Riverton OKs rezone, invalidates anti-development referendum

RIVERTON — Rifts deepened and tempers flared Tuesday night as residents once again begged the City Council to reject four new zoning ordinances that would create high-density and commercial development in the heart of this rural community.

Residents packed the auditorium at Riverton Elementary for a contentious six-hour hearing on the controversial Hamilton Land development. Close to midnight, the beleaguered council voted three to two to approve the rezone ordinances, essentially nullifying a citizen referendum and putting the city back where it was in terms of allowing the development to go through.

Council members Bill Applegarth and Roy Tingey voted against the rezones, indicating they were not comfortable with the plan.

The meeting started on a sour note as the council convened at the Riverton Civic Center and then voted to move the meeting to the nearby elementary school, prompting residents to run out to their cars and caravan to the school.

Mayor Mont Evans jousted with the crowd as he banged his gavel, chastised citizens and threatened to throw people out after light applause from resident comments in opposition to the development. At one point, Evans threatened to prematurely end public comment if the crowd did not keep silent.

Residents are trying to stop the development, the largest in the city's history, that includes a proposal for a Wal-Mart.

Last January, outgoing council members managed to pass a last-minute zoning approval before newly elected council members took office. The move angered and outraged residents, more than 5,000 of whom have signed a petition to recall the decision in a referendum.

City Attorney David Church told the council that even if the referendum is passed by voters, expected to occur in June, the new City Council had already signed a development agreement with Hamilton Land, which was binding.

"You can't unscramble eggs," Church said. He added that attorneys for Hamilton have already threatened to take the city to court if they are not allowed to develop the land.

A court is exactly where the city might be headed anyway — referendum/petition organizers said they may take legal action against the city's move to invalidate the referendum.