An open letter to David Hall and the NewVista Foundation

From the residents and friends of the Provo Pleasant View Neighborhood

preservepleasantview.org

The Pleasant View Neighborhood is one of the residential gems of Provo City. For decades it has been a place to build family traditions and memories for citizens of Provo. Nestled just north of BYU, between the BYU Marriott Center, the BYU Lavell Edwards Stadium and the LDS Missionary Training Center, and so close to the LDS Provo Temple, it is a wonderful place to live.

Recently you, Mr. Hall, through the NewVista Foundation, have been buying homes in our neighborhood and converting them to rentals, with the stated long-range intent to convert this neighborhood to industrial and commercial use. Such actions are inappropriate in this or any residential neighborhood and do not comply with the Provo City General Plan and zoning ordinances. Your actions have engendered anger, worry, fear and instability in our neighborhood, and threatened the security of our homes and long-range plans for our lives and families.

To this point we have been protected by Provo City zoning ordinances which designate our area for continued single-family home residential use filled with houses occupied by individuals and families. We will actively seek to preserve this designation. We thank and congratulate our city leaders for their farsightedness and determination to preserve and protect Provo City neighborhoods.

We therefore, as citizens and friends of the legacy Pleasant View neighborhood, respectfully and urgently request that you:

1. Publicly disavow any current or future intentions to change our neighborhood character and zoning.

2. Continue to work with Provo City to find a location for your NewVista Foundation plans (newvistafoundation.org) which will be consistent with the vision and long-term growth of Provo.

3. Continue your fine maintenance and renewal of the properties you own, including the Hall Legacy Park and continue to respect all zoning restrictions for your current properties (i.e., no duplexes, short term rentals).

4. Stop buying homes in our neighborhood and converting them into rentals.

5. In a timely fashion, place the properties that you have purchased back on the market for return to private owner occupancy so that new and old long-term families can continue to enjoy and thrive in Pleasant View.

We urge you to abandon plans which will lead to the destruction of our dreams and neighborhood. Become our friend and partner in this beautiful place of your childhood and of the Tracy Hall Legacy Park which you built to honor your parents. Embrace it. Do not attempt to destroy it.

Sincerely,

The undersigned neighbors, residents and friends of the Provo Pleasant View Neighborhood.