Were it not for the proposed town of West Hills, annexing the Spring Meadows neighborhood would be a no-brainer for Kamas.
Spring Meadows resident Jeramy Bristol floated an annexation proposal at the Oct. 28 Kamas City Council meeting.
“This is $470 [in taxes] we're going to get from the Bristols,” Councilmember David Darcey observed. “And I don't think they're going to cost $470.”
But the proposed 3,600-acre incorporation splitting the subdivision in half complicates things.
Ten landowners successfully sued to stop a vote on West Hills this year. Third District Court found the laws governing the incorporation were unconstitutional.
Days after the Nov. 4 election, West Hills sponsor Derek Anderson appealed to the Utah Supreme Court for a second time.
He wants justices to put West Hills on the November 2026 ballot.
The Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who was also named in the lawsuit, hasn’t taken a position on the constitutionality of the town.
But her attorneys did tell the court there’s no rush on ruling because Anderson wouldn’t have to submit a new incorporation application if he wins. They argue the justices could simply reinstate the old one 65 days before the next election.
That puts Spring Meadows in a strange spot. Utah law won’t let Kamas take land within West Hills while the incorporation is pending.
Bristol presented two potential annexations to Kamas: one that includes West Hills land and one that doesn’t.
Kamas has long eyed annexing the western entrance to town to control what kind of development does or does not happen there.
It previously denied an annexation request from West Hills supporters because they wanted to be upzoned for development.
Now, it's the opponents of West Hills asking for annexation into Kamas, both in Spring Meadows and along Democrat Alley.
“I was happy to have you guys as residents two years ago,” he told Bristol. “I'm still happy to have you guys as residents.”
The city council has yet to accept or deny a formal annexation petition. It was not on the Nov. 18 meeting agenda as of Friday.
