Group appeals OK on sewer plant

RIVERTON — A group of Riverton residents opposing plans for a Jordan River bottoms sewer plant has filed an appeal of the city Planning Commission's preliminary approval of the plant, saying the commissioners failed to justify their "yes" votes.

The group, calling itself Citizens for Responsible Water Resource Planning, wants the Riverton Board of Adjustments either to overturn the South Valley Sewer District's conditional-use permit or send the issue back to be revisited by the commission.

"We think that the process that the Planning Commission went through was flawed because they were supposed to provide the public with findings of fact as they voted on the conditional-use permit," said Jeff Salt, head of the Great Salt Lakekeeper organization and spokesman for the residents. "As we went back through the public record we found that there was no finding of fact provided by each of the commissioners as they voted."

Sewer district officials could not be reached for comment Friday.

The commission approved the conditional-use permit March 10 after several months of deadlock. The permit gives the district the go-ahead to begin making plans for the site, but sets a list of conditions the district must meet before it can receive final city approval.

District officials say the plant is necessary as a nearby plant in West Jordan is becoming overused. They insist it will be safe and will save sewage district ratepayers $1 million a year for the next 30 years. City officials foresee a boon to residents in increased access to secondary water for irrigation.

But residents say the plant will be an environmental and aesthetic blight on the area — the Jordan River bottoms near 13500 South — and will hurt property values near the site.

"We think that ultimately the sewer plant cannot be justified in terms of imminent need for the Riverton community," Salt said. "It's not imperative that they have the sewer plant within the city, and it's not imperative they build it at that location."

County government has become involved as well, as a federal law requires an amendment to the so-called 208 Plan, a general water-use plan, before the plant can be built. Salt said he believes the district is trying to speed that process through the county to beat pending elections, which could see new city and sewer district officials taking over and bringing new opinions to the plant fight.

Once the district receives a copy of the residents' appeal, it will have two weeks to file a response. The residents will then have another two weeks to rebut that response, and then a Board of Adjustments hearing date will be set, likely in late September or early October.

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