Many Sandy residents believe city planners traded gravel for gridlock Thursday night by recommending a zoning change for a controversial 107-acre lot.

The change would allow "big-box" retailers such as Wal-Mart and Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse to set up shop in the gravel pit at 9400 South and 1300 East, a space that many residents say was supposed to be a large city park.

The area is now zoned for commercial use but has a narrow list of allowable uses that does not include big-box stores. The recommendation from the planning commission to add such retailers to the list will now head to the City Council Oct. 19 for final approval.

Economic development director Randy Sant said Thursday night that commercial development meets the goals of the city's master plan to recruit retail dollars and revive existing businesses.

Cynthia Long heads up the Save Our Communities group trying to persuade city leaders not to allow Boyer Co. to build its retail enclave on the site. Long, who also manages nearby Sandy City Mall, said the battle over the land has become less about getting a city park and is now focused on simply preventing warehouse retailers from getting the land.

"We just want to say slow down. This is a beautiful parcel of land in the center of town. Let's look at the alternatives," she said.

Although Long said she is not surprised that the planning commission recommended the zone change, she was still not convinced the development is in the best interest of residents. Many have been protesting the zone change since May when they rallied for "Parks not parking lots."

Long said she was also disturbed by the attitude of Boyer employees whom she said assumed the change is a done deal. Several of Long's tenants at the Sandy mall have been offered lease agreements in the gravel pit development by Boyer representatives.

"Even before the zoning change is done, they're already approaching my clients," she said. "That doesn't make me very happy."

Long added that her main gripe with the city is that it only commissioned a feasibility study to see how the Boyer development would affect Sandy's economy in the long run. The city should have also requested a study on how the city's economy would have fared without the retail strip.

"We thought that was relatively basic to compare if things stayed the same with the new development," Long said.

Resident Gary Forbush said he also had some doubts about the feasibility study, which said the Boyer project could bring in an additional $10 million to the city over the next 15 years. Forbush said the Boyer development would put him within a mile and a half from two Wal-Marts.

"I don't understand the value of having two Wal-marts that close, with the traffic it brings," he said. "I'm afraid they're going to hurt the smaller business; they just tend to dominate wherever they go."

Forbush has collected over 120 signatures on a petition against the development and plans to continue to fight to make sure the city doesn't give Boyer final approval.

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