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SANDY — The old Reams grocery store property along 700 East at 10600 South was a busy place for years.
The property has been vacant for some time, and now longtime neighbors are worried about what a developer wants to build there. “Houses that are much more dense than our community is use to. We all live on half acre and one acre lots,” said Kim McKellar.
Like most residents in the neighborhood, McKellar has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, enjoying a small pocket of quiet. So neighbors are surprised the city council is still considering a high density proposal.
“The planning commission gave this whole development a negative approval,” she added.
At city hall, the mayor said he shares the residents’ concern that the city council is working on an agreement with the developer.
“We have never done one here in Sandy city; other cities have, but it essentially becomes a contract between the city council and the developer,” said Mayor Kurt Bradburn. He said his focus remains on keeping high density projects out of Sandy, but has no say in what the council will decide.
“Where it is right now, it is on the council to either rehear a rezone on the property or make an agreement on the development agreement,” he said.
Neighbors say if the council indeed works out an agreement with the developer for the housing project, they’ll be left out of the process.
“We have spent many hours in many meetings discussing different options and it doesn’t seem like the city council wants to listen to our input anymore,” McKellar said.
The city council will determine the high density proposal in the coming months.
