Committee agrees on industrial-site bill

A bill approved in committee Tuesday could help with rehabilitation of the old Geneva Steel site near Orem, purchased for $46.8 million last November by Anderson Development.

SB245, sponsored by Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, expands the definition of Redevelopment Agency (RDA) projects to include inactive industrial sites. It also "makes the presence of an inactive industrial site in a project area an alternative to finding blight."

"This is not special legislation, but it will assist with projects like the Geneva Site," Bramble said. "This has been vetted by all interests and stakeholders."

Under current law, municipalities can enter into an RDA and divert tax increment to assist a redevelopment project if certain criteria are met, including a finding of blight in the project area. SB245 is part of a complete RDA overhaul bill run by Bramble this session that tightens the definition of blight and creates three types of RDA projects.

Under SB245, an inactive industrial site is defined as at least 1,000 acres of land occupied by an "inactive or abandoned factory, smelter or other heavy industrial facility."

The Geneva Steel site is about 1,700 acres. It opened in December 1944 and was operated for two years by the federal government and then a private steel mill until January 2002, when Geneva Steel filed for bankruptcy.

Lawmakers unanimously approved SB245 with no debate during a quick meeting of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee.

Also Tuesday, members of the House Agriculture committee tabled a bill that would allow voters to decide whether to amend the constitution to limit the use of eminent domain.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. John Dougall, R-Highland, said his proposal will be studied during the interim and brought before voters at a later time.

"I believe private property is so fundamental," he said, "that we may need to look at placing extra protections within our constitution."

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com