Wal-Mart foes hand in petition

SANDY — A group of Sandy residents opposed to a Wal-Mart big-box development on the city's gravel pit turned over petition signatures to Salt Lake County on Friday to take the Boyer project to a citywide referendum.

The county clerk's office now has up to 60 days before the November 2005 election to verify the signatures on the petitions and determine whether the group garnered the 8,084 signatures needed to put a city zoning decision on the ballot.

The Save Our Communities group has been collecting the petition signatures for the past month to contest a November city zoning decision that opened the door to the Boyer development.

Until then, Boyer retail development director Wade Williams said plans are moving forward with the 107-acre gravel pit project that will feature a Wal-Mart and Lowes mixed with other retail. The referendum will not halt development unless the citizens group is able to obtain a court-ordered injunction to stop the project during a referendum.

Sandy city attorney Walter Miller is also doubtful whether the city will allow a referendum vote on the zone change even if enough signatures are gathered. Because the zoning decision was more administrative than legislative, Miller said it is questionable whether the change is eligible for a referendum vote.