SOUTH JORDAN, Utah -- To build or not to build on the South Jordan Mulligan's golf course? That has turned into a heated debate between city officials and some nearby residents.
There seems to be a lot of confusion over the research study report just released by the city.
The Transit Oriented Development (TOD) research focused on a 1,000-acre area surrounding the South Jordan Frontrunner station, but it's the open space of the Mulligan's golf course that is at the center of the controversy over future development.
Councilman Chuck Newtown said: "We wanted to ask these experts, 'What do you think the best possible use for the property would be to benefit South Jordan?' That didn't mean we were going to take it."
Renderings from the 55-page report highlights what a top consulting firm - Forest City - recommends as potential developments for land in South Jordan, which includes the Mulligan's gold course.
South Jordan City Public Information Officer Chip Dawson said, "One of the reasons that the Mulligans property comes up is because the city owns that property and Forest City's view, because the city owns the property, it would be a property that would be very easy to sell and develop."
The report has some residents baffled and upset.
Stephen Kaufman said, "After finally seeing it we were all pretty shocked at what they're talking about doing as far as how much they're planning to develop and what they're actually planning to develop in there."
Residents like Kaufman said they don't want the rare open space on the east side of the city disrupted, and feel blindsided by this report that they had no involvement in.
"What would be ideal is if the town would consult with the people who live in this community because we do border it, it does affect us, it affects our quality of life, it affects our property values, so we have a right to have some sort of influence how things go in," Kaufman said.
City officials, however, said residents' concerns are premature.
Newton tells FOX 13 News: "For some reason the people have gotten themselves worked up over absolutely nothing. We haven't even discussed it. We don't even know if we would be discussing it."
Dawson adds, "No timeline and no plan has been put forward that we're ready to approve at this time."
When we pressed about whether or not the city is currently working with a developer, Dawson continues, "We hope that residents will understand that nothing has been decided that there is nothing on the table right now."
Both city officials who spoke with FOX 13 News were very adamant that there are no plans in the works for any development on the Mulligan's golf course. They said if they were to entertain any proposals, they would be required to hold several city council meetings, establish public forums, and get citizen input before they would be allowed to move forward.
There is an 11-acre piece of land across the street from Mulligan's slated for a high density mixed use development. City officials said that land is not owned by the city, and the development has nothing to do with the Mulligan's property. City Council members are scheduled to vote on the zoning surrounding the 11-acre plot during their April 15th meeting.
