"Dibs!"
Two cities have made an arguably simultaneous claim on a rectangular chunk of land, and a county committee will decide who wins the choice 520-acre parcel.In late April, the Salt Lake County Boundary Commission will review documents filed over the past 15 years to see whether the unincorporated county land belongs in West Valley City or in neighboring West Jordan.
Last week - as West Jordan was poised to finalize an annexation that would've bumped up the city's population and acreage by 20 percent - West Valley City cried foul to the commission.
When it filed the protest petition, West Valley City halted its neighbor's annexation of 3,700 acres - a space that includes the Oquirrh Shadows subdivision and the disputed rectangular section of undeveloped land in which both cities see huge commercial potential.
West Valley City's main point of contention is that West Jordan failed to notify it as "an affected entity" of the pending annexation, thus violating Utah Code - and voiding West Jordan's annexation proposal. According to Assistant City Attorney Elliot Lawrence, West Valley City discovered West Jordan's intent in a newspaper article last month.
West Valley City filed an application of protest to the county boundary commission March 1. A hearing is scheduled April 26.
The westernmost part of 6200 South forms the border between West Valley City and unincorporated Salt Lake County. The area in dispute stretches from 6200 South to 7000 South and from 5600 West to U 111 (7020 West).
Although the two cities sat down several months ago to work out the issue, there was no resolution.
West Jordan Mayor Max Hogan acknowledges there's been some dispute over documents filed with the county that project each community's wishes to expand its borders over time. In 1980, West Jordan identified 6200 South as its northern boundary in a document, and confirmed this line in a 1987 agreement with the county.
In 1981, West Valley City declared its southernmost border as far south as 6600 South in a policy declaration one year after incorporation. West Valley City charges West Jordan with breaking the county clause forbidding it to "seek or encourage annexation."
"This shouldn't be a new thing to anyone," Hogan said. "We see West Valley jumping over what should be our natural northern boundary."
West Valley City says it has collected petitions in this area and has long considered the space part of its long-term community. But West Jordan beat its neighbor to the punch, getting petitions for the larger annexation proposal and bringing the issue to its City Council.
More than 70 percent of land owners - most of whom were from Oquirrh Shadows - support the annexation into West Jordan, according to Hogan. The city also gained approval from 70 percent of the land valuation
On the other hand, more than 53 percent of landowners (eight of 15) west of Oquirrh Shadows have petitioned for annexation into West Valley City. A ninth supporter is Geneva Rock, Lawrence said. The West Valley City Council accepted the petition Feb. 15, two days after it was submitted.
West Valley also claims West Jordan's 1987 boundary document states the city won't encourage petitions from Oquirrh Shadows residents.
"The thing is, we in no way encouraged it," said Wayne Harper, community and economic development director for West Jordan.
Oquirrh Shadows residents came to the city, set up their own petition drive and completed it on their own, Harper said. A city attorney attended one organizational meeting to tell them how the process works.
Hogan reiterated state statute assures that annexations are a logical, natural extension of a boundary.
"What they've done is counted individual property owners on the other side (west side) of the street," West Valley City Attorney Paul Morris said. "This was West Jordan's opportunity to pick up land-owners who didn't want to annex into West Jordan. We want to follow through with our master policy declaration and annex these people who have asked to annex into the city."
"They're cherry picking," Hogan said of West Valley City. "If we wanted to cherry pick, we wouldn't be worrying about Oquirrh Shadows. That's a real high-service area."