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- The petition drive against a Clinton townhome development fell short of the required signatures.
- Project developer Mike Hatch expressed satisfaction, while those involved in the petition effort are considering a legal challenge.
- The project calls for 266 townhomes and 75 single-family homes, which sparked concerns from some about overdevelopment.
CLINTON—A petition drive to force the Clinton City Council's controversial development decision to the ballot box failed, falling short of the required signature threshold by just 14.
Still, the issue isn't necessarily over.
The developer behind the housing project at the center of the issue, Mike Hatch, expressed satisfaction at the news that the petition bid fell short. The plans, which call for the development of 341 housing units, could go forward in perhaps a year. As allowed in state law, Hatch had hired a firm to go door-to-door in Clinton trying to convince petition signatories to remove their names from the petitions, convincing around 350 to do so, probably factoring in the failure of the effort.
"This is the law, and we followed the law," Hatch said, just as petition drive leaders followed the law in pushing the other way on the issue. The project, he says, would help address the acute housing shortage impacting Utah.
Whatever the case, those opposed to the planned development, who formed a group called Pause the Clinton Townhome Project, are discussing going to court. A rep involved in gathering signatures on the petitions didn't immediately return a call Monday seeking comment. Still, a public post on the group's Facebook page said the foes seek donations of up to $20,000 for a possible legal challenge.
"We're fighting because we believe voters should have a say in how our city grows. We believe thousands of signatures should mean something. This is about more than growth; it's about voting rights," reads the post. The post didn't spell out the grounds for a possible legal challenge but charged that some of the workers who helped in the effort to get petition signatories to remove their names "used questionable tactics."
Hatch's plans call for the development of 266 townhomes and 75 single-family homes on an undeveloped 34.9-acre expanse in western Clinton. Foes take particular umbrage at the townhomes, worried about overdevelopment and congestion in the fast-growing area of Davis County, and have focused their efforts on that element of the plans. A parallel townhome development is planned in West Point, abutting the Clinton project site. Accordingly, the petition drive, as allowed in state law, had called for a question on the November 2025 ballot, letting voters weigh in on whether to uphold or repeal the August Clinton City Council decision to rezone the 34.9 acres to allow Hatch's plans to proceed.
Last Friday, though, the city of Clinton said in a statement that the petition effort fell short. The project critics needed certain thresholds of signatures in at least three of four "voter participation districts" in the city. After the completion of Hatch's efforts, the city said the project's critics had garnered enough signatures in just two of the four areas, falling short in one of the other two by just 14 signatures.
The city's statement took an upbeat tone, with Clinton Mayor Brandon Stanger noting the "passion and dedication" of the city's residents. He encouraged them to take part in plans to revamp the city's general plan, which guides development in the city.
"Regardless of the outcome, it is clear that our community cares deeply about the future of our city," Stanger said. Last Friday's statement further noted that the petition drive "underscores the importance of community involvement in shaping the future of local development and growth."
Both sides have charged the other with using misleading information in their efforts to variously collect signatures and then to convince signatories to remove their names.
