Holladay residents question RDA plan for key area of city

HOLLADAY — Holladay residents grilled officials for more than two hours this past week, voicing strong opinions about a plan to redevelop a key area of the city.

More than 120 residents and business owners filled a designated room in the former Holladay Elementary School and lined the walls as pointed questions and sharp opinions flew at those presenting the redevelopment plan.

The Holladay City Council is attempting to push through a redevelopment agency project intended to revitalize a central area of the city surrounding a complicated five-way intersection where 2300 East merges with Holladay Boulevard, which quickly intersects with Murray-Holladay Road. The RDA would use the increased tax base from the developments to fund improvements in the road.

Robert Springmeyer, president of Bonneville Research, was commissioned by the city to preform a blight study in preparation for the RDA.

"I'm the one you're going to want to tar and feather," he told the crowd as the meeting began.

The blight study led to the plan being debated at the meeting. Those whose homes and businesses were earmarked for redevelopment under the plan showed up to find out what it all meant.

Some concerns the crowd returned to often were taxes, eminent domain and a timetable. Springmeyer and Steve Peterson, chairman of the city's RDA board, answered the first two questions by saying taxes will not be affected and eminent domain, the ability to force an owner to sell, is no longer an option for an RDA.

"This will be 100 percent willing buyer/willing seller," Springmeyer said.

But on the issue of a timetable, they refused to speculate, much to the ire of many residents, some of whom accused them of sidestepping the issue.

"It will happen as the market drives it," Peterson said.

Springmeyer said he classifies the Holladay project as a speculative RDA, meaning it is not being pushed by developers. Holladay, he said, is hoping that developers will respond, but he added it is also possible the project could wait awhile for developers to gain interest.

"Some of them just sit," he said. "I was involved in one in Draper that just sat for 10 years."

But he said he is more positive about the Holladay project, calling it a "good bet."

Still, Ed LaGuardia, an independent broker involved in real estate, came away from the meeting pessimistic about the chances of the RDA.

"These people are discouraging the good development," he said. "If developers feel like they have the support of the community, they are excited to come in and build. But if they know they are going to face obstacles from residents, they are less likely to do anything."

According to Springmeyer, property owners could derail the proposal if 60 percent of them sign a petition protesting the RDA.

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E-mail: dhinckley@desnews.com