House Bill 0288 was introduced on February 8, 2019, to the Utah Legislature by Representative Logan Wilde of Morgan County. This bill proposes, in part, to take land use authority away from local cities and towns. The bill makes the case that some uses are inherently “nuisance uses” that no one wants or likes but are still necessary(“critical infrastructure”) and therefore must be allowed even if the city in which they are located has ruled against them.

We as Utahns are collectively opposed to this bill. It's a bad bill. We know that this bill was written in partnership with large mining organizations including Clyde Companies' Geneva Rock after Draper City recently took a stand and removed the M2 zoning designation from their city code. This move effectively stops Geneva Rock from expanding their operations onto recently acquired, agriculturally zoned land, high up on a mountain in one of the windiest spots in Utah.  Draper made this decision knowing that to allow expansion like this goes well beyond "nuisance". It would affect the health and property values of all residents residing in the two most populous valleys in Utah along with the loss of desirability, and potential economic growth by prospective companies looking to come to Utah's silicon slopes directly beneath these operations in both Salt Lake Valley and Utah Valley.

This bill is bad for Draper, Lehi, Bluffdale, and for all the other cities and towns that deserve the right to govern themselves and control their own land and zoning use. Cities and towns should have the right to make the decisions inside our city boundaries as we always have before. This ability best protects our residents, our shared economic future, and the high quality of life we all value.

We kindly ask you to please vote no on HB-288.  Thank you.