Victory for the Kestrels

During the February 21, 2018 City Council meeting the City Council discussed the disposal or sale of Utah County Parcel Number 58:034:0332 for development. The property in question is 52.586 acres and has been owned by the City of Eagle Mountain since 2009, when it change hands from a defunct developer to the City. Ifo Pili the city manager recently contacted a developer to see if they would be willing to develop the property. That developer then submitted an application to the city for purchasing the real property. The item then came before the City Council to see if they were willing to allow City Staff to put the property up for sale. Ifo gives some more details on the history of the property. “This parcel was included in an SID created in the year 2000. In 2009, this property was acquired by the City as a result of the previous owner defaulting on their SID bond payments. As with any SID property in default, the City received the land but was ultimately responsible for the payment. SID’s are structured so that in case of a default, the City would be able to sell the property and pay the assessment. In other words, the value of the property usually far exceeds the SID debt. However, in 2009 the city could not sell the property for anywhere near the amount of the debt liability. So, we ended up sitting on it and paying off the assessment in full, waiting for a time where we could sell it.” The internet went viral when the request was made know. Several residents encouraged others to start an email campaign to let the City Council and Staff know that they were opposed to the sale of this land. Residents of Eagle Mountain can be very protective of their open spaces. This open space in particular. Shon Reed, a resident and the leading member of the Eagle Mountain Kestrel Project was concerned for one of the projects kestrel nesting boxes. This parcel is one of the locations for a nesting pair of American Kestrels that is being monitored by the project. The box was installed with the help of Mayor Pengra and the Eagle Mountain Kestrel Project. Mayor Pengra (green coat) can be seen helping install the Kestrel box that is currently on this property. Residents started an email campaign to the City Council, as well as made plans to attend the Public Hearing on the approval to sell the land. Adam Olsen an resident of Eagle Mountain sent this email to the City Council.

Mayor and Council, I am writing to state my opposition to the sale of the City-owned property on the hill, south of Cedar Pass Ranch and west of Ruby Valley/Ash Point. This is a prominent hillside as one travels west along Pony Express Parkway toward Unity Pass and City Center. Open hillsides and ridge lines are features that set Eagle Mountain apart from our neighboring cities. That this one is already owned by the City places us in a position to ensure it remains as such. There is no bargaining with a developer here to set the hillside apart from development–no density transfers, no bonus densities, etc. Because it is already owned by the City, we are in the best possible position to ensure it remains as such. I understand there is a proposal to dispose of this City-owned land. While I do not know the details, I presume it is for development purposes. Please vote against the sale of this unique piece of property. Let’s embrace what makes us unique and preserve our hillsides and ridge lines. We already own this land. Please do not sell and place us in a position of bargaining to keep a portion open. Thank you for your consideration and service.

Before the public hearing started, the City Council discussed the item. Each one of the City Council members in turn said that they felt that selling this land was not in the best interest of Eagle Mountain. A couple of them even alluded to the possibility of making it a protected area and keep it open space. They then started the public hearing and residents that have property adjacent to the parcel as well as other residents gave reasons why they felt the City Council should not dispose of this property and open it for development. Resident after resident described the recreation activities they have had in that area, as well as all of the wildlife that has been seen and observed on this parcel of land. A motion was made to deny the sale of the 52 acre parcel that was referred to by residents as “parcel 58:034:0332”. The City Council then voted 5-0 to not sell this parcel. This was a victory for the Kestrels that call it home, as well as the other wildlife that can be seen roaming this area. The City Councils decision does not stop future attempts to sell the land, or keep the area protected from other uses that future City Councils may envision for the property. After the meeting, I was talking to members of the City Council. They were impressed with the civility of the email campaign that residents started. The majority of the emails were professional, and civil. They expressed that they appreciated the dialog and the civility of the discussion. They did vote to allow the sale of two other parcels. One of the parcels is a 2+ acre parcel in the same area. They agreed to allow Staff to sell the parcel, as long as they understood that the intent was to allow the adjacent property owners to purchase the property. There were several property owners that lived next to this parcel that expressed that they would be willing to purchase it during their public comments. The second parcel that the City Council voted to sell is a commercial parcel that currently houses the fountain on the corner of SR73 and Pony Express Blvd.

Photos taken on this parcel

Additional Photos taken by Shon Reed

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Supporting Documents

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