By Briana Kelley | [email protected]

South Valley - The Riverton City Council unanimously approved the Master Development Agreement (MDA) for approximately 543 acres at their Jan. 19 council meeting. This agreement is the culmination of months of work between city staff, elected officials and Suburban Land Reserve, Inc. (SLR), a for-profit real-estate arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The property to be developed is located in the southwest portion of the city along 13400 South, between Bangerter Highway and Mountain View Corridor.

“This approval marks the beginning of a process of significant growth that will take place over the course of the next 10 to 15 years. It is the second phase in approvals for major developments that will change the face of Riverton City and contribute to the quality of life experienced by local residents and surrounding communities,” the Riverton City press release said.

The first phase of approvals occurred in early December when the council approved development plans for Mountain View Place at Riverton. MVP is an 85-acre commercial development project by California developer CenterCal Properties, LLC. The city stated that it will be comparable in size and scope to other properties developed by CenterCal, including Station Park in Farmington, Utah, and The Village at Meridian in Meridian, Idaho.

Dale Bills, a spokesperson for SLR, said, “CenterCal’s Mountain View Place is the first phase of a mixed-use master plan that CenterCal and SLR developed at the request of Riverton leaders and planning officials to help build a vibrant future for the city. The approved plan is responsive to community priorities and balances retail, civic, religious, office and residential uses.”

The continued SLR development is designed to positively impact the community and complement the commercial vitality of MVP, according to the press release. The MDA provides the legal and procedural framework for the project. The Specific Development District (SDD), which also passed unanimously, is the zoning ordinance that includes development and design standards. 

Housing density within the SLR project is set at seven residential units per acre overall, which results in approximately 3,800 new units. However, some areas will develop as single family lots and would thus locally be lower than seven units per acre, while others would develop as high-density, multifamily and the density in those areas may be much higher than seven units per acre. The developer has set up proposed transition zones to mitigate density in areas next to existing homeowners.

“CenterCal’s construction of Mountain View Place is scheduled to begin this year. SLR expects other parts of the property to be sold to developers as market demand allows. Future development will be guided by the approved master plan,” Bills said.

Each council member had various questions and concerns that were addressed before they approved the MDA. Despite their varied concerns, each council member spoke highly of the new development and the positive changes for Riverton City. As reported by Mayor Bill Applegarth, the potential for increased sales tax revenue with the development of MVP is projected to be upwards of $2 million — a substantial increase to the current sales tax income of $6 million, according to the press release. Riverton currently operates with no city property tax. 

“This development provides a substantial financial boon for the city,” Applegarth said. “It has been a very complicated process. It is the largest development in our city’s history. Our city manager, Lance Blackwood, has done a tremendous job leading our team in working through the issues. Without his talent and experience, this process may have never been completed.” 

The initial concept for the project began in June 2014, according to Applegarth