Save Our Providence Neighborhoods
saveourprovidenceneighborhoods.com
When this developer was approaching the city of River Heights with Phase 1 of his proposed development, Elegant Acres, the following Geotechnical Investigation from July 12, 2017 was completed and addressed to Mr. Randy Eck of Ironwood Development. Mr. Eck is the spouse of Providence City council member Kristina Eck.
The full report can been seen by clicking or tapping here.
It should also be noted that council member Eck’s only campaign contributions came from realtors.
Dear John, Jeff, Kirk and Roy,
Our existing Planned District (Providence Ordinances 10-4-3) includes the Planned District which would satisfy all of the applicant’s wishes except for the inclusion of town homes, which is the only thing citizens have strongly opposed, It follows, therefore, that this is a zone proposal aimed specifically at the placement of town homes in a single family district.
The text of the Planned District emphasizes protection of adjacent or nearby zones as follows:
The Planned District’s minimum is 10 acres, not the 2 acres of the Life Cycle Residential zone. The Planned District requires “That each individual unit of development… can exist as an independent unit capable of creating an environment of sustained desirability and stability or that adequate assurance will be provided that such objective will be attained; and that the uses proposed will not be detrimental to present and potential surrounding uses, but will have a beneficial effect which could not be achieved under other zoning districts; that the streets and thoroughfares proposed are suitable and adequate to carry anticipated traffic, and increased densities will not generate traffic in such amounts as to overload the street network outside the Planned District; … that the area surrounding said development can be planned and zoned in coordination and substantial compatibility with the proposed development; that any exception form standard ordinance requirements is warranted by the design and amenities incorporated into the general development plan …. , that the Planned District is in conformance with the Master Plan, and that existing or proposed utility services are adequate for the population and use densities proposed.”
Here is a partial list of negative aspects of Life Cycle Residential zone:
Laura Fisher and Bob Bissland
The following from Providence resident Cindy Montoya appeared as a ‘Guest Columnist’ in the Herald Journal in print and online on April 27, 2018.
Cindy Montoya, Guest columnist
Apr 27, 2018
I read Providence Mayor John Drew’s op-ed in Thursday’s Herald Journal with much interest.
“We want to make sure we control development rather than development control us … We want to have well thought out requirements rather than having developers tell us how they are going to do it,” he said.
Last year Jeff Jackson, who owns Ironwood Development, petitioned River Heights to annex the “Chugg Property,” a piece of agricultural land that he now owns which sits between River Heights and Providence. His original plan was to put a mix of 56 single family homes, 52 active adult homes, and 68 townhouses on this land. The citizens of River Heights mobilized against what they saw as a high-density development and asked their city to zone the land R-1-15, which is 1/3 acre lots.
While Jackson’s petition was pending in River Heights, he was also talking to the Providence city government about what Mayor Drew has been calling Life Cycle Residential zoning, which requires a mix of different types of housing: single family, duplexes, townhouses and apartments.
On December 12, 2017, River Heights City Council voted to accept for “further consideration” the Chugg/Ironwood Annexation Petition. On the same day, Ironwood Development withdrew its annexation petition because River Heights was against townhouses. When the River Heights City Council voted to accept the annexation petition for consideration anyway, Craig Winder, attorney for Ironwood Development, threatened a lawsuit. He said the issue was all about control.
Ironwood then petitioned Providence city to annex the land. Ironwood, now known as Ridgeview Park LLC, presented a plan to Providence city that was much higher density than what was presented to River Heights: On 38 acres, it wanted to develop 47 single family homes, 43 active adult homes and 116 townhouses. Only they don’t call it 116 townhouses. They call it 29 4-plex townhouses. Sounds so much nicer, doesn’t it?
But it’s still an increase from 176 homes on 53 acres to 206 homes on 38 acres. And an addition of 48 more townhouses.
Providence city has had a plan to put a bridge over Spring Creek and extend Spring Creek Parkway for 20 years, but they don’t have the money to do it. Ironwood Development will do it for them if they can put lots of townhouses in a neighborhood of single-family homes. All the traffic will funnel through neighborhoods in River Heights and Providence.
Mayor Drew cites Envision Utah and Envision Cache Valley for the statistic that the population will double in the next 30 years and how we can best plan for this. The suggestion is mixed-use-centers that “combine housing with places of employment, shopping, services, recreation, and other amenities.”
