Angry About Aspen
None by KCPW
Future Residents of Proposed Ski Town Upset Over Plans
(KCPW News) Not everyone who lives within the boundaries of a proposed ski town in Heber Valley is thrilled at the prospect. John Hines has lived in the area for 17 years and says he refused to sign the petition to incorporate Aspen, Utah:"I told him if I wanted to live in a city, I'd have stayed in Detroit or Chicago," says Hines. "I come out here to get away from the city, so I'm not joining his city."
Arizona developer Dean Sellers has filed incorporation papers for a high-end resort community with housing, golf, skiing and retail on more than eight-thousand acres east of Heber. In order to incorporate, Sellers needs the support of a majority of landowners in the new town and five residents willing to co-sign the petition. He has that, but resident Kasey Bateman says 95-percent of the other residents are against the plan.
"He's got the five sponsors and we're out-voted on this and there's no real legal action we can take to get out," says Bateman. "We feel like we've lost our rights as Americans."
Lawmakers passed a law this year making it possible for a town to incorporate without county approval. Bateman believes that law is flawed and he's planning a legal challenge.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom, Legislative Coverage, and 2007 Legislative Coverage. Copyright 2008 KCPW
1. Storm Haven Resident said:
Dean Sellers came to my house w/ his petition and told me most of my niegbors had signed-FLAT OUT LIE I found out later. 95% of the residents after being lied to & some bullied have submitted to being annexed into Daniel, Utah to avoid Dean's dictatorship made posssible by a badly written Utah law that will most likely be repealed next year!
2. H. Brett McGrath said:
take your 5% and go elsewhere. Obviously this new law is flawed, I'm sure it is fine to incorporate when everyone in the town wants to do so!!! Does'nt sound like to me that Heber or it's residents want Mr. Sellers or his B.S.!!!!!!!!!!