The quaint town of Pleasant View is quickly growing by drawing large developers to the area where large lots and country living appeal to home buyers. With that growth comes the question of how much growth is too much? How much can the current facilities support?
One town member, Tony Pitman, who served on town council for eight months feels like perhaps the town has reached the point where the town should look more at attracting new business rather than encouraging large developers.
Pitman stated in a letter,
“In our current political environment, developers have the upper hand. Who fights for the rest of us? Who fights for the retired on fixed incomes? Who fights for the young families trying to make their way? Who fights for the middle class like me who have worked hard all of our lives and came to Pleasant View for certain very specific reasons like large lot sizes, lots of open space, rural living close to all the conveniences we desire? One person fighting for them is me. I understand and support developers and land owner making as much money as they can on their land investment. I support the rights of the other 9000 of us who have invested in Pleasant View even more.
Why do I do this? Because developers come to city council and planning commission meetings with lawyers and architects and the ability to articulate the laws that back them up.
Who comes to those meetings for the other 9000? It has been said that if people don't show up, they just don't care. I think it is more complicated than that. We did show up to oppose The Station expansion. What happened? We got overruled.
We have shown up many times to affect change and support ourselves, and we keep getting shot down. So we gave up. Developers don't give up because it is their job. It is their business. It is what they do 9-5 every day. We have other things we must do 9-5 every day. So who should defend our rights? Those we have elected to city council and those they appoint to planning commission—that is who. We live in a representative government. We elect people whose job it is the defend our rights.”
While Pitman praises the town council for developing the area by the freeway and offering tax incentives to bring in business, he is concerned that the average citizen is being left behind in the quest to grow the City. Large developers come and put in numerous houses not only straining current facilities but causing property taxes to raise, water prices to rise, and even the implementation of a road fee. In fact, the City just signed a contract with Weber Water Basin for water at twice the price they are paying now. This year alone, the City will pay $80,000 for water that cannot be used this year because it is not connected to the system yet. For the family or elderly on the budget, the price of growth is huge burden.
Pleasant View has already overbuilt with their current resources and has approved an additional 300+ pending connections. For this reason, Pitman helped pass the Adequate Facilities Ordinance to curtail growth, unless the developer could prove there are enough facilities in place to support the growth. While the Weber water basin project is to act as a buffer or a backup, there is concern that additional large developers will come in and more building will be allowed.
Pitman expressed that all the council members are good people, they just have different views on how growth ought to occur. He would like to see more of an emphasis on bringing in more business before houses are built—that way the burden to increase facilities will not fall on the already burdened citizens. His hope is that the town council will remember that they are the voice of the citizens and are there to act in the best interest of the people.
If you live in Pleasant View and have the time to attend the City meeting, you are encouraged to do so and get involved. Make your voices heard.
