LEHI, Utah -- For the first time since plans were announced to plow under the current driving range at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, nearby homeowners got the chance to face the developer, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"It's a very emotional issue for you and you know it's a business issue for us, but it is also emotional because you are us--and we truly understand and believe that," said a representative from the LDS Church's special projects division at Thursday's meeting.
Thursday's open house, he said, is a chance for the LDS Church to listen to feedback.
"They're destroying the area."
That was the feedback given by Jared Asbury, who is serving as an informal spokesman for the Thanksgiving Village neighborhood, which borders the current driving range.
He said the goal is to educate the LDS Church about special requirements for building on the land, citing not just the city of Lehi development code, but also the Thanksgiving Point Area Plan.
He believes the conceptual plan put forth by the LDS Church falls short in terms of parking, landscaping, building design and infrastructure.
"I'm not sure what will happen," an LDS Church representative said. "I tried tonight to put myself in a few of your shoes."
He also told the crowd that the land seems destined for development, and they may want to consider that the LDS Church could be a good neighbor and that if the church cannot meet the development law, the project would not be built.
Those words may be too little too late for some neighbors, who feel like the LDS Church should have sought their feedback sooner.
"It gives us the impression that they are going to listen to us and then do whatever they want anyway," Asbury said.
