RIVERTON — He grew up raising chickens, his dad ran the town garage and his mother worked for the post office. Now, Kevin Crane's 9-year-old son is raising chickens and taking care of calves.
Crane and others want to hang onto their horses and haystacks. But the city is eyeing revenue, hundreds of condos and apartments and a roadway that will bring money.
A proposed development on the western edge of Riverton has a number of people bull-angry, spawning claims the city betrayed them four years ago when the same neighborhood agreed to come into the city.
A public hearing on the proposed transformation of about 182 acres called Western Springs is set for Tuesday at the Riverton City Hall.
Crane and others are marshaling their forces for the hearing, hoping their loud objections will persuade elected officials to change their plans for Western Springs.
"We like our animals and we like our open space," said Lynn Broadhead. "They are proposing to put in high-density housing. We know there is going to be growth coming this way, but we want to see some quality homes and people who are going to stick around and keep it a nice area."
A proponent of the development says it will be nice, and the city has taken extraordinary steps to ensure the project is top quality.
"It is clear from our discussions that we are pushing them to the highest standards," said City Council member Mark Easton. "These guys are not doing low-end stuff."
The proposal calls for a 190-unit condominium complex, a 200-unit apartment building, single-family homes and room for commercial development. Both the condos and the apartment complex will be upscale, Easton says, each offering a clubhouse, swimming pool, open space and quality construction.
In exchange for the city agreeing to high-density housing, the developer will give Riverton 21 acres to be set aside for the Legacy Highway corridor, space for a 30-acre regional park and two 10-acre parks, plus a trail system.
The trade-off, Easton says, accounts for little more than a third of the property the city wants for the development of parks and a vital roadway in Riverton.
But neighbors east of the project feel betrayed because of a letter sent by the then-assistant city planner four years ago. In the letter encouraging annexation, the city employee said Riverton would do its best to not permit zoning in that area that would allow high-density housing.
Although their neighborhood will remain 1-acre lots, that doesn't dull the sting of a sprawling multifamily complexes going up to the west of residents like Crane and Broadhead.
"We've heard them say it was a different council, that the promises were made by someone else and it doesn't hold true for them," Broadhead said.
Easton acknowledges there were some assurances given four years ago.
"We're not trying to back away from the fact that the letter was written, but there have been significant changes since then."
The placement of the Legacy corridor was a vital component of the city's decision to welcome the Western Springs transformation, Easton said.
With the land virtually in their back pocket, Riverton can offer the Utah Department of Transportation the sweet enticement that the land is set aside and ready for the highway.
What has been a concern is that Herriman will grab the roadway and choke off the accompanying commercial development it will bring, Easton said.
But Crane, who has spent 37 years in Riverton, is concerned his four horses, two cows, 12 chickens, three turkeys and one goat will disappear into the past if the development is approved.
"This lifestyle is what it is all about. I grew up in Riverton and my son is fortunate because he is able to be raised on a place where he has his own chickens and he can collect his own eggs," Crane said. "Not too many kids these days get that opportunity. I had the same type of environment, and we're trying to keep it that way."
Although Riverton appears poised to go ahead with the Western Springs transformation, Easton said the city has no intentions of touching the 1-acre lots east of the development where Crane and the other opponents live.
"We're committed to not let that area downsize," Easton said. "We only have two other areas in Riverton that are still zoned 1 acre. We've deliberated with great concern over that. We want to be very careful to not remove the rural heritage we have."
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