Envision Cache Valley states, “Keep the city, city: invest in our towns — our centers for living, industry and culture. Keep the country, country: protect the agricultural and natural lands that sustain us.”
An op-ed in the Deseret News last October tells what is happening in Cache Valley.
“Farmland is being sold and developed into multiunit housing developments faster than you can say trouble. Conversely, the population of Logan City is shrinking in proportion, especially the student population at Logan’s city schools. Logan is facing a crisis with both its downtown business district and its school district…you can hear a sucking sound created by the vacuum of the businesses and people leaving Logan.”
This is the opposite of Envision Utah’s and Envision Cache Valley’s goals. Yet this is exactly what’s happening with the Chugg property.
There are currently 200 townhouses in Providence. A development of 164 more has been approved behind Macey’s, which makes sense because there is easy access to main roads in this area. This is also an Ironwood project. It comes close to doubling the number of townhouses in Providence. And that’s not mentioning all the homes being built in other areas of Providence.
If the population might double by 2050, why is Providence trying to triple the number of townhouses in 2018? This doesn’t sound like smart planning. It sounds like a development free-for-all.
Last Tuesday evening the Providence City Council unanimously approved Life Cycle Residential Zoning. Before they voted, Skarlet Bankhead, Providence Administrative Services director, told the residents in attendance, many of whom spoke out against townhouses in single family neighborhoods, that our government does listen to us. She also said that although the new zone doesn’t apply to any specific property yet, the city has been in discussions with Jeff Jackson since last year.
Makes one wonder who “us” is.
Cindy Montoya is a mother, writer and artist, who spent many years moving around the country while her husband worked for the federal government. Five years ago, they decided to settle down in Providence.
The following Letter to the Editor from Providence residents Bob Bissland and Laura Fisher appeared in the Herald Journal only in the online edition on April 24, 2018.
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To the editor:
Tonight at 6:00 p.m. the Providence City Council will vote on a proposal for a new zone in Providence while a revision of the General Plan is in progress. Simultaneously they face a proposal for annexing 41 acres of farmed property between Providence and River Heights near the “bench”. The proposed Development Agreement would apply the new zone to 18 of those acres. This zone would permit town homes, duplexes, twin-homes and apartments in single-family neighborhoods. Citizens are mystified by the rush to judgement. The area is surrounded by single-family zones on three sides with the soon-to-be-developed “bench” area on the fourth side. These 41 acres (plus more acreage) failed annexation in River Heights last year due to citizen opposition to multi-family zoning in single-family neighborhoods.
Opponents predict increases in traffic, parking problems, noise, school crowding (Providence City students are already being taught at River Heights Elementary and the River Heights school is already using “temporary” buildings to house overflow), crime, blight, flooding of houses and decreases in property values. No one knows whether recent flooding in houses near Spring Creek in the proposed area was due to irrigation or to wetlands factors. The property had water shares which were used only rarely and it is unusually wet without irrigation.
Providence and River Heights homeowners have publicly protested the addition of multi-family zoning to single-family neighborhoods. Our Providence mayor used the monthly newsletter/water bill as a bully pulpit to promote this new zone and its application in existing single-family zones, admitting possible lowered property values. The Mayor’s analysis omitted the potential negative results. Some Providence City Council members have supported the new zone in single-family neighborhoods, yet have failed to address citizen concerns. Citizens view some officials as favoring their own personal preferences over homeowners’ concerns. The applicant already has recent approval for a development in the existing multi-family zone designated by the Master Plan in another area of Providence.
There is also voiced concern over conflict of interest for one member of the Providence City Council.
Citizens may contact the Providence City Council and mayor about this before and at tonight’s meeting. The issue is placing multi-family zoning in well-kept, cherished, quiet, friendly, scenic single-family neighborhoods.
Bob Bissland and Laura Fisher
Providence
Providence resident and Save Our Providence Neighborhoods activist Laura Fisher appeared on KVNU to discuss the proposed Life Cycle zones.
You can listen to the discussion on KVNU’s website (click or tap):
https://www.kvnutalk.com/4-23-2018/
The geotechnical investigation has Christina Eck’s husbands name on it. Christina Eck serves as a member of the city council. Her husband works for Ironwood Development.
When Jeff Jackson approached River Heights he was planning to develop 53 acres with 68 town houses, 52 active adult lots and 56 single family lots.
Now on 40 acres he plans to put 43 active adult homes, 47 single family homes, and 116 town houses.
