supported growth — but not in the manner of the proposed Olympia Hills development.
“We are not here for selfish reasons,” Johnson said. “We are here because we truly want what is best for our city, our southwest community and our county.”
