BLUFFDALE -- Most days, the cozy confines of the council chambers here work fine for city meetings.
Sometimes a hot topic snags the attention of several locals. No problem -- the Bluffdale City Council simply moves its meeting upstairs to an airy assembly room.Neither forum will suffice for Tuesday's City Council meeting.
The council will hold its 7 p.m. meeting at Bluffdale Elementary, 14175 S. Redwood Road, expecting dozens of people to turn out to witness town history.
At issue is the council's decision on whether to restructure city zoning ordinances and approve or nix a controversial development proposal. A consortium of landowners hopes to develop a 75-acre project at the southeast intersection of Redwood Road and the Bangerter Highway.
The proposed project would include a commercial development and some sort of residential buffer development between the commercial section and existing residential area. The residential buffer would likely be a senior housing facility.
In a larger Utah city, this sort of development application may not attract much attention. But in rural Bluffdale, it signals a new direction for the town of 3,800.
Currently, there are only a handful of small businesses in Bluffdale, and housing lots in the horse-friendly community must be at least an acre.
The proposed development has prompted vocal opposition from many residents. City Council meetings have become outlets of emotion whenever the development issue is included on the agenda.
"Serve Bluffdale residents, not developers," has become the mantra directed at council members by some locals.
Council members have also felt the squeeze from the development applicants. Claiming that Bluffdale leaders were giving them the runaround, the landowners filed a "notice of claim" against the city.
Such action is a legal shot over the bow before formally suing the city.
The specter of a courtroom fight was realized last week when a judge, at the request of the developers, slapped a temporary restraining order against Bluffdale for not having a state-mandated moderate-income housing plan.
City Attorney Kevin Watkins said council members have done a "tremendous job" handling the development matter.
Decisions to delay a decision on the development have not been a stall tactic, Watkins said, adding the City Council is simply taking the time needed to effectively plan Bluffdale's future.
Because the city has a tiny staff it takes time for city leaders to collect the research needed before making a historic development decision, Watkins said.