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EDEN, Weber County — As development interest grows in the Ogden Valley, driven in part by the mountainous views and three area ski resorts, the clamoring is growing among some, worried the zone is changing too much.
The debate came to a head Tuesday night as Weber County commissioners preliminarily approved a zoning change and other ordinance tweaks that would allow a controversial 20-acre project calling for 325 housing units and commercial development, maybe even a hotel, to move forward. The action came after hearing from around 30 people, both critics and in support of the project, at a packed meeting at commission chambers in Ogden.
Growth "is here. It's not coming. It's here. It's needed, it's necessary and it's here," said attorney Brent Bateman, representing the project developer, John Lewis. "It has come and it has hit areas in the Wasatch Back, you know, the whole Park City, Kimball Junction area, the Heber Valley area, and it's coming to this area. The whole question is never how can we stop it. The question is how can we manage it?"
Whatever the case, the project, called Eden Crossing, has generated fierce opposition — signs against the project dot the roads in the Ogden Valley — and the county commissioners' action doesn't necessarily end things.
"Never have I seen in 30 years the amount of public participation and resistance to a project," said Shanna Francis, a project critic and operator of the Ogden Valley News, a weekly newspaper.
One of the critics' lawyers, Stephen Noel, said after Tuesday's decision that he'll be weighing his clients' options. The foes, worried the development would lead to a relatively dense urban cluster in the unincorporated Eden area, argue that the proposal runs afoul of the general plan, the planning document guiding development in the Ogden Valley. One of the project opponents, meantime, had stronger words.
"We will begin our legal battle tomorrow," said David Carver, who characterizes Ogden Valley development of late as "wild and insane building and construction." Eden Crossing sits near two small commercial enclaves, Old Eden and New Eden, and the critics worry the three areas would meld into one sprawling development zone with heavier traffic, among other things.
At the center of the debate, in the critics' view, is the very future of the Ogden Valley, the area east of Ogden in Weber County on the backside of the Wasatch Mountains. Three ski resorts are in the area, Snowbasin, Nordic Valley and Powder Mountain, as well as Pineview Reservoir, popular among boaters, swimmers and windsurfers. More and more homes are taking shape, and ambitious development plans are afoot in or around Powder Mountain and Nordic Valley.
Still, the area lacks the many amenities geared to tourists of, say, Park City, and residents like Carver say that's just fine.
Eden Crossing "would change the valley completely. The people would be completely different," more touristy, more transient, Carver said. As is, many Ogden Valley residents engage in farming, even if only on a part-time basis, and have "chickens and cows and stuff like that. ... We want to keep the agricultural nature of the valley."
Some of the signs dotting the roadways in the area allude to the worries about becoming more akin to Park City, also taking a jab at Lewis, the project developer. "Hey John!/What about/more PARK/less City!!" read some. One of the speakers, David Hansen, also referred to jitters about too much development. "Do not make OV another Park City or Sun Valley," he said.
Lewis, for his part, told Tuesday's gathering that the county commissioners' action is only a preliminary step in the Eden Crossing project. If things proceed, he'd consult with residents and get their input in crafting a specific proposal that's amenable to them, as he has with other development projects he's forged in the Ogden Valley. Bateman, his lawyer, said the project, by focusing development in a pinpointed area, leaves other areas of the Ogden Valley relatively untouched, preserving the pastoral ambiance of the zone.
The proposal, as envisioned in papers submitted to Weber County planners, calls for 325 housing units and commercial and retail space, all contained in a "walkable, pedestrian friendly design." Some critics say a hotel is also envisioned. Regardless of project particulars, Lewis alluded to the need for housing in Utah.
"We're going for places where our kids can rent, our kids can own, our employees can rent," Lewis said. "This is the very beginning of a very long process."
One of the focuses of the debate, beyond just worries about potential overdevelopment, is whether the proposal complies with the Ogden Valley general plan. Francis said the planning document allows for eight "commercial nodes" in the Ogden Valley, but not where Eden Crossing is proposed, east of the intersection of state Route 166 and state Route 158, where a market and convenience store are located.
Given the proximity of the New Eden and Old Eden areas "you're going to have one big mosh of commercial development," said Francis, who used to serve on the Ogden Valley Planning Commission. "You're going to have urban sprawl in one tiny community."
Bateman maintains that the proposal complies with Weber County laws and guidelines. Likewise, Weber County Commissioner Gage Froerer said the Eden Crossing area falls into the New Eden commercial node.
The commissioners voted 2-1 for the zoning change needed for the development to proceed, contingent on crafting of a development agreement with Lewis, the developer.
Commissioner Jim Harvey said the development agreement should contain provisions obliging the developer to pay up to $1 million to turn the S.R. 166-S.R. 158 intersection into a roundabout to better manage the expected jump in traffic from Eden Crossing and a public plaza in Eden Crossing that abuts S.R 166, Among other things, he also called for a 75% reduction in the allowable number of short-term rentals in the development if it's to contain a hotel and a building height maximum of three stories, though some would have to be lower than that depending on location.
Harvey and Froerer voted for the measure while Commissioner Sharon Bolos voted no. The three commissioners voted unanimously for a separate measure allowing for changes in road development in the project area to accommodate the plans.
Correction: An earlier version incorrectly said attorney Stephen Noel would be weighing legal action after commissioners' action Tuesday. In fact, he'll be weighing his clients' options. Also, a photo caption said Noel represents the foes of the Eden Crossing proposal, but he only represents some of the foes.
