WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — After over 65 years of drive-in movies and hundreds of local vendors making ends meet, the West Valley City Council decided the Redwood Drive-In Theatre and Swap Meet's era is over.
"It is crucial to recognize that this land is not just a piece of real estate. It's a pillar of our community's history, culture, and economy," said one speaker.
There was a last-minute protest outside city hall right before Tuesday night's meeting.
Thirty-nine speakers went before the council to oppose the zoning change from a commercial lot to residential.
The only person at the podium who spoke in favor of the new development was Steve Maddox, president of Edge Homes. He wants to turn the area into 40 condos and 244 townhomes.
"I am appreciative of your commitment to community. To family, to large families," he said to the council.
"Most of us are working class and we can't even afford what it is that they're trying to build in our neighborhood," said another speaker.
Councilmembers could only do so much regarding the lot's fate. The property owners sent a letter to the city expressing they want to sell the land because operations are "unprofitable."
"Owners have rights in this country. It's wrong for a government to tell an owner they have to keep doing the business they've been doing," said councilmember at-large Lars Nordfelt.
"If we voted no, that doesn't save the Swap Meet. It's the owner that decides whether or not to save the Swap Meet," Nordfelt added.
Councilmember Tom Huynh was persistent in asking the council if the city could find another Swap Meet location to help the displaced vendors.
"Are we looking into that? To help our community here?" he asked.
"As a council, it's not our responsibility to find them a new place or help them," said Mayor Karen Lang. "If we want to bring that up in a future agenda item or future meeting, that would be the appropriate time."
The council voted 5-2 and the community left outraged and heartbroken, "booing" the council as they left the chambers.
The group gathered on the steps outside the building to comfort one another.
"Together we can find somewhere to go. Together as a community, we don't need these people. We can do this ourselves. We have the voice," said the rally leader.
In the letter to the city, the owners expressed that "the Redwood drive-in theatre and swap meet business will continue to operate after the sale closes, until the new owners break ground on their housing development."
The landowners hope that will give vendors time to move to a different location.
