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WEST VALLEY CITY — Dozens of local vendors spent an afternoon this week in the Redwood Drive-In Theater Swap Meet parking lot getting signatures in hopes of swaying the West Valley City Council to deny an application to rezone the land for residential use.
The 26-acre land, which is privately owned, is zoned for commercial use, and the owner wants to sell it. Edge Homes reportedly wants to buy the land if the company can get approval to rezone it.
West Valley City said Edge Homes has approached them with a tentative plan to build 308 units, including condos, townhomes and single-family homes.
For the past seven years, Cristian Guiterrez has spent every weekend at the swap meet. He said it's the way he makes his living.
"A lot of people support themselves from this," Guiterrez said. "So if they lose this, then they'll lose basically everything."
He said that loss would include the community feeling there. Beto Conejo is an artist and vendor who also worries about losing the community event.
"You come here on a Sunday or Saturday, you don't just come and buy things. You come and say hello to friends," Conejo said. "On top of the community component, it's one of the most dynamic microeconomies that Utah has to offer."
However, West Valley city leaders said the city isn't completely responsible for what happens next on this land.
City officials said it could be developed into homes and apartments if it is rezoned, but they also don't own the land, which means the current owner could develop it into commercial real estate at any time.
What happens next?
Edge Homes has submitted an application that will go up for review at a public hearing on June 12 at the West Valley City Council Chambers at 4 p.m. The planning committee will review the plans and give the City Council a recommendation. That process generally takes weeks.
Guiterrez and Conejo said they don't want to block a potential sale as long as the new buyers keep the swap meet and drive in the way they are.
