How a tiny Utah community fought off an LDS Church housing project and lost a temple
Erda residents balked at plans for a high-density development, and the faith ended up relocating and renaming a planned temple to neighboring Tooele.
(Image courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) An artist s rendering of the exterior of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to-be-constructed Deseret Peak Temple. It was originally going to be built in Erda. It has since been shifted to neighboring Tooele City.
| Feb. 28, 2021, 1:00 p.m.
Erda • It seemed like a fairly typical development dispute between a big-time landowner and existing neighbors over high-density housing in a corner of Utah seeing lots of growing pains these days.
How a tiny Utah community fought off an LDS Church housing project and lost a temple
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The undoing of the rezone for two development projects in Tooele County at the polls in November 2020 had their origins in a movement that started in Erda in 2018.
As 2018 drew to a close, the Tooele County Clerk Marilyn Gillette was verifying signatures on six referendum petitions for developments approved for Erda that would put those land use decisions by the Tooele County Commission on a ballot.
One of the petitions was for the Skywalk development, a 246-acre planned unit development south of state Route 138 and west of the Tooele Valley Airport.
Tooele County officials declared that petition for a referendum to be invalid, because the development agreement for a planned unit development is an administrative action and according to state code only legislative decisions are subject to referendums. A judge agreed with the county’s decision, but the judge left a door open for Erda citizens with the statement that the development agreement requires the developer to seek zoning c
The County Council hasn’t even gone to work yet, but they already got a pay raise.
The Tooele County Commission approved a resolution setting salaries for the County’s elected officials for 2021, including the County Council, during their meeting on Tuesday night.
After some discussion, the County Commission approved a resolution that bumped the annual pay of County Council members from $22,000 to $24,000.
The County Commission previously set the pay at $22,000 prior to the filing period for County Council elections. The filing fee for public offices is determined by the office’s pay.
While he introduced the proposed change in County Council pay, County Commission Chairman Tom Tripp noted that the Form of Government Study Committee’s report recommended a range of $20,000 to $25,000 for council members.
Milne given tops honors by USACCC ♦
The Utah State Association of County Commissioners and Councils selected Tooele County Commissioner Shawn Milne as their commissioner of the year for 2020.
Since being elected to the Tooele County Commission in 2012, MIlne has been active in the National Association of Counties, the Utah Association of Counties and the Utah State Association of County Commissioners and Councils.
He has served on the board of UAC and as their secretary, as well as on several committees at the state and national level.
Milne’s award was announced at the USACCC’s recent fall conference.
“He is hardworking, kind, loving, and driven! Shawn, we know you will continue to work hard and amaze us!” said the USACCC in their Facebook announcement of the award.
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