The proposed 300-acre annexation would be home to Hidden Meadow, a 75-unit neighborhood south of Main Street behind the Red Hills subdivision. Representatives for developer Larry H. Miller Real Estate had a discussion about it with the Coalville City Council June 23.
They said they didn’t need a decision that day, but Councilmember Louise Willoughby said she was prepared to make a motion: not to accept the annexation petition.
“Some of the community members have talked to me, one of the visuals that made the most sense to me — it was kind of a funny one — but they said, ‘You let the head of the camel in the tent, it's not long before the whole body's there,’” Willoughby said June 23, referencing the fact that the developer owns more than just the Hidden Meadow land.
The petition is the document that begins the annexation process, which ends when the council votes to either approve or deny annexation.
So Willoughby was asking not to begin the process at all. But no one seconded her motion.
“It looks like at least the majority of the council would like to just continue the discussion in our next meeting,” Mayor Mark Marsh said.
Hidden Meadow is basically a downsized version of the Cedar Crest Village. That was an application for potentially 2,000 units of housing on 1,000 acres around Hoystville to be phased in over decades. It stalled at the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission in 2024.
In Hidden Meadow, project manager Cameron Jackson said 166 acres of hillside would remain open space. The rest of the 300 acres would get divided into 75 single-family home lots.
The company held an open house May 13 at the Ledges Event Center to speak with current residents about the plans. City leaders attended too.
“This idea of bringing more commerce to Main Street was a big issue with the constituents that talked to me at that event,” Councilmember Shaun Powis said.
Jackson said the developer’s goal is to support downtown Coalville with both commerce and taxes.
“We're adding, through this development, more customers from a retail perspective,” he said. And Larry H. Miller projects a $90,000 annual tax surplus for Coalville with the new residents.
Councilmembers were skeptical, and Jackson acknowledged residential development doesn’t usually “pay its own way” if there isn’t commercial built along with it.
But he said the homes will range in value from $700,000 up to $2 million on 0.25-acre to 1-acre lots. He said that allows the city to collect more in property taxes without having to maintain as many roads, water, sewer and the services homes require.
Click here to access the full, two-hour June 23 discussion.
The next city council meeting is scheduled for July 14.
