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Developer looks to create a new city in Morgan County

Oct 08, 2024 02:54PM ● By Linda Petersen

This map of the proposed Nine Springs city is part of the feasibility study request filed by Structure 9 Development Group. Courtesy image.

The developer behind 9 Springs Resort has filed a request with the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s office for a feasibility study on the possibility of becoming its own city. The request from Structure 9 Development Group was received Sept. 18. 

Development of the 2,327-acre property near Snow Basin Ski Resort as a city or a resort would over time double Morgan County’s population. The request outlines 10 proposed phases of the city, nine of which were previously presented to the Morgan County Commission as a resort plan.

“The preliminary municipality will include a mix of resort facilities, recreational uses, residential units, commercial/retail, hotel and open space, along with the necessary public and private infrastructure to facilitate the preliminary municipality,” the request says.

Under the plan outlined in the request, a total of 2,257 housing units would be developed in the city of Nine Springs. Of those, 723 would be single family homes; the rest would be condos or “multi-family housing units.” There would also be 600 hotel units, 30 yurt sites and 105,000 square feet of commercial and office space to be located in a commercial district on the acreage. Although the request does not indicate a timeline, 9 Springs representative Brach Nelson previously told the Morgan County commissioners full buildout would be 15 to 20 years, based on market response.

Morgan County officials say they did not expect this.

“The county has been working with them on their application, so we were surprised that they have approached it in this way,” Morgan County Commission Chair Mike Newton said. (9 Springs has not withdrawn that application).

“I feel like, to some degree, this is an attempt to circumvent the county's zoning regulations in the process of that zone change that would be required to do what they’d like to do,” he said.  “I'm a little disappointed that there is an option through state code that would allow them to incorporate the property really, before any development has occurred on the property. And there's definitely some concern that the residents of Morgan County, through their elected officials, would not have the type of input in the project, as they probably should have.”

Regardless of whether 9 Springs incorporates or continues to pursue its future under a county zone change, the development is going to have a significant impact on the rest of the county, Newton said.

“I think the impacts would be similar in terms of the impacts to the schools, to roadways outside of the development itself, the impacts to just the community in general, the view shed, water impacts, sewer, etc., would all be there regardless of whether it was its own city or was developed as part of unincorporated Morgan County,” Newton said. “I do think that if it were to become its own city, those roadways that are part of the development, the infrastructure that’s part of the development, would be the responsibility of those who live in the development, rather than all county taxpayers and I suppose there is some benefit to that.”

Additionally, that area of the county is known for landslides which is concerning, he said.

“At least the Highlands has been known for landslide activity, and it’s very difficult to deal with the roadways in the Highlands currently,” Newton said. “We have to have special four-wheel drive snowplow trucks just to plow the roads there, because they’re steep and adding more roads in that area is a big concern.”

The Lt. Governor’s office will now evaluate the feasibility study request to determine if it meets the basic requirements under Utah law, namely that the area under consideration is contiguous; not located within a first or second-class county, not located within a quarter mile of a city, is owned by three or less people, at least 50 percent undeveloped, that at least 100 people will reside there, will have an average population density of no less than seven individuals per square mile and that at least 10 percent of the proposed development will be affordable housing.

If the request passes that hurdle the Lt. Governor’s office will hire a feasibility consulting firm who then will determine if the area will be financially viable if it were to become a new town or city. If the consulting firm finds that the area does have the potential to be financially feasible, then the process will move forward with public hearings, the filing of the petition for incorporation and appointment of initial board members,

Nelson, the request’s designated sponsor, declined to comment when contacted by the Morgan County News.λ

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