West Valley City Council votes to rezone Redwood Drive-In and Swap Meet despite opposition
Sep 18, 2024, 7:11 AM | Updated: 7:29 am
WEST VALLEY CITY — The West Valley City Council approved rezoning the 26 acres of land where Redwood Drive-In and Swap Meet sit on Tuesday. The decision paves the way for a builder to develop the land.
Steve Maddox, owner of Edge Homes was the first to address the West Valley City Council in a standing-room-only meeting on Tuesday night.
The drive-in hosts a swap meet every Saturday where more than 500 vendors sell goods and exchange services. Those involved say roughly 7,000 people attend each week and rezoning the land puts them out of business.
An aerial view of the Redwood Drive-In Swap Meet, where the community says roughly 7,000 people visit every weekend. The swap meet is in danger after the West Valley City Council voted to rezone the meeting area, allowing developers to repurpose the land for high-density housing. (Courtesy Christian Gutierrez)
The owner of the land first expressed interest in selling the land several years ago but then changed his mind. This time, with a credible buyer, the sale looks likely to close.
Nearly two dozen armed police officers were on guard at West Valley City Hall as the meeting started. Over the past several months, a vocal group has attended most of the meetings where the issue has been discussed. The last meeting, in June, which was open to the public, was described as “hostile”. So, as a precaution, the City decided to err on the side of caution.
Protesters hold signs at a West Valley City Council meeting where a vote was held to rezone the land where Redwood Drive-In and Swap Meet gathers. The community has argued opposition from potentially hundreds, but the council voted to rezone anyway, stating it was not their place to force a land owner to keep their land. (KSL TV)
The meeting started at 6:30 p.m. and allowed 40 comments each limited to one minute, unless a translator was required in which case the timer was set to 120 seconds. The group was overwhelmingly Hispanic and nearly every person who addressed the council referenced their heritage, and how the swap meet has provided a cultural hub for them.
But, after the comments, the council voted to approve the rezoning of the land, saying it’s not their right to force someone to keep land they want to sell. The council maintains the notion that even if they voted not to rezone, it wouldn’t necessarily mean the owner would keep both the drive-in and swap meet running.
Protesters hold signs at a West Valley City Council meeting where a vote was held to rezone the land where Redwood Drive-In and Swap Meet gathers. The community has argued opposition from potentially hundreds, but the council voted to rezone anyway, stating it was not their place to force a land owner to keep their land. (KSL TV)
Maddox said he’s looking to purchase this land and build 308 housing units. He sat on the front row and listened to every comment, but declined to comment himself afterward when KSL TV asked.
The West Valley City Manager Ifo Pili said the decision was difficult for the council but that it’s not the government’s job to force someone to keep land if they want to sell it.
“When somebody decides that they don’t want to use their property for a particular purpose, or that they want to stop doing business, it’s not the right of the city to tell them they have to,” Pili said. He said the decision wasn’t taken lightly by the council and they hope to find some kind of solution for those who used the swap meet as their livelihood.
But outside city hall, following the vote, those fighting to keep the swap meet didn’t mince words.
“This swap meet thing is not over,” said swap meet vendor Cristian Carbajal. “We will make sure the city council gets voted off and we do have representation.’
There’s no public timeline set for the development to begin.
