Tempers still hot over Draper, DI

It's been more than a week since the Draper City Council voted to block large secondhand stores from the downtown retail hub, but residents in the city and statewide haven't cooled down over the decision.

They are calling City Hall, the mayor, council members and sounding off in letters to the editor.

Maridene Hancock, Draper public information officer, said calls for and against the ordinance that blocked a proposed Deseret Industries thrift store from locating at 12300 South and 300 East have been half-and-half.

"The way they handled that issue, I just lost all faith," said Draper resident Abby Cousineau, who has lived in the city for nine years. "I felt betrayed."

Cousineau is among many residents, either for or against the vote, who say their opinions will be heard at the ballot box next year. The three council members who voted for the ordinance are up for re-election in 2007.

"They crafted the ordinance to suit the DI and keep it out. I don't think they should be able to do that, even under the guise of zoning," Cousineau said.

On March 7, the council voted 3-2 for an ordinance that restricts secondhand stores larger than 5,000 square feet to a commercial zone west of the freeway.

Hancock said the vote doesn't mean DI isn't welcome. "We do want the DI to come to our city," she said.

Meetings between the city and the LDS Church-owned thrift store have been scheduled, she said.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Welfare Services, which operates Deseret Industries, did not return calls for comment before press time.

Although some council members yelled accusations at each other in last week's heated debate, the council agreed on one thing: Comprehensive planning and zoning needs to be on the city's plate.

"Proper zoning is essential to community development," said Donna Evans, former mayor of West Jordan and now a Draper resident and community activist. "When you're looking to attract certain types of businesses, you definitely want to zone it in a way that will make it attractive."

Evans watched West Jordan's DI languish in an old strip mall that was once the city's downtown. Today, it's more successful at a location down the street on Redwood Road.

"When you try to match a DI in an area with other types of business, DI is just not a good fit," Evans said. "They need a location with plenty of visibility, great access and an area where trucks can get in and out easily."

The downtown Draper location "just wouldn't have been a good fit," said Evans, who agrees with the ordinance.