A four-year battle between residents owning homes adjacent to the North Abbey Condominium project at 1865 N. State and the developer who wants to build the condos finally came to a relatively quiet end Tuesday night.
The Orem City Council granted approval of the final plan for the 12-unit development.The Utah Department of Transportation cleared the project's primary obstacle in late April when it gave the go-ahead on project director Bruce Dickerson's request for an additional access to the complex from State Street.
The City Council's previous approval was negated because only one road access was approved by UDOT, and two were required by the council.
Dickerson was granted final approval on condition he meet several stipulations to ensure the privacy of residents living near the project.
Conflict between the two groups has centered on a planned 32-feet buffer area from the homes that was changed to 25 feet and promises that the condominiums would be only 11/2 stories instead of the two stories approved by the council. Residents also said they were promised the condominiums would have no decks or balconies on the upper levels.
Although decks will remain, Dickerson said he would provide 30 feet from the residents' fences to the condominiums' walls. He also agreed to plant fast-growing trees along a 6-foot high wooden fence separating the project from homes bordering it.
Although final details were worked out between the two sides, homeowner Dale Asay warned the council against allowing unresearched changes in the plans of future developments.
"This project will go in," he said, "but something happened that should not have happened and I hope the council realizes that they didn't read the packet and didn't read what had happened.
"We weren't informed properly as the transition was made from apartments to condominiums. We were not appraised of that, and I don't believe you as a council were appraised of that."