Cottonwood Heights home plans stall

Plans for luxury homes on half-acre lots where a mobile-home park now stands in Cottonwood Heights have been stalled.

The Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of a zone change requested by Arbor Development, which bought the 19.7-acre property in August. John Gust, Arbor Development's owner, had wanted the zoning changed from one home per acre to a home per half acre.

Currently, Meadows Mobile Home Park occupies the site, with 150 mobile homes. Arbor has given park residents until March 31, 2007 to move out.

During a public hearing last month, mobile-home dwellers voiced their concerns to the city and developer over being forced to move so quickly and with little financial assistance. However, the denial doesn't stop Arbor from building homes on one-acre lots instead.

"In my honest opinion, it doesn't make a lot of difference to our situation," said Susan Johnston, president of the Meadows resident association. "We do want the whole process to slow down, but I don't know what that's going to take. All we're looking for is financial help and time."

But the opinions of park neighbors, who don't want high-density homes in their area, ended up influencing commissioners. They also felt it could set a bad precedent for future developers wanting smaller lots that would mar the horse properties and countryside feel of the area.

Now, the committee's recommendation for refusal of the rezone will go before the City Council.

"This is a really difficult position for the city to be in, because 50 percent of our city staff responsibilities is community development," Cottonwood Heights manager Liane Stillman said. "The other part of our office, including the City Council, mayor and myself, are worried about getting (Meadow's residents) moved out and getting them funds. It's almost like we're at odds with each other."

She said that Gust's proposal, 1.68 homes per acre, was consistent with the general plan, but few city residents have been in favor of it. Since a Sept. 24 public hearing, "boatloads" of letters on the matter have poured into the city, Stillman said, the majority from Meadows residents.

The mobile-home park has been in the neighborhood for 50 years, and homeowners say the family that owned the land promised it would never be sold. But after the elder patriarch of that family died, the land was put up for sale. Now residents will be faced with a costly move.

"It is going to take longer than March 31," Johnston said, because winter weather will hinder residents from moving out by that date. She has asked the developer and City Council to try and push back that date to June 30 insteadBR>

"We have maybe two months between now and March 31 to move, and people don't have the money to do it," she said.

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