Boosters of the would-be town of West Hills are reaching out to residents within its borders because they need more support to get it on the ballot.
The issue is most of the initial signers weren’t locals.
Utah’s Office of the Lieutenant Governor has certified the first round of landowners’ signatures; three of the 10 live within the town’s potential borders.
The non-local signatories reside in Park City, Midway and Salt Lake City and own about 490 acres altogether. The local signatories own 83 acres.
That was enough to start the incorporation process but does not meet the threshold to get it on the ballot in November.
Voters owning 10% of the land and 7% of the land value within West Hills’ 3,400 acres must sign on to send the issue to a vote.
A spokesperson for the town’s sponsor Derek Anderson said they expect to get the support needed.
The press release announcing West Hills called the signatories a cooperative of residents, farmers and landowners, and included statements from them.
“I am encouraged at the prospect of designing a town with the intention of preserving the natural beauty of our area, while responsibly planning for careful growth and development,” longtime landowner Geri Aposhian from Salt Lake City said.
Another landowner, Parkite Ted Baumann reiterated the goal of responsible land development.
“We have all felt the pain as Summit County grows and real estate prices continue to rise,” he said. “It’s the right time for locals to have a say on how to balance growth and preserve the valley’s beauty.”
In the press release, just one local gave a statement in support.
The deadline for owners to opt out of West Hills was June 10, but the map above does not reflect those exclusion requests.
The lieutenant governor's office says it will spend the next few weeks determining which of the individuals who submitted exclusion requests meet the requirements.
That's because some residents couldn’t opt out even if they wanted to, under Utah law.
Property owners could only opt out if they already receive a majority of their municipal services from Summit County and if doing so would not create an unincorporated island in the middle of town.
After factoring in exclusions, West Hills will move toward the next hurdle of garnering the support needed to put it on the ballot.