BLUFFDALE — Some residents painted the developers of Rosecrest as a cash-stuffed Goliath during a public hearing Tuesday night, while others said the city is a stubborn municipality holding property hostage.
In the end, the Bluffdale City Council was left with the daunting task of making a decision that would shrink its city by a third, or finding itself on the front line of a potentially lengthy legal battle.
The comments came during the first public hearing on a petition by a group of landowners and developers who want to disconnect a 4,000-acre chunk of land from Bluffdale and instead join nearby Herriman.
Rosecrest Homes, whose parent company is Sorenson Development, and about 50 landowners have petitioned to have their property removed from the Bluffdale city limits. Rosecrest officials cited a frustrating 10-year battle to develop their land, only to be blocked by the city.
Rosecrest's attorney Hollis Hunt said it took the city 19 months to ultimately reject the company's application to amend the city's general plan and rezone to develop the land. In all, Rosecrest officials had attended 23 meetings with city staff, 24 with the Planning Commission and 25 more meetings with the City Council in a three-year period, Hunt said.
The company had also shelled out $950,000 in administrative, engineering and legal costs.
Addressing the council and resident gathered at Bluffdale Elementary, another Rosecrest attorney, Bruce Baird, said the company has "no trust left" for dealing with the city any longer.
"This is not a negotiating ploy," Baird told city officials, adding Sorenson Development would take the case to the Utah Supreme Court if it had to. A study done by Rosecrest showed that because there is no development at all on the land, the tax impact to the city would mean losing only half a percent, $1.39 million, of the city's overall tax base of $325 million.
To sweeten the deal, Rosecrest officials offered the city a $100,000 cash donation to allow the disconnect.
However, several residents urged the council to not give in to Rosecrest's demands.
"They seem to want to have Bluffdale give them what they want or they're just going to take their ball and go home," said resident Nancy Lord.
Chris Broadbank, who lives near the property, said Rosecrest seems more concerned about quantity and not the quality of the community.
However, several property owners, many families who have owned land in Bluffdale for generations, spoke out against the city, saying they had tried unsuccessfully to develop their land but were not allowed to by city officials.
"Our family is united in their desire for disconnection," said property owner Larry Allen. Nicholas Lane said his grandfather has owned his land for 43 years and had given a lot to the Bluffdale community, only to be told that he can't develop on his land.
One 25-year landowner said he purchased his land with the intent to build on it, as zoned, only to have the city suddenly rezone to forbid development.
Bluffdale Mayor Wayne Mortimer has vowed to fight Rosecrest's desire to move the land into nearby Herriman.
Meanwhile, Herriman Mayor Lynn Crane said he is staying out of the fight until the dust settles.
"Our position is this is an issue between the developer and the city of Bluffdale," Crane told the Deseret Morning News earlier Tuesday.
Rosecrest Homes also has a development in Herriman. Crane said the developer has always been good to work with. "I don't understand why they haven't had a good relationship with Bluffdale," he said. Crane said if Rosecrest is successful in breaking away from Bluffdale, his city could welcome it with open arms. However, Crane stressed that his city in no way has lobbied, or encouraged, Rosecrest to move its land into his city.
Both Bluffdale city and Rosecrest officials agree that it is likely the disconnect issue will be fought out in court.
According to state law, Bluffdale must come to a decision on Rosecrest's petition to disconnect within 45 days.
E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com