That’s an addition of 48 more town houses, in spite of residents of Providence and River Heights speaking out against any town houses.
It’s an increase from 176 homes on 53 acres and 206 homes on 40 acres. Much higher density.
The Providence City newsletter cited Envision Utah for the statistic that the population will double in the next 30 years and how we can best plan for this. The suggestion is mixed-use-centers that “combine housing with places of employment, shopping, services, recreation, and other amenities.” Envision Cache Valley states, “Keep the city, city: invest in our towns-our centers for living, industry and culture. Keep the country, country: protect the agricultural and natural lands that sustain us.”
A very interesting Op-ed in the Deseret News last October tells what is happening in Cache Valley.
“Farmland is being sold and developed into multiunit housing developments faster than you can say trouble. Conversely, the population of Logan City is shrinking in proportion, especially the student population at Logan’s city schools. Logan is facing a crisis with both its downtown business district and its school district… you can hear a sucking sound created by the vacuum of the businesses and people leaving Logan.”
This is the opposite of Envision Utah’s and Envision Cache Valley’s goals. Yet this is exactly what’s happening with the Chugg property.
In the Providence City Newsletter it says, “We want to have well thought out requirements rather than having developers tell us how they are going to do it.”
On December 12, 2017, River Heights City Council voted to accept for further consideration the Chugg/Ironwood Annexation Petition. On the same day, Ironwood Development withdrew their petition because River Heights was concerned about townhomes. When the City Council voted to accept the Annexation Petition for consideration anyway, Craig Winder of Ironwood Development threatened a lawsuit. He said although it makes sense for them to be in River Heights, they wanted to explore options with Providence City, because they want to build townhomes on this property. All this is documented in River Heights City Council minutes and can be found online.
At the last City Council Meeting it was said that there are currently 200 townhouses in
Providence. A development of 164 more has been approved behind Macey’s. This comes close to doubling the number of townhouses in Providence. And that’s not mentioning all the homes being built in other areas.
The following from Herald Journal staff writer Kevin Opsahl appeared in the Herald Journal in print and online on April 10, 2018.
By Kevin Opsahl, staff writer
Apr 10, 2018
PROVIDENCE ― The City Council on Tuesday night put off voting on a controversial annexation of unincorporated land so issues between the city and the developer can be worked out.
Mayor John Drew told attendees of the City Council meeting that the decision came at the request of city staff and the developer, Jeff Jackson.
“City staff has come up with a question of the developer that needs to be resolved,” he said. “It may result in the annexation agreement being amended. The developer also wants to come to the city and has some questions, wants to have a discussion.”
Drew said those discussions were scheduled to occur April 24, the date of the next council meeting.
Though Tuesday did not see a vote, residents still weighed in at a public hearing.
They sparred over whether the parcel of land, located in the area of 517 N. 300 East and known as the “Chugg Farms,” should be annexed so Jackson, on behalf of Ridgeview Park LLC, could build homes there.
Jackson’s efforts to have Providence approve an annexation agreement are actually the second time his company has come forward with the expressed intention to build. He had gone before the River Heights City Council last year but later withdrew his annexation petition.
The annexation of Chugg Farms revived itself when Jackson filed a land use application in January of this year.
At the Providence City Council meeting Tuesday, Brian Craig was one of several residents who spoke out against the annexation.
“I grew up in Los Angeles County, and it’s just a big urban jungle,” he told the council. “I don’t want that for Providence.”
Jana Hawkes, of Providence, gave the council some advice based on previous rural cities she has lived in that allowed unscrupulous developers to build.
“The City Council, the mayor opened Pandora’s box, and they could never close it,” she said. “Every time the developer came in … they had to allow him because they allowed the last guy to build multiple units. I’m begging you: Do your homework … see what has gone on with the multiple units on pieces of property.”
She continued, “The developer has a right to develop the land, but you as our representatives … you can control what they put on there.”
Kevin Jensen, who has lived in Providence for more than 25 years, expressed similar thoughts. He supports annexation as long as the council develops a list of pros and cons of a development.
“Sometimes, if all of that has been done … it stands in the economic interests of the city to do something that may not be popular with the citizens,” he said. “But I think if you can lay it out and we can put all the rumors to bed that are out there … then I think we can move forward.”
Craig Winder, of Visionary Homes and Ridgeview Park LLC, attended the meeting but did not offer any comment during the public hearing.