Lehi Planning Commission duped by the Planning Division; email to Marilyn Banasky; LDS Church using its leverage on its members to approve a building project, they must approve!

I have finally received a few of my GRAMA request back today, unfortunately, they are incomplete, invalid or missing a complete set of the required attachments.  In this blog post I will take a look at three applications that were submitted to the city by either VCBO or TRIO, both architects for the LDS Church.  I sent a email letter to Marilyn Banasky and cc'd Kim Struthers, Ryan Wood and Todd Munger. 

There are numerous issues regarding the three applications I received, I outlined a few of the problems in the email letter I sent to Marilyn.  

From: William Conley <billhytek@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2016 1:15 PM
To: Marilyn Banasky; tjmunger@lehi-ut.gov; kstruthers@lehi-ut.gov; Ryan Wood
Subject: Re: GRAMA requests #48-59

Marilyn

Thank you for sending me a few of the GRAMA request responses.

I just thought I would give you a little feedback from what you sent me.

The Application for Site Plan Approval, Application for Conditional Use Permit Approval and Application for Grading Permit are using outdated Lehi City Forms. It is clear from the code that when an applicant submits a application to the City they are required to use the most current forms available.  All these applications are invalid. All of the applications have no stamped receipt date by the city along with numerous other problems.

The Application for Conditional Use Permit approval is not dated and has not been received by the city. There was no fee submitted with the application, no receipt number, no project name and none of the boxes have been checked in the Application Requirements.   This is an invalid application.  Anyone can create an application, however, it must be submitted on a current application form along with an application fee and ALL the application requirements boxes checked with the required submittals. This has not been done. This Application is invalid. This application has not been received by the city as evidenced by the fact that the For Office Use Only boxes are left blank.  There is also no city receipt dated stamped on the application.

Question:  Why is DRC reviewing a Conditional Use application that obviously has not been submitted to the city? Why was this allowed to be presented to the planning commission for approval on April 28th when it is obvious the applicant had not even filed it with the city? Even if it was filed with the city (which it clearly was not), it is not even filled in, why would the planning division staff at the city allow this to proceed without all the required submittals and recommend the planning commission approve to the conditional use application permit as submitted by Trio?

Notice The LDS Church through their architect TRIO filled out the application and signed it, that is it. This is an incomplete application at best, certainly not ready to be reviewed by the reviewing departments and approved by the planning commission.

Comment:  Can you believe that the Planning Division staff recommended granting final approval on this Conditional use permit submitted by TRIO (I am almost positive they did not submit this prior to the planning commission meeting.  Who is running that Division, they should be fired! There is no way this application should have been submitted to the planning commission for approval, truly unbelievable.

In my GRAMA request, this is the ONLY submittal given to me by the city which discusses parking.

This is the process provided the applicant with the application.  As you can see, you must first submit a complete application before the reviewing departments review your application and most definitely before the planning commission votes on approving your conditional use application.  The LDS Church failed to provide the city with a complete application, therefore, until they do, this should never have seen the light of day before the planning commission. A clear violation of the process of approving a conditional use permit.

My guess, TRIO did not even submit this application prior to the Planning Commission meeting.

The Application for Site Plan Approval is for the Thanksgiving Village Stake Center ONLY, an Application for the Commercial Office Plan Site Plan Approval has yet to be provided to me.  There are so many errors with this application (25+), let me focus on just a couple:  First of all there is no project name, no proof that a fee has been paid to the city and no date in which the fee was paid.  There is no receipt date stamped on the application.  There are numerous boxes that required to be checked showing the applicant has in compliance with the submittal which have not been checked. This application is invalid.

Question: Why wasn't the fee if paid recorded?  Why is there no stamp date as to when the application was received by the city? Why would the planning division staff recommend approving an application which had not been properly received and properly recorded at the city? Why would the staff allow an incomplete application to proceed?  I will have numerous other revelations at my appeal of this project.

Notice the application submittal requirements is left blank! They didn't appear to pay the fee.

Thank you for providing me a copy of a grading permit submitted June 25, 2015 well before the Family Search Plat was even created.  This grading permit is invalid for a number of different reasons, I will mention only a few.  There is no file number, no project name, no record of a date when the supposed $100 in cash was paid to the city.  The grading permit is for 2 x 125,000 square foot office buildings and not a 123,000 square foot office building and a LDS Stake Center.  The grading permit application requirements are not complete.  This application is also invalid and very interesting.  The timing of this application and other documents you provided me from VCBO were well in advance of the Family Search Plat being recorded at Utah County (July 9, 2015).

Question: If VCBO knew they needed a grading permit last June, why didn't they apply for one prior to grading the property in May of this year? Why didn't VCBO apply for a grading application as required by Chapter 9 of the Lehi City Code?  Even if this application were valid (which it is not and not even applicable for the current development), the Letter submitted by Jared K. Ford is no longer valid wholly inaccurate.

Oops.  Wrong project!  Proves however VCBO knew they needed to submit a application for grading permit!!!!

Comment:  Can you believe they sent me a application for a grading permit dated June 25th, 2015, nearly three weeks before the Family Search Plat was even created.  At this point the LDS Church did not own the property.  Notice, it too, is not filled out on the front, they paid in cash (now what company does that), but there was no date that they paid the $100 dollars, they just said they did.  This grading permit was for 2 x 120,000 square foot office buildings, not a single commercial office building and an LDS Stake Center. I am so glad they sent this to me.  It PROVES that VCBO knew they needed to apply for a grading permit. Now who applies for grading permit on a piece of property they don't own, UNLESS, they know that the city will grease the skids to push through this project without having to follow Lehi City Code.

It is apparent from the few documents you have provided me that the City of Lehi has greased the skids for this project to be pushed along and approved while breaking numerous Lehi City Codes. Most egregious of all is the creation of the Family Search Plat in the dead of night by Todd Munger and Gary Smith (I suggest you read one of my latest blog post  on this subject).

I am very excited to see the completed Preliminary and Final Application for Plat Approvals.  Please make sure you provide me with the actual submissions from the applicant with stamped dates of receipt by the city.

If you know of GRAMA request that you are unable to provide me because the applicant has failed to provide the city the required documents, applications or submittals, please identify those GRAMA request.  If I don't know you don't have the information, I may resubmit GRAMA request that I am waiting to get back from you and that would be a waste of time on your part and mine. So please let me know which GRAMA request you will not be able to answer.

Thanks

Bill Conley

END OF EMAIL

Comment:  I will be able to prove the Family Search Plat was created illegally and the proposed building project on the Thanksgiving Point Driving Range should never have seen the light of day. I don't care how far I have to go in order to stop this project (all the way to the supreme court if necessary). The LDS Church and the City of Lehi are in cahoots with one another and I know I will be able to prove it.  The truth about this case just keep pouring in.  I can't wait until the Web.com event in July, I will be prepared to give the reporters plenty to talk about.

I have requested meetings with the Presiding Bishopric of the LDS Church, the mayor of Lehi - Bert Wilson, Todd Munger - Public Works, city of Lehi, Ryan Woods - Lehi City Attorney, Brent Roberts and Nathan Hale (had one meeting, now they don't want to meet), Wade Alred - Streets at the city of Lehi.  No one will meet with me or call me back. I filed a report with the Lehi Police department regarding the grading and the police officer who took the report refuses to call me back.   It appears that the city or the LDS Church is not interested in meeting with me even though I could provide them a solution to their HUGE problem which I believe they would be interested in hearing.