Tooele mayor praises city employees, has harsh criticism for Grantsville leaders

Growth management, new water resources, preservation of hillside open space, and a promise to begin the long-awaited construction of 1000 North this summer were the highlights of Tooele City Mayor Patrick Dunlavy's annual State of the City address last Wednesday.

"Developers and development will not dictate policy to Tooele City," said Dunlavy during the speech.

The mayor repeatedly emphasized the importance of managing growth -- a message that got a mixed reaction from those in the development industry.

"The city's new point system that requires architectural upgrades on new homes has slowed new growth in Tooele almost to a halt," said Vicki Griffith, broker for Prudential Real Estate in Tooele.

Drew Hall, managing partner for Tooele Associates, the Overlake developer that is embroiled in a lawsuit with Tooele City over impact fees and development agreements, said onerous city policies have pushed growth elsewhere.

"I believe if you look at growth in Tooele County over the last few years, you will see a shift away from growth in Tooele City towards more growth in the county," said Hall. "This change has been largely driven by changes in city policy and the city's philosophy towards growth. Fees are high, the administrative process is slow and many developers have gone elsewhere."

Not all developers agreed with that assessment, however.

Kevin Peterson, president of Capitol Management and principal partner in the Broadway redevelopment project has high praise for city officials.

"The city has been wonderful to work with," said Peterson.

In his address, Dunlavy also touted progress on 1000 North, which is to become a major artery into the city, eventually connecting SR-112 with Main Street. The road is expected to provide better access to the Utah Industrial Depot and Miller Motorsports Park. Dunlavy said design work is underway and construction will begin in the summer.

The mayor also mentioned the city's acceptance of a donation of 48 acres of hillside open space, and its acquisition of an additional 12 acres in the Skyline Drive area as being key components in a plan to preserve open space. The mayor pledged to work to preserve the city's hillsides for future generations to enjoy.

The city's deal with Kennecott for water rights and completion of a new well will were also cited by the mayor as accomplishments in securing the city's future water supply. Well No. 9 was completed and is now on-line. The city also reached an agreement with Kennecott for 7,500 acre feet of water per year.

In a speech filled with praise for city employees and managers, Dunlavy also blasted Grantsville City's leadership for continuing to pursue a long-running lawsuit against Tooele over the Utah Industrial Depot.

"I contacted Mayor Anderson of Grantsville at the beginning of my term to see if I could stop the inexcusable waste of taxpayer's money that Grantsville has caused by their lawsuit against us," Dunlavy said during the speech. "He did not feel, as I did, that it should be stopped, so it has continued."

Dunlavy said as of October 2007, Grantsville had spent $820,000 pursuing the lawsuit. He referred to the case as "an inexcusable waste of taxpayer's money."

Editor's note: for the full speech check out Tuesday's issue of the Transcript-Bulletin, or the online version titled, "State of the City address: full-text of Mayor's report.

Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com