500-acre North Ogden development proposal sparking concern among some

NORTH OGDEN — A 500-acre development proposal in the shadow of Ben Lomond Peak in North Ogden has prompted resistance from many and pressure on project developers to halt the plans or at least address their worries.

"Our main concern is traffic and it's water and it's the tax burden of who pays to widen the streets. Where does the money come from to do it?" said Dave Schoellerman, part of the contingent of North Ogden residents who have been speaking out against the plans. "Every time new developments come here into North Ogden, somehow our taxes go up."

A representative from the developer, meantime, says project planners took traffic and water issues into consideration in crafting the proposal. Moreover, much of the Altura project, in the works since the early 2000s, has already received the required approvals from North Ogden officials.

"We already have a development agreement in place and we've been building up there on that project for several years," said Amy Roskelley, vice president of operations and development for Marriott Companies, the Ogden-based firm spearheading the project.

The Altura plans call for construction of up to 1,637 housing units, including townhomes and single-family homes, on an undeveloped 500-acre expanse of bench land high in the northern reaches of North Ogden. Planning on around 291 acres of the project area, within North Ogden City limits, has already gone through the approval process, according to Roskelley. But around 209 additional acres just to the east of that sit in unincorporated Weber County, and project developers want North Ogden to annex it into the city as part of their plans, which has led to the concern and clamoring.

An online petition signed by more than 2,500 people calls on city officials to deny any of the developer's requests for regulatory action needed to allow the project to proceed. Moreover, the foes took to the streets of North Ogden on Saturday to demonstrate against the plans and drum up support for their efforts.

Schoellerman, one of the demonstrators, would prefer to see the project drop by the wayside. "I would love it if it never got developed and I think most of us would feel the same way," he said.

At the same time, he recognizes that the owners of the land have rights. He was sporting a bright yellow T-shirt reading "Save North Ogden" and collecting signatures on a petition against the proposal from the busy corner of 2600 North and Washington Boulevard as part of Saturday's action.

Representatives from the contingent opposed to the project met last week with developers, who seemed open to hearing their worries, even if completely halting the proposal may be a long shot. The proposed development area offers stunning views from on high of North Ogden and Ogden down below to the south.

"It was a productive discussion, with a focus on the density and zoning change request as the biggest area of concern. They seem willing to revisit the potential product offerings. No promises yet, but they were open," Stephanie Goodrich, another resident who's spoken out on the plans, said in a message to others similarly concerned with the proposal after last week's meeting.

Roskelley, for her part, defended the project and countered the opponents' concerns. Even if North Ogden didn't annex the 209 acres, as sought, Marriott Companies could develop the additional land, though they'd have to abide by the existing underlying zoning.

"I don't believe that they should be concerned. I think they simply just don't want it in their backyard," she said. Of the 209 acres up for annexation, 150 acres of it would be "usable open space" under the Marriott proposal, she said, with only 50 or so acres of it dedicated to housing development.

The proposed roads that would cut through the neighborhood would direct traffic to collector roads, minimizing the presence of autos on quieter residential streets.

As for water, the developers already have the required water rights to serve the development. "We would just be changing the use from an agriculture use to residential use, which actually uses less water than ag. Any developer knows that anytime they buy land or they go to do a development project, they cannot do the project without already having the water availability," she said.

A North Ogden official said City Council members have been hearing from concerned residents, though city staffers have not had formal meetings with them.

"Our position is that the developer (who has spoken with some, as I understand it) has the responsibility to provide the reasons behind their project. It is not a city-pushed project," City Attorney Jon Call said in an email to KSL.

'We can't stop development'

As now proposed, the Altura proposal calls for 388 condominiums or town homes and 1,249 single-family homes. A 2.27-acre commercial zone sits in the middle of the proposed development, which also contains open space and community park land.

Those 1,637 homes could bring in an additional 5,000 people, which gets to the root of the critics' concerns about car congestion closer to the heart of the city, around 2600 North and Washington Boulevard, North Ogden's busiest intersection. That crossing, they maintain, would likely be a key transit point going to and from the development.

"All the traffic is compounded for everybody down here more than it is up there," said Matt Smith, a demonstrator standing at the busy crossing during Saturday's protest.

Beyond projects specifics, he just thinks residents ought to have more of a say than they've had. "We can't stop development. The developers have the right to build. But ... citizens should have the right to respond and kind of help dictate what happens," he said.

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