Developer of Daybreak willing to talk with unhappy residents

SOUTH JORDAN — Residents who say they were misled about plans for a neighboring development got what they wanted Tuesday: support from the City Council and a commitment from Kennecott Land to work toward a compromise.

Greg Nelson and nearly 130 of his neighbors had signed a petition appealing a decision by the Planning Commission to approve a preliminary plat for the Daybreak community at approximately 10200 S. 4400 West. The council denied their request, but Nelson said he left South Jordan City Hall late Tuesday night feeling satisfied because Mayor Kent Money asked Kennecott Land officials to meet with the residents to address their concerns about open space, residential density, traffic congestion and construction practices.

Bruce Snyder, vice president of residential and commercial development for Kennecott Land, agreed to the mayor's request.

City officials also decided that final approval for the plat will bypass city staff and go before the City Council to ensure that a compromise between the developer and residents is reached.

"There are a number of people who have concerns," Money said, holding the petition signed by Nelson and his neighbors. "It seems to me that maybe some tweaking could be done to this plat to work with the residents."

Nelson said he and those who signed the petition feel that Kennecott Land misrepresented its development plans when the company purchased homes bordering the northeast corner of the 4,300-acre Daybreak property.

Based on materials provided by Kennecott Land, some residents who have built homes the past three years in the neighboring Oquirrh Park and Ascot Downs subdivisions expected a 300-foot buffer of green space between their homes and the Daybreak development, he said.

But those plans were only conceptual, and the preliminary plat approved by the Planning Commission on Oct. 10 did not include the buffer.

City Manager Ricky Horst said the city has required that 30 percent of the Daybreak community be open space, but there is no agreement on the location of that open space.

Still, Snyder said Kennecott Land will revisit the issue and take into account residents' concerns.

And that, Nelson said after the meeting, is a victory for the residents.

"We're getting what we wanted from Daybreak from the very beginning — a chance to sit down and talk with them," he said.

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