A new style of community may soon sprout in a west Erda cow pasture.
The Tooele County Planning Commission approved the preliminary and final plan for a conditional use permit for a 246-acre planned unit development, named Skywalk, south of State route 138 and east of Sheep Lane.
The approval came following a public hearing on a conditional use permit for the project held during the planning commission’s June 20 meeting.
“Skywalk will be walkable and bicyclable,” said Jay Nielsen, partner in West Valley City-based Skywalk Utah, LLC. “The community is designed off of the county general plan and designed to limit problems like traffic issues.”
But Skywalk’s future neighbors vociferously argued against Nielsen’s proposal during the public hearing.
Those opposed to Skywalk decried the loss of agricultural land, the building of a four-story, city-like community in rural Erda, the potential increase in traffic on local roads, and the wisdom of sandwiching a high-density community between an airport and a chicken farm.
They also questioned the developer’s plans for water and sewer service for the new community.
“I think you’ve platted out some beautiful plans, but it’s just not suited for Erda,” said Shana Barker, Golden Acres resident. “Most of the people want their space. They want their livestock. That’s part of what we were promised, and obviously the last last few years it has changed. I feel like, in sneaky ways, this changes Erda and we’re not going to have our one- and five-acre lots. That’s what people are angry about. It’s not your development, somewhere else it would be accepted, but you’re putting it where people want their space, their livestock, and the Tooele lifestyle.”
The plans for Skywalk include a row of four-story buildings that run parallel with the future Midvalley Highway. The first floor of the buildings would be occupied by commercial and service businesses with office space in the top three floors. Landmark buildings, such as a library, town hall, church, theater, and museum could be included in this area, according to Nielsen.
South of the commercial and office buildings would be another row of four-story buildings with commercial businesses on the ground floor with up to 684 high-density residential units on the top floors.
The next row of four-story buildings would be for up to 186 medium-density townhouses.
A third residential area would be north of a 300-foot green space from the Golden Acres subdivision. This space would be for up to 116 detached-homes with a minimum lot size of 0.25-acres.
Eventually, Palmer Road that runs north from Erda Way through Golden Acres and then dead ends would be extended through Skywalk to the convergence of the Midvalley Highway and current state Route 138.
The Skywalk community will be the first community in Tooele County built to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — LEED — standards, according to Nielsen.
Skywalks plans, as presented by Nielsen, include green space, parks, trails, a public plaza, commuter parking, bus routes, and bicycle friendly roads, according to Nielsen.
“We plan to recruit high-tech businesses with up 2,000 employees for Skywalk,” Nielsen said. “Most of them, we think, will want to live and work in the community.”
But Erda residents weren’t impressed with Nielsen’s plans.
“There is no water and they want to drill another well by my house,” said Susan Christensen, Erda. “It’s insane to put this in this area. There’s still farmers out there.”
Norma Warr, Erda, said she already has trouble turning onto Sheep Lane with her trailer.
“It frustrates me,” Warr said. “I’m sick of the traffic. I’m sick of the water. And it makes my taxes go up.”
Jerry Hansen, Erda, doesn’t like the numbers.
“I have troubles with the numbers,” Hansen said. “250-acres at an average four homes to an acre, that’s 1,000 homes and open space that usually includes parking lots and any place where there isn’t a building.”
The Tooele County Planning Commission approved the concept plan for Skywalk at its Jan. 3, 2018 meeting. With the preliminary and final plan for the CUP-PUD approved, the next step for Skywalk is a development agreement to be approved by the county commission.
Following the development agreement approval, Skywalk’s developers may submit plat plans for approval by the planning commission.