Pleasant Grove OKs land accord

PLEASANT GROVE — A game of development dominos unfolded in Pleasant Grove last week as four private land deals waited for the city to approve one annexation.

A "yes" vote by the council started a chain reaction that will likely allow the construction of a private, LDS-themed school on the property of an upscale housing development. Both projects, as well as two other land deals, hinged on whether Pleasant Grove annexed 32.3 acres of land that fall within both Pleasant Grove and American Fork's scope of annexation.

Because the land is so close to American Fork, the city proposed a development agreement for Pleasant Grove to adhere to in considering the annexation. Although council members bristled at the idea of being told what to do by American Fork's council, they reluctantly agreed, to eliminate a pending protest from their neighboring city.

"The battle (over beginning construction on the land) seems to be just beginning, from what I hear," said Kolleen DeGraff, co-owner of Liahona Academy, a private school that is slated to be built on a piece of the annexation, owned by Trophy Homes.

The arrangement was orchestrated by Pleasant Grove Mayor Mike Daniels several months ago after Liahona's originally designated land was found to be zoned for sexually oriented businesses.

Landowner Matt Smith, who hopes to annex his land to the Trophy Homes development, also had his fingers crossed in anticipation of the 4-1 decision to go ahead with Trophy Homes' incorporation.

Smith has buyers lined up to purchase his property, but if his property isn't annexed into Pleasant Grove, his deal is off.

Another landowner who agreed to sell his land to Trophy Homes and annex to the property, pending the development's incorporation into Pleasant Grove, waited behind Smith.

"In land development, there is always another bump in the road," said Trophy Homes president Bill Peperone. "Anyone who can't handle bumps in the road should not be in land development because that's part of the nature of the beast."

Peperone said he expected to encounter some friction between American Fork and Pleasant Grove because both cities had claim to annexing the property.

For Trophy Homes' part of the development agreement with American Fork, the company has agreed to pay a fee for water runoff that may flow to American Fork's storm drains. The company also agreed to finish a portion of a road that will cross into American Fork's boundaries.