Mayor Matt McCormick announced the residents on the western edge of the Kamas Meadows are interested in annexation at the April 22 city council meeting.
Dozens of those residents had packed council chambers to ask the city to support the nonprofit they founded to protect the area’s rural lifestyle against development.
“I think you all should be aware too that there are many of these residents who have signed an annexation petition form, which I have in my office in hopes that the county will let us move forward,” McCormick told city councilmembers.
The mayor told KPCW afterward “there is no formal petition as of now.”
On April 22, Kamas staff said nearly every resident along Democrat Alley, north and south, signed the annexation petition form. Residents in the Spring Meadows subdivision to the south signed too, according to McCormick.
Many of them are the same people concerned about traffic on the gun club road and about development should the proposed town of West Hills successfully incorporate.
One of those from Spring Meadows, Jeramy Bristol, said some residents want to submit a petition immediately while others want to wait and see if West Hills successfully becomes a town this November.
Summit County officials don’t think it’s the right time to pursue annexation.
That’s because the county is acquiring property between Kamas and Democrat Alley, as part of its $25 million Ure Ranch purchase.
Kamas would need to annex some of the ranchland to annex the residents on the other side.
Much of the money for the ranch is coming from grants, which Summit County Manager Shayne Scott said aren't all done deals.
“Since the county does not yet own the property and there are grants proposed, applied for and received for this property, we do not believe it is a good time to annex into a different organization as that could jeopardize funding for the closing of the Ure Ranch,” he told KPWC in an email.
Scott said annexation has been discussed as a way to block or impede the West Hills incorporation. Consultants previously said if the neighboring communities of Kamas and Francis annexed part of the would-be town, it may not be feasible.
It’s unclear how many of the Democrat Alley residents who favor annexation live within what could become West Hills.
Boundaries for the proposed community have been redrawn twice. They include about half of Spring Meadows and only residents on the west side of Democrat Alley.
Proponents of West Hills say incorporating would give them land use flexibility, for “modest new growth.” Opponents think it threatens their area’s rural character.
Resident Katie Cannarella said that some residents want to wait before petitioning for annexation because taxes might be higher in Kamas than the unincorporated county. But if they have to be part of a municipality, Cannarella said they’d prefer Kamas to West Hills.
“I think you're seeing folks who want to support us, want to be part of Kamas City, and want to be constituents formally,” McCormick said April 22.
The Kamas mayor criticized the county for putting up “roadblocks” last week and said county councilmembers have sent mixed messages in private meetings with him and his staff.
Utah law lets counties formally protest annexations pursued by municipalities within their borders. When that happens, the county’s boundary commission may review and modify or overturn annexation.
Summit County’s boundary commission is composed of two county officials, two officials from cities or towns and three residents appointed by the other four.
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