Here are the e-mail
addresses for the Planning Commission
Date
July 18, 2015
To: Lehi Planning Commission Members
From: Bill Conley
Subject:
Thanksgiving Point Driving Range/Sale of property to the LDS Church/Concept
plan proposed by the LDS Church.
I
have had an opportunity to read two different handbooks this past week.
The
first is titled, “Handbook for Planning Commissioners and Land Use
Authorities”.
The
second is “Utah League of Cities and Towns, Powers and Duties, a handbook for
Utah Municipal Officials”.
Both
were put out by the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
As
you are abundantly aware, there are many Lehi residents who oppose the
development of the Thanksgiving Driving Range by the LDS Church.
Reading
through the two publications, I would like to point out just a couple of items
I read that might be a factor in your decision to approve or disapprove of the
LDS Church decision to build 2 x 120,000 square feet office buildings on the
driving range site.
This
is by no means a comprehensive list of thoughts I and many others have. It is
meant to bring your attention to what is written and hopefully will shed some
light on your duty and responsibility when it comes to making a decision.
First
let me begin by saying that you may deny an application “If certain SPECIAL
CONDITIONS exist, the city may still be able to deny an application. The
special conditions are that the city or town (residents of the City of
Lehi), on the record finds that a COMPELLING, COUNTERVAILING PUBLIC
INTEREST would be jeopardized by approving the application.”
So,
just because the law states, “that any applicant is entitled to approval of his
application if it “CONFORMS”, to the local ordinance”. Does not mean you have to approve the
application. Yes, State law dictates you approve an application if it conforms,
but it gives you latitude to deny the application if there is a finding that a
compelling, countervailing public interest would be jeopardized by approving
the application.
I
will site two (there may be dozens) of what might be considered compelling,
countervailing public interest.
First
is traffic. It is a well-known that
there are numerous problems in and around Lehi regarding traffic and it is
well-known that the Thanksgiving Point area is already reaching its maximum
capacity. I believe a proper study of the traffic congestion in and around the
Thanksgiving Point area, Hwy 92 and SR2100 and I15 will show that Lehi is
already in the danger zone when it comes to traffic congestion. This is before
we add additional dozen or more office buildings and add thousands of new
employees and cars on the already overburdened roads.
Secondly,
the health, safety and welfare of Lehi citizens will, and in my estimation, are
already be put in jeopardy as more and more commercial developments take place
in and around the Thanksgiving Point area, SR2100 and on Hwy 92 headed east towards
Micron. There has been considerable
notice given to the City regarding the safely of the children who attend North
Point Elementary. As you continue to
approve project after project in the Thanksgiving Point area and traffic along
residential neighborhoods, the safety of the children must be taken into
consideration. It won’t be long before a
child gets hit by a car rushing down Garden Drive which becomes N 2350 W which
connects with W 2150 N and ultimately N 2300 W.
There are dozens of homes that line Garden Drive, N 2350 W and W 2150
N. There is not one parent that thinks
this intersection as it sits today is safe.
By adding, potentially an additional several thousands of cars a day
driving these residential neighborhoods, you increase the chance that a child
will be struck by a car and end up dead.
This
area is already a safety concern. Adding more traffic will only exacerbate the
problem.
The
second point I would like to bring your attention to is the language used in
the manual put out by the Utah League of Cities and Towns, the section titled,
Basic Legal Issues for Land Use Control. Paragraph one begins, “The purposes of
this chapter are to provide for the HEALTH, SAFETY (there is that word again)
and WELFARE” of its citizens. I know you
are keenly aware of this terminology. I
don’t think I have to remind you, but I will, the citizens of Lehi are
concerned with safety in regards to the ever increasing traffic. Air, noise and light pollution is a health
concern and the welfare of many of the citizens of Lehi will be impacted by
certain developments that allowed to be built.
I
will end this letter here. I just wanted to mainly point out two things. First you can deny an application if the
record finds that a compelling countervailing public interest would be
jeopardized and secondly, one of your main responsibilities is to protect the
safety, health and welfare of the citizens of Lehi.
Thank
you
Bill
Conley
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