The Tooele County Commission took action Tuesday night on three items of business carried over from its Dec. 4 meeting at the Tooele County Building.
The County Commission said yes to Saddleback developer Chris Robinson’s appeal of conditions that the planning commission placed on the approval of plat 10 of the Pastures at Saddleback. It also approved the development agreement for Kennecott Utah Copper’s Adobe Rock Ranch project and an agreement with Stansbury Service Agency granting it more authority over future parks and recreation facilities in north Tooele County.
The Tooele County Planning Commission approved the plat 10 of the Pastures at Saddleback subdivision during its Nov. 7 meeting with the condition that certain lots be increased to at least one-third acre to allow for a buffer with higher density neighboring property.
Robinson appealed the condition because the Saddleback Development Agreement allows for the lot sizes to be as small as 8,000-square-feet.
The County Commission delayed its vote on the appeal to allow for staff and the developer to consider compliance with the condition.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, Robinson repeated his comments from two weeks ago that the development agreement allows for the density as proposed for the subdivision, enlarging the lots would not move the homes further from the property line, moving the road was not feasible, and he will build a six-foot privacy fence along the property line.
The County Commission approved Robinson’s appeal 2-1. Shawn Milne was the deciding vote.
“I’m sorry, Chris, but I feel I have to vote ‘no’ to be consistent,” Milne said.
Milne explained that because he supported rezone requests in Erda based on a lower density buffer with existing property owners, he believed voting to approve Robinson’s appeal would be contradictory.
A vote on the master development agreement with Kennecott Utah Copper for the Adobe Rock Ranch, which includes parts of Lake Point east of state Route 36 and runs west to Interstate 80 and south to Stansbury Park, was also delayed at the County Commission’s Dec. 4 meeting until Dec. 18.
The development agreement establishes the rights and obligations of the developer, describing and defining details of the development approval process in accordance with county ordinances, guidelines, and policies.
Particularly, the County Commission wanted to discuss with Kennecott officials the company’s support of the county’s preferred alignment for the Oquirrh Expressway, the extension of state Route 201 into Tooele County.
“Last time we met there were some concerns from both parties relating to roads and road dedication and cooperation,” said Jeff Stephenson, a representative of Kennecott. “We’ve had an opportunity to meet with you and incorporate some exhibits that were prepared by county staff into the agreement.”
The development now includes a depiction of a possible state Route 201 extension with an area defined as a “Rio Tinto Tooele County Cooperation Area” that parallels I-80 from the Tooele-Salt Lake County line to Lake Point.
The agreement also includes plans for the Center Street and Pole Canyon Road realignment.
The County Commission voted unanimously to approve the Adobe Rock Ranch development.
However, the development agreement contains a clause where both parties, Kennecott and the county, acknowledge that a referendum has been filed against the rezone of the property that is the subject of the development agreement. If the referendum is successful, the development agreement will be null and void, according to the language in the agreement.
The County Commission also approved an agreement with the Stansbury Park Service agency that contains language designating the agency as the public agency to review and approve all new open space, park, recreation, and greenbelt facilities within the area of Stanbury Park.
The area of Stansbury Park is defined as areas adjoining current Stanbury Service Agency boundaries, areas within one-half mile of SSA boundaries, areas where the Stansbury Park Improvement District provides sewer and water, or areas where the proposed development includes stormwater detention areas that are also utilized for parks and recreation.
These developments may be required to annex into the SSA and deed the facilities over to the agency, which will then will be the public agency that maintains those facilities.
“This only applies to new developments that are next to or very close to Stansbury Park that are building parks, trails and things like that that need to have somebody to take care of them,” said Mike Johnson, member of the Stansbury Service Agency board.
The County Commission unanimously approved the agreement with the addition that either the county or the SSA may back out of the agreement with at least six months notice.