Wednesday will be the first chance for the public to officially weigh in on the second draft of Dakota Pacific Real Estate’s development proposal for land in Kimball Junction.
The developer withdrew its previous application in 2021 after enormous public outcry. Almost 1,000 people attended a public hearing that December online and in person, nearly all in opposition to the proposal.
Dakota Pacific came back in 2022 with a revised and somewhat downsized proposal now being considered by the county council.
Deputy County Manager Janna Young said that Wednesday’s hearing will help the council see where things stand before it needs to make a decision.
“The council is really committed to continuing through its process, its public process, and making sure that citizens have an opportunity to weigh in,” Young said.
The new plan has fewer units and no hotel, as well as plans for a park and elder care facilities. A third of the 727 units are deed-restricted affordable housing, and the rest are market rate.
The council is evaluating the application as planned, in spite of a bill headed to Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk that could force the development through anyway.
Young leads a contingent of county officials who have been following the state legislature, and she said that they are set to meet with Cox next week. County officials want Cox to understand their concerns about local control, and that the bill may jeopardize funding the state awarded High Valley Transit last year.
“So we're continuing to have conversations about that and trying to protect those dollars and to make folks realize that it impacts a lot of state priorities,” Young said.
Wednesday will be the first of two public hearings before the council is set to vote on March 15.
The meeting begins at 4:00 p.m. at Ecker Hill Middle School at 2465 Kilby Rd. The public hearing on Dakota Pacific’s project will begin at 5:00 p.m., running no later than 8:30 p.m., and the council will likely limit how long each individual can speak to get to as many people as possible. Click here to attend the meeting via Zoom.
