The Lower Hidden Valley development is coming back to the Eagle Mountain City Council for further consideration.
Several residents have expressed concerns around the development’s adherence to the City’s Mule Deer Migration Corridor in addition to concerns about the preservation of local mountain biking trails.
Steve Mumford, Community Development director for Eagle Mountain City, sees these adjustments as a win for the developer, trails and the migration corridor.
“These minor amendments to the existing Master Plan will help us ensure that we have the property available for a key wildlife crossing…and preserve many of the trails and trail connections that exist on the City’s property and adjacent to the City’s property,” says Mumford.
The developer, Perry Homes, proposed to amend the Master Development Plan for the site to adjust the density and location of some of the housing within the development proposal, which was originally agreed upon in 2011.
Up for debate when the amendments came before the City Council on Feb. 7 was the future of a 38-acre parcel of City-owned land situated near the proposed development.
Council members voted to approve the land disposal of a portion of the 38-acre parcel.
The land swap between Eagle Mountain City and Perry Homes provides the City with a crucial piece of the wildlife corridor that will allow wildlife to cross Pony Express Parkway.
The City will also gain a few acres of hilltop land to allow more space for wildlife and maintain Creed trail, a popular mountain biking trail in the area, according to Mumford.
In exchange, the developer will get up to eight acres of developable land from the 38-acre, City-owned parcel, which allows more room for mixed-density housing in the area.
The trade of portions of the City-owned parcel and portions of the land intended for development will allow the developer to adjust the original 2011 Master Development Plan to better accommodate the wildlife corridor and several mountain biking trails.
The Eagle Mountain City Council voted to table the proposed amendments until such adjustments could be made.
“The benefits to this plan are that we get an alternative wildlife corridor, a secondary corridor, we preserve nearly all of the trails on the City property, including a couple of key trail connections to both hillsides, we remove some of the development at the top of the hill,” says Mumford. “This plan provides more preserved open space than their previous proposal.”
The new proposed amendments to the original 2011 Master Development Plan will be on the agenda for City Council to discuss at the Feb. 21 City Council meeting.
