Woods Cross to discuss Sinclair rezoning request

The Woods Cross Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing tonight about a rezoning request by Sinclair Oil to expand fuel operations in south Davis County.

The company wants to build two 50,000-gallon tanks on 7.5 acres it owns in Woods Cross, adjacent to its Pioneer Pipeline Terminal in North Salt Lake. The tanks will be used to hold jet fuel to distribute to Hill Air Force Base and Salt Lake City International Airport.

Before it can build the tanks, Sinclair must get city approval to rezone the land for heavy industrial use. The land is currently zoned for light industrial, said Clint Ensign, senior vice president of the Sinclair Companies and a member of the Deseret Morning News Board of Directors.

Ensign said he has heard few concerns from residents about the project. There is one home near the property, which Sinclair owns and rents. The home would be demolished.

As for distribution of the jet fuel, it would be funneled into the tanks from the same pipeline that brings gasoline and diesel fuel from Wyoming and Montana into Utah. About 10 trucks a day would visit the site to help ship fuel to Hill. Sinclair would use an underground pipeline to ship the fuel to the Salt Lake airport.

"I don't expect any new issues to come up," Ensign said about the project.

Gary Uresk, Woods Cross city administrator, said Monday that the Planning Commission vote tonight on whether to approve the rezoning. He said he did not anticipate much public comment because in April the City Council amended the city's general plan to allow the commission to hold tonight's vote, and few people attended.

"As I recall, there were not a lot of people there," he said. "I guess we'll see what occurs at the hearing. I suspect if we get a lot of comment, we'll take some time to review it."

Tim Stephens, the city's community development director, said Monday that he has heard from one resident who was concerned about the general impacts of the development. The resident just said he does not want additional heavy industrial sites in the city, Stephens said.

Tonight's public hearing is scheduled to begin at 7:20 p.m. It will be at the Woods Cross Municipal Building, 1555 S. 800 West, in Woods Cross.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com