The Hideout Town Council is forging ahead with efforts to develop land that Summit County officials say was improperly annexed. But the town’s legal disputes are slowing its efforts.
On August 12th the Hideout Town Council approved changes to its Annexation Development Agreement that essentially allow more time for lawsuits to be resolved before any development would get underway.
The town’s Annexation Development Agreement details a prospective commercial/residential center called Silver Meadows on land annexed into Summit County. Under the amended document, deadlines set in the original deal would be shifted to 120 days after the litigation is finally settled.
There was little discussion before the vote, but Hideout Council Member Chris Baier had a few questions.
Baier asked Town Attorney Polly McLean how they decided on a deadline of 120 days.
“It was in consultation with the developer, but also, just trying to be reasonable in terms of 120 days. We’ll find out that the case is done. It gives everyone time to recoup and get their feet on the ground and move forward. So seemed like 120 days was reasonable.”
Under the development agreement, the developer for Silver Meadows, Nate Brockbank, has to provide land for several public facilities by the new deadline.
Brockbank and the town must also agree on a set of design standards. Baier asked if they can accomplish that in four months.
Hideout Mayor Phil Rubin gave his perspective.
“At some point we’re gonna start to have a sense of how we’re going. If we think that things are looking up, we probably would begin some pre-planning. We’re still quite a bit of time out from that day. So, I don’t know, Chris, if we need more than 120 days, we can make the change again. We’re at least hopeful that—certainly it doesn’t make sense to do it before we have a ruling from the court that we feel is final. If we think we need more time, we’ll create more time.”
Hideout Mayor Phil Rubin.
On October 16th of last year, the Hideout Town Council voted to annex 350 acres into Summit County near Richardson Flats.
Summit County filed suit to stop the effort and on June 22nd, Judge Jennifer Brown ruled that the town didn’t follow the steps to properly enact the annexation before a legal deadline. Hideout challenged that decision and officially asked Judge Brown to reconsider her ruling. A hearing on that request is coming up in mid-September.
