May 14, 2002 Weber town's stance on growth questioned But Marriott-Slaterville to be honored for good planning By CATHY McKITRICK_ Standard-Examiner staff MARRIOTT-SLATERVILLE - In this small community of 1,500 residents, a conflict simmers between local property owners who want to sell their land for top dollar and the conservative majority who want to limit growth. In 1994, Kent and Pam Slater mortgaged their home to purchase 30 acres of land on 1900 West, thinking it would provide a healthy 401K when they found the right buyer. Last winter they thought they had. Rothchild Investment Ltd., a developer based in Lake Tahoe, made a generous offer to buy the Slater's land along with the adja-cent 42 acres belonging to Wes and Lenore Spencer. The location, visible from the freeway with interchanges immediately to the north and south, especially appealed to the developer because of its easy access. "It would have made an excellent spot for an outlet mall, and I think it would have done very well," said Tony Versteeg, one of the owners of Rothchild. Land along the well-trafficked 1900 West is zoned for homes on one-acre lots, with commercial growth allowed in the 300 feet of frontage, which would be too narrow to accommodate an outlet mall. Since Marriott-Slaterville incorporated in 1999 and adopted a general plan for growth in 2001, any rezones require amending the plan. By law, the plan comes up for review every five years and petitions to amend or add an element can be heard each January. But after butting heads with city planners in January, Rothchild's project met a quick demise. "The Realtor wanted 70 acres from a fundamentally residential ar-ea rezoned as commercial," said City Administrator Bill Morris. "They filed their petition on the last day in 2001 and came to the January meeting with no map or site plan." Describing the planning commission's role as gatekeeper of the general plan, Morris said they've had four or five amendments filed to change it, but only one has been approved so far. "You can't take all that citizen input and just throw it away," Morris said. As Morris remembers it, the planning commission had to make a decision that night, due to the pending sale. "We were forced into a corner. I know the Slaters have been frustrated, but I think they were disrespectful of the process. I don't know if they understand the process," Morris said. The Slaters tell another story. "We were told we didn't need to come to the meeting," Pam said. "The city told us the project would be presented and the planning commission would talk about it." But the Slaters came anyway and found a packed house with standing room only. "We felt ambushed," Pam said. "And misled to believe it was just a preliminary discussion." Versteeg said he was under the same impression. "But it turned out to be THE meeting, and their answer wasn't just 'no,' it was 'hell no,'" Versteeg said. Taken aback, Versteeg said his company was bitterly surprised by the planning commission's response, and "we packed our bags and said 'see ya.'" "Usually communities welcome us with open arms," Versteeg said. "But I've got enough heartburn that I don't want to go back to Marriott-Slaterville. Other developers watched what happened to us there, 37